Carrasco Begins Career as Journeyman
As luck would have it, Victor Carrasco’s last day with the weight allowance was Saturday when he took home honors as the best apprentice rider in North America for 2013.
This afternoon at Laurel Park, the 21-year-old rode as a journeyman for the first time, going winless with six mounts though he finished in the money three times.
“The business will go down a little bit because everyone loves the bug,” Carrasco said. “But I don’t expect much drop off because I am going to continue to work hard.”
Carrasco became the 10th Maryland-based rider to earn the Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice, leading all first-year riders in wins (215) and earnings ($4,357,715). He received 172 of the 249 first-place votes (69%) to easily out-distance fellow finalists Edgard Zayas and Manny Franco.
“I don’t know how to explain how I felt when they called my name,” Carrasco added. “All my family and friends were there and the family of my agent Tom Stift. To be able to have them be part of it was special. Winning the Eclipse was a goal and to be able to win it was really, really big.”
Carrasco finished his bug year with 228 victories and nearly $4.7 million in earnings.
He is currently tied with Alex Cintron atop the Laurel Park winter standings with 12 first place finishes.