Ocasio Earns Outstanding Apprentice Jockey Eclipse

Luis Ocasio received the Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice jockey, as he closed out 2016 with 110 trips to the winner’s circle and more than $2.8 million in earnings.  

Ocasio, a native of Puerto Rico, is a graduate of Escuela Vocacional Hípica, a Puerto Rican jockey school that also counts leading riders John Velazquez, Irad Ortiz Jr., and Jose Ortiz among its distinguished alumni. The 19-year-old Ocasio got his start riding at the Camarero Race Track before coming to the United States in March.

He won his first race in his new home March 20 aboard Alice Roadtrain in a dominating 9 3/4-length victory in a $7,500 claiming race at Parx Racing. His career was on the rise in the spring, as he picked up three more wins in April and won eight in May, all at Parx.

Mainly riding at Parx and Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Ocasio had an 18% win rate from 606 mounts in 2016. He came in first for apprentice jockeys by earnings and by wins, and out of all North American jockeys he ranked 93rd by earnings.

Although he’s yet to win a stakes race, he was among the leading riders at Parx last year, finishing second by wins and fifth by earnings.