From Marilyn Trevino
It is with tremendous sadness that I share the passing of Senon Trevino. Many in horse racing’s family may remember win pictures with the spelling Senen Trevino. Senon once told me that a hard-headed Mexican woman in the racing office (I think Sunland Park) “corrected” the spelling from Senon to the proper Mexican spelling of Senen. He was tired of trying to set her straight hence the spelling confusion.
Senon was born in Kemp, Texas on Dec. 27, 1941. Senon moved with his grandfather to Fredrick, Colorado when he was a toddler. He attended school in his home town of Fredrick, Colorado. Each day he went to school, each evening he and his grandfather learned English at the kitchen table. At high school he won letters in baseball, basketball, football and track and field. He earned a scholarship to Colorado State University due his math skill. Although archeology was interesting, he chose the life of a jockey instead.
Before becoming a thoroughbred rider, Senon rode quarter horses in Colorado at Monaghan Farms. After his first thoroughbred race at Sunland Park in New Mexico in 1962, Trevino was sidelined with a broken hand. It was on Oct. 2. 1963, that Trevino rode his first winner, Jeffery Error at Tanforan in California.
July 8, 1964 INGLEWOOD, Calif., July 7 – Getaway Maid scored a major upset at the Hollywood Park meeting today when she defeated Real Sweet Deal by a neck to win the $81,775 Lassie Stakes and paid $143 on a $2 wager.
This was not the first time Senon got a winner home in a big race. Notables are:
· 1964 Coronado Stakes, Hollywood Park on Clavo
· 1964 Hollywood Lassie Stakes on Getaway Maid
· 1966 Vanity Handicap, Hollywood Park on Khal Ireland
· 1969 Seadiar Queen Stakes at Longacres on Buttermilk Seciles
o Some notable horses: Peace Signal II, Dr. Roy E, Azure Te, Bold Combatant
Some additional statistics:
- Senon Trevino won 807 races from 7495 starts over a 19-year period.
- In 1964, he stood #4 in wins overall in the nation and #15 overall in money won.
- During that year he finished first, second, or third at a 54.7% rate.
- Senon was the nation’s leading apprentice in 1964.
Riding professionally for 19 years, his mounts finished 1, 2, 3 32.18% of the time with total career earnings of $3,090,160. Thank you to the National Museum of Racing for the statistics.
November 20, 1964 – “Trevino Rides 3rd Triple in Week” was a headline in the New York Times racing section for Aqueduct Race Course. From east to west (NY to CA) and from north to south (Hastings Park – Marquis Downs, Canada to Agua Caliente, Tijuana
Senon loved the sport and profession of Thoroughbred jockey. He loved the horses and devoted his life to making each day meaningful to each horse he either rode or trained. He introduced me to the world of racing at the highest level, and for that, I am forever in his debt. He had me convinced they created Santa Anita just for me. The horses loved him, they ran for him, and he protected them the best way he could.
Senon was honest with the trainers and owners. He would tell them if they had runner or not, if the horse was sore and where. He rode hard to win and broke over 27 bones in the process.
Senon never bragged on what he accomplished but it was evident that he was no hack when, in 1984, this Montana girl accompanied him to Southern California. Grown men so full of joy to see him again! Hugging, hand shaking, and even a twirl from Bob Hess Sr. Jockey’s and trainers, horsemen all, were unabashedly exuberant to visit once again.
During the mornings at Santa Anita, Del Mar, Hollywood Park, Senon would show me the areas on the race track where he “owned some real estate”. He would say if only he had his sky hook as he was coming off a horse. That sky hook would just let him down easy.
My apologies to all of you for not writing this earlier, I guess I believed if it wasn’t in print it couldn’t be true. On January 14, 2019 at 8:15 p.m. Senon used the sky hook one final time to let him down easy into the Lords loving hands with his wife of 34 years by his side.
There was no service, just a simple request: Go to the races this week, to a track near you. Take your love, take a friend, take your family. Enjoy the breathtaking horses and the sport of kings. Where it is more than a gamble, but a passion shared by the world. Say hi to the jockey in the saddle and tell him/her to keep a leg on each side.