Up-and-coming Concepción joins Colonial Downs jockey colony

On opening day Wednesday, Eclipse Award-winning jockey Axel Concepción will make his first appearance at Colonial Downs, as the 20-year-old has joined the local riding colony for the 2025 41-day summer session. Concepción, who won the Eclipse as the nation’s top apprentice in 2023, has 18 mounts during opening week.

 

“It feels great to be here,” Concepción said. “I want to take advantage of these opportunities that the trainers are giving me. My goal is to win as many races as I can and to try to win a title.”

 

As an apprentice, Concepción won the Laurel Park riding title. His familiarity with the Maryland jockey colony and connections puts him in a good position to have success at Colonial.

 

“I know a lot of these riders from my first years based in the mid-Atlantic,” Concepción said. “I rode not just at Laurel but also Charles Town, Delaware Park and Monmouth. There are so many good riders here. I am very blessed to be able to compete with them. You need to know all the riders who you are in the race with, you need to know all the horses and how all that comes together to win a race.”

 

Concepción began the year at Fair Grounds, where in his first meet there he finished eighth in the standings with 32 wins. After riding at Churchill Downs for the first month of the spring meet, Concepción followed the opportunities his agent Liz Morris lined up for him at Monmouth Park. The Puerto Rico native made the most of them, winning four stakes races including the Pegasus aboard Bracket Buster for trainer Vicki Oliver, who has stalls at Colonial for the first time.

 

“We hope to ride for Oliver, as well as Mike Tomilson, Keith Desormeaux and others,” Morris said. “We’ll also be looking to rekindle some of Axel’s East Coast connections from when he was leading apprentice, as well as continue success with other Kentucky trainers who will be shipping in.”

 

In his third year of riding in the U.S., Concepción has won with 16% of his mounts, totaling 329 wins with almost $14 million in earnings.

 

“Axel is a talented up-and-coming rider,” Morris said. “He has an innate ability to put a horse in a great position to win a race. I’ve seen it time and time again now since having his book. Combined with being studious and a strong finisher, he really has all the attributes to ride at any track or with any colony when given the opportunity.”

 

Last year, newcomer Ben Curtis was able to win the Colonial Downs riding title in his first meet. Hungry to prove himself and grateful for every opportunity he is given, Concepción appears poised to attempt to do the same.