Dual Kentucky Derby-winning jockey loses home to Los Angeles wildfires with local trainers forced to evacuate

Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez is among those who have lost their homes in the wildfires that continue to devastate Los Angeles.

Thousands of structures have been destroyed and 100,000 people evacuated from the community around Santa Anita racecourse due to the ongoing Eaton fire. While more than 13,900 acres near Santa Anita have burned, the track itself – and more than 1,800 horses stabled there – has not been threatened as of Saturday.

However, Gutierrez, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2012 on I'll Have Another and four years later on Nyquist, has lost his house, and trainers including Michael McCarthy, Phil D'Amato, Tim Yakteen and Dan Blacker have all had to evacuate.

"My family is fine. Our house is fine," Blacker said. "We still haven't gone back as the power is still out. The whole thing is so sad. I'm just thankful we're all okay and the horses here are all okay. There are a lot of houses near ours that just aren't there anymore."

Yakteen added: "We had to evacuate and are still without power, but it's nothing compared to what some of these other families have had to endure. We're very fortunate."

Jockey Mario Gutierrez has lost his home in the Los Angeles wildfiresCredit: Andy Lyons (Getty Images)

Racing at Santa Anita on Friday and Saturday was cancelled. Training at the track was cancelled on Wednesday, but has returned since Thursday. Santa Anita's expansive property is being used to support several relief efforts. A charity drop-off has been set up and an electricity company is using the north car park as a base to restore power to affected areas.

Blacker added: "Santa Anita has done a great job in keeping everyone informed. We've also had the fire marshal here keeping everyone informed. It's not an easy process to navigate. As concerning as all this has been, everything here seems like it's getting back to normal."

There are six wildfires, whipped up by 80mph winds and accelerated by dry conditions, burning in Los Angeles, with at least 11 people killed, according to the LA County Medical Examiner.

Santa Anita has been impacted by wildfires before, including when racing was cancelled for two days in 2020 due to smoke. In 2017, a fire at San Luis Rey Downs training centre, between Los Angeles and San Diego, killed 46 horses and destroyed eight barns.

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