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USATSI

Veteran jockey Miguel Mena died after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 64 in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday night, according to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office. He was 34.

Mena's death, which has been ruled an accident, was confirmed by Al Stall Jr., one of his trainers. The Peru native, born Jose Mena Rodriguez, died just after 7:30 p.m. on Halloween night.

Stall, who said Mena had a wife and two young daughters, commented on the news, saying:

"He was a talented rider and a very likable guy. He worked my best horses in the mornings and rode some in the afternoon. He had a tremendous amount of talent and he delivered for us over the years."

His jockey journey in the United States started in 2003 and he won 2,079 races, earning more than $72.4 million in purses, according to Equibase.

During his career, he recorded two Grade 1 victories, coming on Champagne d'Oro in the 2010 Test Stakes at Saratoga and at Pool Play in 2011 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.

He competed in the Kentucky Derby twice, riding Backtalk to a 20th-place finish in 2010 and Necker Island to ninth place in 2020. His most recent ride was on Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.