Santa Anita Park Announces 2024 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award Finalists

By Mike Willman —-

ANTA ANITA PARK ANNOUNCES 2024 GEORGE WOOLF MEMORIAL JOCKEY AWARD FINALISTS, 75TH ANNUAL WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED IN FEBRUARY

JUNIOR ALVARADO, ALEX BIRZER, JULIEN LEPAROUX, EDWIN MALDONADO & RODNEY PRESCOTT AWAIT VOTE OF JOCKEYS NATIONWIDE

ARCADIA, CA (Dec. 6, 2023)—A geographically diverse group of five veteran jockeys have been selected as finalists for the 2024 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, presented annually by Santa Anita Park since 1950. One of the most prestigious awards in American racing, the Woolf Award, which is determined by a vote of jockeys nationwide, can only be won once. Once the ballots have been counted, the 75th annual Woolf Award winner will be announced in February.

Junior Alvarado, Alex Birzer, Julien Leparoux, Edwin Maldonado and Rodney Prescott, all prominent in various regions, ranging from California to the Midwest, Florida and New York, are all highly deserving candidates that have competed with distinction, on and off the racetrack, for many years.

Named in honor of the legendary late jockey George Woolf, who rose to national prominence as the winner of the inaugural Santa Anita Handicap in 1935 with Azucar and later as the rider of fellow Hall of Famer Seabiscuit, whom he rode to victory over reigning Triple Crown Champion War Admiral in a nationally broadcast match race at Pimlico Race Course on Nov. 1, 1938, the Woolf Award trophy is a highly coveted replica of the life-sized statue which adorns Santa Anita’s Paddock Gardens area.

Affectionately known as the “The Iceman,” Woolf was regarded as one of the greatest big money riders of his era and was revered by his fellow riders, members of the media and millions of racing fans across America as a fierce competitor and consummate professional.

Best known as the regular rider of Bill Mott’s two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner and presumptive Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish, Junior Alvarado has thus become well known nationally and has endeared himself to fans nationwide by virtue of his role in one of the most compelling stories in racing history. In addition to Cody’s Wish winning this year’s Dirt Mile at Santa Anita, Alvarado took the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies a day previous on Nov. 3, aboard Mott’s Just F Y I.

The son of a jockey, Alvarado was born May 20, 1986 in Barquisimento, Venezuela and broke his maiden near Caracas at age 19 on Dec. 30, 2005. Alvarado immigrated to America in 2007 and rode his first United States winner at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 17 of that year. Shifting his tack to Chicago in 2008, Alvarado was Arlington Park’s leading rider in 2009.

Relocating on a permanent basis to New York in 2010, Alvarado and his wife Kelly have a son, Adrain and a daughter, Adalyn. With 2082 wins through Dec. 3, Alvarado is showing no signs of slowing down at age 37.

A five-time leading rider at Prairie Meadow in Des Moines, Iowa and a four-time leader at The Woodlands near Kansas City, Alex Birzer long ago stamped himself as one of America’s hardest working riders and has been a mainstay in the Midwest for three decades.

The son of a trainer, Birzer, who was born Oct. 2, 1973, rides year ’round at three tracks, primarily Oaklawn Park, Prairie Meadows and at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. The older brother of Gary Birzer, who was rendered permanently disabled as the result of a racing accident in 2004, has a credo that he lives by: “When you get up in the morning, make sure you’re proud of the guy in the mirror.”

Birzer, who through Dec. 3 had amassed 3,826 wins, is married with three children and resides in Council Grove, Kansas.

Long considered one of the top riders in the world, French native Julien Leparoux, the son of a jockey who was born July 15, 1983 in Senlis, France, is a consistently prominent force at Keeneland Racecourse, having amassed 10 riding titles there. In addition to his successes at Keenland, Leparoux notched seven wins in a single day at Churchill Downs on Nov. 11, 2008, tying him with the legendary Pat Day, who first accomplished the feat in 1984.

Married to the former Shea Mitchell, daughter of deceased Southern California-based leading trainer Mike Mitchell and his wife Denise, Leparoux has been a leading rider at Keeneland 12 times, dating back to 2006. At age 40, Leparoux who has 2,956 wins through Dec. 3, resides with his wife and son Mitchell in Kentucky.

America’s leading jockey by races won in 2006 with 403 victories, Leparoux was voted that year’s Eclipse Champion Apprentice as well as Eclipse Champion Jockey. A winner of seven Breeders’ Cup races, most recently at Santa Anita in 2016 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Classic Empire, Leparoux is quite probably headed to racing’s Hall of Fame in the years to come.

Unusually tall for a jockey at five feet, eight inches, Columbus, Ohio native Edwin Maldonado has persevered through serious injuries and reestablished himself as a consistent top-10 rider with the help of veteran agent Tony Matos. A Southern California regular since 2010, Maldonado endeared himself to fans and horsemen alike as a terrific gate rider and fierce competitor in 2012, when he supplanted long-time Fairplex Park riding champ Martin Pedroza at that year’s LA County Fair Meet.

A hard worker, Maldonado garnered his first Grade I stakes victory in October, 2022, aboard Bob Baffert’s Defunded in the Awesome Again Stakes. Born Dec. 1, 1982, Maldonado is a believer in the power of positive thinking.

One of the most popular riders on the Southern California circuit, Maldonado, nicknamed “The Candyman,” has pocketed 1,532 career winners through Dec. 3.

Born March 8, 1974 in Portland, Indiana, Rodney Prescott is the Hoosier State’s all-time leading rider and has been a consistent top-10 rider at Indiana Grand near Indianapolis for many years. After a stint as a groom following high school graduation, Prescott broke his maiden at age 20 at River Downs, near Cincinnati. A three-time leading rider at Indiana Grand (2004, 2005 & 2018), Prescott has 4,112 career wins through Dec. 3.

Last year’s Woolf Award was won by Javier Castellano, who became the 74th Woolf recipient, dating back to the inaugural winner in 1950, Gordon Glisson.

About The Stronach Group
The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland).
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