Santa Anita Park has spent the summer giving its original jockey kitchen a fresh new look, unveiling a newly renovated Jockey's Diner, a dedicated dining space designed with the health, nutrition, and performance needs of the track's jockey colony in mind.
Serving Santa Anita's jockeys from the morning until the last race of each race day, the Jockey's Diner provides made-to-order breakfast items, sandwiches, protein shakes, and other meals prepared by Santa Anita chef Joseph Gutierrez. The newly revamped operation places an even greater emphasis on fresh, balanced, and nutrition-focused food, recognizing the unique demands professional jockeys face in managing their weight while maintaining the strength, energy, and conditioning required to compete at the highest level.
The menu, curated by Santa Anita head chef Colt Cheyne, will feature detailed nutritional information for each item, including portion size, calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber. By providing a clear nutritional breakdown of each meal, the Jockey's Diner gives riders the information they need to make informed choices based on their individual nutritional goals and dietary needs.
"Jockeys are athletes, and their nutritional needs are incredibly unique," Cheyne said. "Our goal with the Jockey's Diner is to provide them with food that tastes great, is prepared fresh and gives riders the information they need to make the best choices for their individual needs."
Unlike some professional athletes, jockeys face the additional challenge of carefully managing their weight as part of their profession. The Jockey's Diner is designed to help make that process easier by offering riders nutritious, balanced options and greater transparency around the nutritional content of the food they are eating.
The project is part of a broader, long-term effort involving the Jockeys' Guild, 1/ST, and other racing organizations to place a greater focus on horsemen and women's nutrition and wellness throughout the racing industry nationally.
"We are proud to introduce the new jockeys' dining area at Santa Anita to provide healthy meals designed around the needs of our athletes—fueling them before they compete and helping them recover afterward." said retired jockey Aaron Gryder, who serves as 1/ST's senior vice president of racing operations. "Jockeys are an essential part of Santa Anita, and our goal is to provide an environment where they can be healthy, happy, and at their best—both physically and mentally."
For Santa Anita, the renovation represents a continued investment in the local racing community and in the jockeys who are at the heart of Thoroughbred racing.
The Jockey's Diner will officially celebrate its grand reopening on opening day of Santa Anita's Autumn Meet, Sept. 25.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
