About Rene Douglas
René R. Douglas, a former jockey with an estimated net worth of $1 million, was born on March 3, 1967, in Panama City. His racing career began in his home Panama, where he rode Betitio Che to his first official victory. He rode there for one and a half years before relocating his equipment to the US in 1983. He holds the record for the most victories at a single Hialeah meeting and won three riding championships at Calder and Hialeah. He continued to bike well in Southern California and Illinois.
Born into a Racing Family:
attended jockey school and entered racing after his father and brothers, who are owners and trainers. When his brother passed away and his father was diagnosed with cancer at the end of the 2005 season, he took some time off. Before his father’s death in January 2006, he spent two months at home in Panama. He added that in addition to racing, “Soccer is probably my favorite sport. When I was young, I engaged in everything. I’m a decent athlete. Golf was the only sport I didn’t participate in, but now I do.”
Milestones:
On January 13, 2005, Douglas rode Grey Misty to his 3000th victory at Santa Anita, becoming the 122nd rider in North America to accomplish the feat. He presently has 3,587 victories. In the Juvenile Fillies event in 2006, he rode Dreaming of Anna to victory for the first time. He held the record for the most consecutive victories with four from 2001 to 2004 and has been the top rider at Arlington six times (2001-2004 and 2007-2008). His best year was 2004, when he rode 242 winners and earned $8.4 million, winning crowns at Arlington and Hollywood along the way.
Family Man:
Michael, Giancarlo, and Christian are the three sons that Douglas and his wife Natalia had together. They are Miami, Florida residents. In a 2008 interview, he stated: “Family comes first for me; I cannot survive without them. When I’m around them, I’m at my happiest. Since I enjoy traveling as much, I suppose that my happiest times are when my family and I are on vacation.”
Accidents that end careers:
On May 23, 2009, Douglas was hurt at Arlington Park during the Arlington Matron Handicap (G3) race. He was thrown over her head to the track after his mount, Born to Be, was knocked and tumbled in the upper stretch. He then flipped over and landed directly on top of him. Before he could be taken to an ambulance, track staff had to wrestle the filly off of him. Despite being knocked out by the fall, the filly initially appeared to have survived the mishap and had returned to her barn. According to recent reports, she was later found to have injuries and required euthanasia on Sunday.
operation and prognosis
Douglas underwent a seven-hour surgery to fix neck injuries and compressed vertebrae, but it’s possible that a bone fragment that broke off during the procedure injured his spinal cord. Dennis Cooper, his agent, stated: “They warned that he might never walk normally again. He’ll probably be able to move his upper body, but they told me up front that he won’t be able to walk. It doesn’t look good, but they won’t know for sure until the swelling subsides in approximately 10 to 14 days.”
Rene Douglas’ net worth is projected to be $1 million as of 2023. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, he has maintained an active life ever since his spinal surgery and extensive rehabilitation and is still actively involved in racing as an owner.
