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Eclipse Finalist Alexander Crispin Continues Strong Maryland Tradition Of Apprentice Riders

Jockey Alexander Crispin is one of three finalists for the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice of 2020. The winners in 17 equine and human categories will be announced during a virtual ceremony starting at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Maryland-based riders have captured 11 of the 46 Eclipse Awards as champion apprentice, the most recent being Weston Hamilton in 2018. Other winners are Chris McCarron (1974), Ronnie Franklin (1978), Alberto Delgado (1982), Allen Stacy (1986), Kent Desormeaux (1987), Mike Luzzi (1989), Mark Johnston (1990), Jeremy Rose (2001), Ryan Fogelsonger (2002) and Victor Carrasco (2013). Hamilton and Carrasco continue to be based in Maryland.

Maryland Jockey Club host and analyst Naomi Tukker had a chance to talk to Crispin about his 2020 season and what it would be like to win the Eclipse Award.

Crispin graduated from Puerto Rico's famed Escuela Vocacional Hipica in December 2019 and made his pro debut last Jan. 1 at Hipodromo Camarero. After coming to the U.S. late last winter, Cripsin was fifth in his mainland debut aboard Time Marches On March 7, 2020 at Turfway Park.

He continued to ride in the Midwest, picking up his first win March 12, 2020 on Thorpe d'Oro at Turfway, until moving his tack to Delaware Park for the summer. Crispin finished the Delaware meet as its leading apprentice, ranking second overall with 58 wins and fourth with more than $1.3 million in purse earnings.

Crispin arrived in Maryland in late October, two weeks into Laurel Park's fall meet, and wound up leading all apprentice riders and ranking third overall with 29 wins while banking $725,920 in purses earned.

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Hats Off To The Horses: Sale Of Afleet Accompli Chapeau Benefits Old Friends

For the 12th consecutive year, Maggie Mae Designs® and Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement have teamed up for an unparalleled online shopping experience: “Hats off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby”.

This unique fundraiser features one-of-a-kind couture hats created by Maggie Mae Designs®, the sale of which benefits Old Friends.

The first hat up for bid in our auction series, which kicks off Jan. 1, 2021, honors Afleet Accompli, a son of Northern Afleet who came to Old Friends via the sister aftercare organization Caribbean Thoroughbred Aftercare.

Bidding in this online auction will be available through January 11, 5:00 pm (EST). To bid, CLICK HERE.

Afleet Accompli spent most of his career running at Camarero Racecourse in Puerto Rico. The green and yellow racing silks of his Canito Racing racing stable inspired a tropical island palette for the trimmings of this stunning Derby-style hat.

A large hat foundation was created using stunning coral taffeta. Using yards of chocolate organza lined with coral organza, the wavy brim layers were topstitched with coral embroidered strands to reflect the rippling movement of the Thoroughbred athlete at full gallop.

To further showcase the stable's colors, a large rose curl, created in alternating layers of coral shantung and hot pink organza, adorns the front of the hat. This floral centerpiece is framed with leaves created out of lime green organza and taffeta.

A lime green taffeta sash lined with organza was fashioned to encircle the crown of the hat and a small peach button adorns the sash in the back.

As always, a physical remembrance, several strands of Afleet Accompli's tail hair, were braided and woven into the trim of the hat.

Bidding is open now. To bid CLICK HERE.

To see more photos and read more about the stunning new hat CLICK HERE.

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Apprentice Morales Living Up To His Commitments At Indiana Grand

The 2020 season has brought challenges to those involved in racing. With COVID-19 regulations in place, Indiana Grand jockeys must only ride in Indiana, and those coming in must adhere to specific rules, including a 14-day quarantine. It's a commitment that Apprentice Jockey Joshua Morales didn't back down from.

A native of Puerto Rico, Morales knows all about commitment. He attended his country's Escuela Vocacional Hipica Agustin Mercado Reveron jockey school at Camarero Race Track near San Juan. Known for its rigorous curriculum that spans up to two years, Morales entered the school and graduated last August at the age of 19, ready to tackle the world of Thoroughbred racing.

“My two uncles (Wilfredo Rohena and Jose Rohena) are jockeys at Finger Lakes,” said Morales through his valet, Ramiro Torres. “I came to the United States a couple different times and worked as a hot walker at Finger Lakes, but I never had any plans to be a jockey. My friends influenced me because of my size and build. That's how I ended up going to jockey school.”

Morales began riding in Puerto Rico and in January, relocated to Turfway Park, which eventually took him to Belterra Park. Although he was riding a lot, his business wasn't taking him in the direction he wanted, so a suggestion from Nelson Figueroa, clerk of scales at Belterra, got him connected to agent Francisco Torres.

“Nelson and I go way back and a recommendation from him was all I needed,” said Torres. “I'm always shopping for another apprentice. I feel in this stage in my life, it's time to give back and working with these younger riders is what I like. He sure looks great on a horse and he has great hands. When he puts everything together, look out.”

