Alexander Crispin took home the 2020 Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice jockey, capping off a first year of riding that ended with a 103-73-77 record from 539 races. His mounts last year earned $2,194,030.
Other finalists were Luis Cardenas and Yarmarie Correa.
Crispin graduated from Puerto Rico's Escuela Vocacional Hipica in December 2019 and made his race debut Jan. 1, 2020 at Hipodromo Camarero. Last March he began riding at Turfway Park, where he scored his first win March 12 on Thorpe d'Oro. Crispin rode at Delaware Park for the summer and in late October began riding at Laurel Park.
"Everything started in middle school where I first saw a horse race. For some reason I had that connection and that desire to find out more information about what horse racing is," Crispin told Laurel media. "As soon as I found out and saw horse racing with my own eyes, I had that feeling that this is what I want. This is what I want for my future."
Maryland-based riders have won 11 of the previous 46 Eclipse Awards for outstanding apprentice, according to Laurel media, with Weston Hamilton taking the honor in 2018.
Leading up to the Jan. 28 announcement of Eclipse Award winners, Crispin said: "That's something that every apprentice and every jockey would like to win. I would be happy to know that I did my best and worked hard, and I would be satisfied."
