Rafael Bejarano is a champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He trained at the Peruvian national riding school before embarking on his professional career in 1999. Having met with success, including winning the apprentice riding title at Hip�dromo de Monterrico in Lima, he emigrated to the United States in the spring of 2002 and settled in Louisville, Kentucky. He got his first win on July 10 that year at River Downs in Cincinnati, Ohio and went on to major race wins in Kentucky and on the New York Racing Association circuit. In 2004, Rafael Bejarano got his big break when he was the United States Champion Jockey by wins with 455. As part of his 2004 success, on March 12 at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky he won seven races on a single race card and ended the meet with a track-record 196 wins. In 2004, his earnings were $12,212,308 out of 1,922 mounts finishing 8th in the national earnings list. 

June 23rd, 1982 in Arequipa (Age 42)