Morales made the move to Indiana Grand and put in the mandatory time for the 14-day quarantine. During that time, Morales worked on an equicizer and Torres began to share some pointers for the apprentice, who turns 21 next week.

“Cisco has helped me out a lot,” said Morales. “Not only on the track but off the track, helping me find an apartment for my family and getting settled. He has corrected a few things already about my riding and helped me improve.”

Morales got out of the gate with a win on his very first day of competition at Indiana Grand, Sept. 7. Since that time, he has scored two riding doubles with seven wins total in only 10 days of racing. He and Torres are working on short term goals with hopes of opening some doors in the near future.

“The goal is to become leading apprentice here,” added Torres. “Then, he will either go to Turfway or possibly Oaklawn with me. We will just wait and see how it works out.”

Morales and his partner, Chareen, have two young sons, Owen, age four, and Harlan, 16 months. He also has support from his father, Javier, who is a former exercise rider. He is currently overseeing his son's start in racing.

“His two uncles wanted bigger and better things for him, so that is why he didn't go to Finger Lakes,” said Javier. “Jockey school was very good for him. It is very disciplined. The last semester, they have 20 races a day, 10 for a start of a race and 10 for a finish of a race. There were five that graduated from his class and four are now riding in the United States. He even had a personal trainer in school that helped him learn about keeping his weight down and keeping in shape.”

One of those graduates with Morales, Alex Crispin, competed at Indiana Grand in the first few weeks of competition this year before relocating to Delaware Park. Another from the same class includes Marielis Cosme currently riding at Mountaineer Park.

Racing is held Monday through Thursday until Wednesday, Nov. 18. All-Quarter Horse racing is set for Saturday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 24. For more information, go to www.indianagrand.com.

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Motivated By Paralyzed Brother, Jockey Hector Diaz Building On Opportunities At Monmouth Park

Hector Diaz, Jr. has never been willing to settle for second-best ever since his late start on a career as a jockey, but in this instance he's inclined to make an exception.

The 31-year-old journeyman currently sits second in the Monmouth Park jockey standings with 12 wins – well behind runaway leader Paco Lopez, who is on his way to a seventh title at the Shore track with 26 wins, but also ahead of notable veterans Joe Bravo, Jose Ferrer, Antonio Gallardo, Nik Juarez and Trevor McCarthy.

It's potentially a significant achievement for Diaz, who finished fourth in the track's rider standings a year ago.

“Monmouth Park has a great jockey colony. It's a very tough colony,” said Diaz, who is listed on four mounts when racing resumes at Monmouth Park with a six-race twilight card on Friday. “There are so many great riders and I feel grateful to be second now. I know it's going to be competitive and a challenge to stay there.

“I just have to focus on myself and keep working hard and remember that the things that have me second now will be the things that keep me second.”

In part because he is late to the profession, Diaz has an appreciation for every accomplishment now, big or small.

Though he grew up with a father and brother who were jockeys, and with cousins Irad and Jose Ortiz, in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, Diaz didn't enroll in the Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey school until he was 23.

“My dad did not want me to be a jockey. But in my heart I knew I always wanted to be a jockey,” Diaz said.

Some of the motivation for finally setting on his professional path came from his brother, Hector Miguel Diaz, who was paralyzed in a spill at Camarero Race Track in Puerto Rico.

“He was just 21 when he was paralyzed,” said Diaz. “I decided that I needed to do this and do it for him.”

Diaz had mixed results as an apprentice in the ultra-competitive New York arena before shifting to Monmouth Park.

“It's hard in New York but I can't say it didn't really work out because of the opportunities I got there,” he said. “If I didn't get those opportunities I might not be getting the opportunities I have now at Monmouth. Those trainers come here to race. They know me. New York was part of the process that has helped me be where I am now.

“I believe you build your career every year and you do that by continuing to work hard. Last year was a good year for me. I won a couple of stakes races and I finished fourth in the standings at Monmouth Park. I think that has helped me get off to a good start this year.”

Diaz, who didn't start riding professionally until he was 27, isn't bashful about his long-term goal.

“I want to be leading rider here someday,” he said. “Paco is tough to beat. He is always tough to beat. So maybe it won't be this year and maybe it won't be next year but I believe I can do it. I always believe in myself. I always bet on me all the time to succeed. I will continue building my career and I won't stop trying to reach my goal.”

Diaz matched his personal best with 74 overall victories last year while earning a career-best $2,802,843. He is certain he can exceed those numbers this year.

“The trainers have been trusting me. That's a big part of this,” he said. “My agent (Shawn Klotz) is doing his job and I am doing my job in the mornings. But it's about opportunities. You've got to work hard to earn those opportunities but owners and trainers have got to support you. They have to give you a shot.”

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