Alex Canchari, a jockey who was a regular at Canterbury Park and Prairie Meadows, committed suicide on March 1, his sister Ashley Canchari verified online on March 2.
Another suicide by a jockey has sent shockwaves through the racing business, which was first informed of it via social media. Canchari was born into a racing family and raised in Shakopee, Minnesota. In March of 2020, Patrick Canchari, who was a jockey like him, was disabled in a car accident. Luis Canchari, their Peruvian trainer and rider father, passed away in 2020 December. Alex has a wife and two young children.
Career of Jockey Alex Canchari
At the end of his seven-year career in 2012, Canchari earned $28,619,989 on his 1,044 wins, 1,008 seconds, and 1,020 thirds from 7,598 mounts. His first graded victory came in 2020, when Flat Out Speed won the Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows with him in the saddle. Chad Keller, an assistant at Prairie Meadows, where the incident occurred, expressed disbelief. “It’s shocking; his riding ability was top-notch,” Keller said. Whatever he was going through at the time of his death, it’s unfortunate. I pray that the family will be able to finally put this sad chapter of their lives to rest. Our entire community at Prairie Meadows is devastated by the news of Alex’s passing; he was a brilliant rider and will be much missed.
On May 25, 2022, at Canterbury Park, Alex Canchari rode Tonka Warrior to victory in the final race of the day, a maiden special weight, marking his 1,000th career winner. He thanked the fans in his native town for helping him achieve this win.
I was raised here. “I had my first job here in the concession stand when I was a kid,” Canchari told track publicity upon reaching the milestone. In 2018, the young jockey led 812 horses out of the starting gate, won 120 races, and earned $3,727,351.
After learning of Alex’s passing last night, I was overcome with sadness. Jockey Florent Geroux stated, “I’m very heartbroken; he is someone I have known for a very long time, and before he was riding, he used to rub horses in Chicago while I was riding there. We maintained constant communication with one another over the years. We used to make an effort to get together and do things wherever I rode. Alex was the first person to text me after a huge race win, and I always made sure to return the favour. Whatever happened in his personal life, my heart goes out to his wife, kids, and friends.
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