Martinez Heath

Martinez "Marty" Heath (May 4, 1945 – October 16, 2006) was a Native American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. Born on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Oregon, Martinez Heath was the son of Chief Nathan Heath. His brother Delvis Heath is the current chief.^[1]

Martinez Heath
Occupation	Jockey
Born	(1945-05-04)May 4, 1945 Warm Springs, Oregon
Died	October 16, 2006(2006-10-16) (aged 61) Warm Springs, Oregon
Major racing wins
Swaps Handicap (1966) Equipoise Mile (1967) Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (1968) Michigan Mile And One-Eighth Handicap (1968) SNARO Handicap (1968, 1970) Black Gold Stakes (1969) Fair Grounds Oaks (1970) Thanksgiving Handicap (1970)
Significant horses
Nodouble

As a boy, Martinez Heath won the Oregon marbles championship. By age sixteen he had already embarked on a career as a jockey that would last twenty-five years. He began riding professionally at the Portland Meadows race track in Portland, Oregon then at other tracks in Oregon, Northern California, and the American Midwest.^[2] In 1967, he had seven wins on a single race card at the Fresno Fair Race Track in Fresno, California.^[3] Heath rode the Champion runner Nodouble to wins in the 1968 Hawthorne Gold Cup and Michigan Mile And One-Eighth Handicap (1968) ^[4]

Martinez Heath died at age sixty-one in 2006 and was buried in the cemetery at the mouth of the Warm Springs River.

References

1. The Bulletin, Bend, Oregon, October 22, 2006 article subtitled "Brother of current chief, son of late chief, Heath became famous jockey. Retrieved August 22, 1922
2. Portland Tribune, Portland, Oregon, Pamplin Media Group, Obituaries for week of 10-25-06. Retrieved August 22, 1922
3. Turf & Sport Digest January 1964 issue article titled Jockey Martinez Heath wins 7 races at Fresno Retrieved August 22, 1922
4. the Bend, Oregon Bulletin