After missing 21 months of racing and checking into rehab in 2003, jockey Garrett Gomez has turned his life around and reached the pinnacle of his profession.

His dependability and consistency in 2007 helped him establish a single-season record for stakes wins with 77.

“I’m very happy with my year,” Gomez said. “Any time you can set a record like that, I think it means a lot.”

The numbers posted by Gomez during the season landed him the Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey and highlight that consistency. The Tucson, Arizona, native won 21% of his main track starts and 21% of his turf starts. He won 21% of his starts at one mile or more and 21% of his sprint races.

In sharing top duties with jockey John Velazquez for multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, and picking up plenty of other strong mounts, Gomez led all North American riders by earnings for a second straight year.

“Riding for Todd, you of course get to ride a lot of great horses,” Gomez said. “Besides that, he makes things very easy. His focus is having the horse completely ready, and he expects his riders to be their best on the track. He does not give a whole lot of instructions. He brings the horses over ready and when he gives you a leg up, he’s putting the race in your hands.”

Gomez won races worth $1-million or more in the United States, Canada (Shakespeare in Woodbine Mile Stakes [Can-G1]), and Dubai (Spring At Last in the Etisalat Godolphin Mile [UAE-G2]).