Eddie Belmonte (born February 5, 1943 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a retired jockey who competed at the highest levels in Thoroughbred horse racing in his native Puerto Rico and in the United States. Eddie Belmonte retired as a jockey in 1976 and later worked as a riding instructor and jockeys' agent. He attempted a comeback in 1977 but on April 18, after winning a race at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmonte suddenly collapsed and fell from his horse. His collapse came about as a result of an effort to meet riding weight limits through a dieting process that brought rapid weight loss.