Rafael Meza Explained

Rafael Meza
Occupation:	Jockey
Birth Place:	Tijuana, Mexico
Birth Date:	19 February 1958
Race:	Del Mar Derby (1983) Speakeasy Stakes (1983) El Conejo Handicap (1984) Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (1984) Mervyn Leroy Handicap (1984) San Luis Obispo Handicap (1984) Santa Catalina Stakes (1984) Bay Meadows Handicap (1985) Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (1985) San Diego Handicap (1985) San Rafael Stakes (1985) Autumn Days Handicap (1985, 1989) Stuyvesant Handicap (1985) Excelsior Handicap (1986) Las Virgenes Stakes (1986) Metropolitan Handicap (1986) New Orleans Handicap (1986) San Fernando Stakes (1986) Westchester Handicap (1986) Comely Stakes (1987) Del Mar Oaks (1988) San Simeon Handicap (1988) Morvich Handicap (1989) San Carlos Handicap (1989) Bing Crosby Handicap (1990) Eddie Read Stakes (1990) Oak Tree Invitational Stakes (1990) Pat O'Brien Handicap (1990) Golden Gate Handicap (1991) El Camino Real Derby (1993) Bay Meadows Derby (1997, 1999) California Derby (1998) Yerba Buena Handicap (2000)
Horses:	Garthorn, Snow Chief, Super Diamond

Rafael Q. Meza (born February 19, 1958) is an American retired jockey who competed in Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States.^[1]

A native of Tijuana, Mexico,^[2] Meza began riding in California near the end of the 1970s.^[3] and would spend his career riding from a base in that State. In 1982 he was the second- leading rider at the spring/summer meeting at Golden Gate Fields ^[4] and enjoyed his best year in racing in 1986 when he won six important races at tracks in California, New York and Louisiana.

Notes and References

1. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hbImAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DwIGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3422,1463491&dq=rafael+meza+year+old&hl=en Miami News - February 21, 1984 story on his birthday and win in the San Luis Obispo Handicap
2. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB71D7D1F7A2227&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM San Jose Mercury News - August 29, 1994
3. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0foiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z8wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1596,143700&dq=rafael-meza&hl=en Modesto Bee - August 16, 1979
4. https://web.archive.org/web/20121105123815/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/667214572.html?dids=667214572:667214572&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+15,+1982&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=The+Shoe+Fits+on+Almost+Any+Track+You+Name&pqatl=google Los Angeles Times - July 15, 1982