Randy Romero

Randy Paul Romero  (December 22, 1957 – August 28, 2019) was an American Hall of Fame jockey. He was born in Erath, Louisiana. He was elected into the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame May 27, 2010. In 1975, he began his riding career at Evangeline Downs in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was nicknamed the "Ragin' Cajun". 

Romero rode the future Hall of Fame filly to an undefeated career, capped off with a victory in the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff. The following year he won his third straight Breeders' Cup race, taking the Juvenile Fillies event with Go for Wand.

Romero had kidney disease and hepatitis C caused by a tainted blood transfusion. In 2015, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and needed daily dialysis. On June 19, 2019, Romero entered in hospice care in Lafayette, Louisiana due to his cancer. He died two months later on August 28 under hospice care from the disease, aged 61.Randy Romero, classy Cajun with deft touch and strong spirit, dies at 61

References

Other websites
 Cincinnati Enquirer, "Horse racing's dirty little secret"
 Boston University, WBUR Public Radio story on Randy Romero 
 NTRA Bio Randy Romero

Category:1957 births
Category:2019 deaths
Category:Deaths from stomach cancer
Category:Sportspeople from Louisiana
Category:People from Lafayette, Louisiana