Eddie Belmonte, a legendary Puerto Rican jockey, has passed away at the age of 83, as reported by the horse racing program Estudio Hípico con Joe Bruno. Belmonte died at the Hospital San Francisco in Río Piedras, where he had been hospitalized for several days. In 1970, he became the first Puerto Rican jockey to win one of the American Triple Crown races, achieving this feat on board Personality in the Preakness Stakes.
Belmonte is considered a pioneer who paved the way for future generations of Puerto Rican jockeys in the United States, including Hall of Famers Ángel Tomás 'Junior' Cordero Jr. and John Velázquez, as well as contemporary figures such as Irad Ortiz Jr. and José Luis Ortiz. His legacy extends beyond the racing world, as he, along with Cordero, inspired the well-known plena song 'Cordero y Belmonte' by Ismael Rivera and sus Cachimbos.
Belmonte came from a family closely tied to horse racing, with his father, Francisco Belmonte, being a jockey and later a trainer, and his brothers Juan and Carlos also being jockeys. Eddie Belmonte was inducted into the Puerto Rican Horse Racing Hall of Fame, an honor also bestowed upon his father.