Apprentice Kevin Carmona Rides First Winner
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Jockey Kevin Carmona rode his first winner aboard Art Major at Gulfstream Park July 21
Apprentice jockey Kevin Carmona notched the first win of his career at Gulfstream Park July 21, when he guided 30-1 longshot Art Major to victory from off the pace in the day's first race.
The 19-year-old graduate from a jockey school in Puerto Rico most recently worked as an exercise rider for trainer Todd Pletcher for 13 months, during which he galloped Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) and Holy Bull (G2) winner Audible.
"I'm happy to win my first race at Gulfstream," said Carmona, who credited Pletcher and Gulfstream's clerk of scales, Victor Sanchez, for helping him achieve his goal to become a jockey in the U.S.
The breakthrough victory came in his 24th mount, a 3-year-old daughter of Munnings . Art Major, trained by Herbert Miller, chased the early pace, raced three wide into the stretch, and drew off to win by 1 1/2 lengths in the 5 1/2-furlong claiming race.
"Inside the quarter pole (I) hit (her) with the whip once and (she) finished nice," said Carmona, who is represented by agent Pichi Garcia.