Eureka Downs reopened its gates on Saturday, Oct. 17, welcoming 2,036 people through the doors and generating a $68,000 wagering handle. The numbers marked a successful return for a Kansas racing tradition after a 16-year wait, but for one family in attendance, the day meant something far greater than the start of another racing season. For Martin Triana, it was a homecoming 37 years in the making and the return of an industry that has meant a lot to his family.
Triana, a former jockey who rode at Eureka Downs from 1987 to 1989, returned to the track where his life changed in an instant. He came not to compete, but to watch the races, surrounded by his wife, Guadalupe, his children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews and extended family.
“He had to be here,” his daughter, Veronica Triana, said.
For Triana and the family that has remained by his side, Eureka Downs is more than a racetrack. It is part of their history, their livelihood and their legacy.
In 1989, when Triana was just 30 years old, he went down at the finish line in a devastating accident. As a horse suffered an injury near the wire, it rolled over him, leaving him with a serious head injury that resulted in paralysis. A young jockey’s career was abruptly cut short.
But the family’s connection to horses did not end that day.
Triana began riding in Mexico at just 7 years old, learning under his father’s guidance.
Horses were part of his life long before he arrived in the United States. After immigrating, he settled in Newton in 1978 and built a life around the work he knew best.
He worked as a ranch hand, cared for horses and developed his skills as a trainer before becoming a jockey. His racing career took him to tracks including Eureka Downs and Anthony Downs, and in Nebraska.
Today, it lives on through the next generation. His nephew, Alfredo Triana, is a horse trainer, while his great-nephew, Alfredo Jr., has followed the family into the saddle as a jockey. His sister Martha Ibarra’s (who resides in Eureka) husband, Jose, has also worked as a jockey and trainer. Around the family table and at the track, knowledge passed down from one generation to the next continues to shape their lives.
Martin was joined by Guadalupe, his wife, along with his sister Lourdes Triana Jacquez and a large gathering of relatives, including Martin and Guadalupe’s daughters Veronica and Rebecca Triana and other members of the extended family.
The family’s presence carried added meaning following Martin’s diagnosis with ALS in 2022. After everything he has endured since the accident, returning to the track with the people closest to him offered an opportunity to reconnect with a defining part of his past and share it with younger generations.
The Triana family took time to return to the winner’s circle for a quick family photo. Pictured with Martin Triana are: from left to right: Sheridan Ruston, Olivia Triana and Alfredo Triana Jr. (great-nephew), Herminio Jacquez (nephew), Veronica Triana (oldest daughter), Fidela Triana (wife of Alfredo Triana) Salvador Toribio and Rebecca Triana (middle daughter) Lourdes Triana Jacquez (Martin’s sister), Nayra Jacquez (niece), Martin Triana and his wife Guadalupe.
The reopening of Eureka Downs offered the wider community a reason to celebrate, too. The 2,036 people who entered the doors and the $68,000 han- dle on opening day reflected the interest surrounding the return of live racing. The track once again became a gathering place for fans, horsemen, and families drawn to the sport’s excitement.
Eureka Downs will host two additional race weekends before concluding the 2026 season. Eureka Downs will open its doors at 10:30 a.m. the next two weekends, Oct. 24 and 25, and Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
