Regardless of simply turning 17 final March, a shy, soft-spoken child from Panama, who ideas the scales at 107 kilos, carried the burden of being labeled worthy of an Eclipse Award from the very begin.
When Yedsit Hazlewood’s sister Daybellis despatched Jose Corrales a video of her brother driving horses round a 12 months in the past, the retired jockey-turned coach noticed nothing however promise in his fellow Panamanian. Corrales, who has mentored different Eclipse Award-winning apprentices, made what, for others, could be an outlandish prediction that Hazlewood would win probably the most sought-after award for fledgling jockeys.
After Hazlewood gained the primary race he rode on the Laffit Pincay Jr. Technical Jockey Coaching Academy, Corrales shared the video with the college’s namesake, Pincay, and Corridor of Fame jockey Angel Cordero. Each have been equally excited concerning the rider’s skills and future.
A plan was set in movement to get Hazlewood to the US after graduating from the college. Corrales could be his authorized guardian. He would lease a room with Maryland Jockey Membership paddock choose Mario Verge. He would journey each race prefer it was a $5,000 claimer. The prediction of doubtless successful the Eclipse Award as excellent apprentice could be ever-present for Hazlewood, despite the fact that he had no actual thought what it might imply to stroll within the footsteps of riders like Chris McCarron and Kent Desormeaux. He would share a jockey’s room with earlier Eclipse winners Alberto Delgado, who gained it in 1982, and 2013 winner Victor Carrasco.
Picture: Eclipse SportswireYedsit HazlewoodSign up for BloodHorse Every day
Two days after his seventeenth birthday, Hazlewood rode his first race in America, nevertheless it took him one other 13 makes an attempt earlier than Addy’s Laddy T N TÂ would safe him his first win on April 4 at Laurel Park. The victories and the mentoring from Corrales got here at a speedy tempo for Hazlewood from there. Hazlewood reeled off 22 wins earlier than a automotive crash threatened his life and his dream and put him on the sidelines for greater than two months. His agent, John DiNatale, recollects it was a darkish time for a child so younger.
“I feel it was a wakeup name for him and he realized what he may lose and nearly misplaced,” DiNatale mentioned. Â
Corrales seemed inwardly at his personal religion whereas he was watching his protege recuperate from the near-fatal accident. “I consider in God a lot and I say, , possibly that is one thing that God present and see if he can come again,” Corrales mentioned. “I imply to return again the best way the accident was, he ought to have been lifeless, he ought to have been lifeless and to have the ability to come again on and be on this wanting a time with this a lot winners and all this success, is a miracle.”
For all his relative fluency in driving horses, Hazlewood nonetheless fights the occasional isolation of not talking English in addition to he desires. He’s studying, however in the end simply says, “Digame,” flashing a smile.
Hazlewood has turned to letting DiNatale do the work and letting his killer instincts on the again of a Thoroughbred do the speaking. That wants no translation.
He returned to full driving motion in time for the 2025 Maryland State Honest Meet at Timonium and rattled off 13 wins at a 39% win fee to earn his first driving title. Hazlewood was fulfilling the prophecy of jockey whisperer Corrales, however the misplaced time driving and restrictions in opposition to him driving in some jurisdictions as a result of he wasn’t 18 years previous but made each three- and four-win day nonetheless seem to be an uphill battle.
Not having the ability to double up and journey someplace on the Mid-Atlantic race circuit through the day and choose up extra mounts throughout the state line at Hollywood On line casino at Charles City Races at night time triggered Hazlewood and DiNatale to place numerous miles on their automobiles, discovering mounts from Colonial Downs in Virginia as much as Aqueduct Racetrack in New York. The grind of getting up early to train horses and construct relationships with trainers, then hitting the exercise room hooked up to the jockey’s room, driving 8-10 horses a day, after which doing it another time, day after day, can lend itself to loneliness for any jockey, not to mention a 17-year-old.
“My household has supported me 100%. More often than not I am with them,” Hazlewood mentioned. Components of his household are within the U.S., however stay shut to 2 hours away. “Nevertheless it’s my profession, it is what I’ve dreamed of and if I need to achieve success in life. It’s a must to do issues for your self.”
Hazlewood has needed to be a jockey since he was 10. His brother is a jockey, and his uncle was a coach.
When given the selection of jockeys to emulate, Hazlewood did not choose anybody well-known or legendary.
“My favourite jockey is my brother, Angel Rodriguez. I all the time attempt to journey like him and all the time enhance,” Hazlewood mentioned. “Now we have the identical saddle, the identical every part. I’ve all the time needed to journey like him.” Â Â
Whereas the view for outsiders is that Hazlewood has the drive and expertise to be an incredible jockey, it’s a journey a youngster cannot make alone. Corrales continues to be a full-time coach and household man. DiNatale sees Hazlewood within the morning and facilitates morning train mounts, race mounts, journey, and licensing, however he can nonetheless solely achieve this a lot. Though a lot of Hazelwood’s household has moved close by and does their greatest to help him, there are components he nonetheless should do alone. That’s when Hazlewood leans on a unique household, the opposite jockeys round him.
“The reality is that almost all of them, José Torrealba, Mychel Sánchez, have all the time supported me. They’ve given me recommendation, Angel Cruz, Julio Hernández, VÃctor Carrasco,” Hazlewood mentioned, reflecting on brotherhood among the many jockey colonies he floats between. “They’ve all the time supported me and advised me issues as they’re.”
When Hazlewood places on his driving helmet, a swap flips. At many different factors, he’s nonetheless only a child. He desires to play FIFA Futbol 2026 and hasn’t felt the burden of paying payments, shopping for a home, or any of the true examples of “adulting” that petrify most. He desires to giggle, discover a lady, and hearken to Myke Towers’ “Lo Logre.”
When the driving helmet goes on, although, he clears the mechanism and is all enterprise. Â
Hazlewood is targeted on driving each race, simply as Corrales has taught him. As promised, the wins have come, successful sufficient races to get acknowledged and wind up driving with the most effective jockeys on the planet. In his first journey to Aqueduct, he gained a race in opposition to prime riders Jose Lezcano and Jaime Rodriguez.
The dichotomy of not driving to win, however simply giving the most effective journey potential and letting the wins come, whereas gunning for the Eclipse Award on the identical time, requires a substantial amount of religion. Â
“Since I received right here, José Corrales has all the time advised me that with God’s assist, we will probably be there within the massive issues,” Hazlewood mentioned. “My objective has all the time been to win the Eclipse and get to massive locations like Saratoga.”
Hazlewood was doing properly as an apprentice rider, however Pietro Moran in Canada had a transparent lead in wins and purse earnings. It seemed like the 2 months missed from damage after his automotive flipped in an accident on the best way again from New York is likely to be a deciding consider his having an opportunity on the Eclipse Award.
Then, October occurred. It began on Maryland Million Day at Laurel Park. Hazlewood gained 5 stakes or handicap races that day and he discovered one other stage of driving. Beginning Oct. 31, the little child from Panama went on the sort of streak about which {most professional} athletes solely dream. He went 23 straight days driving at Laurel the place he gained a minimum of one race. Hazlewood carried that momentum into December. He closed the hole on Pietro Moran, the statistical chief amongst apprentices, with far fewer mounts over the 12 months.
On efficiency alone, Hazlewood, Corrales, and DiNatale all thought Hazlewood had performed sufficient. Throughout the jockey’s room, the chorus from everybody was the identical, “If Yedsit does not win, it is a crime.” When the finalists for the excellent apprentice have been introduced, there have been no surprises: Chris Elliott and Moran, each sons {of professional} jockeys, and Hazlewood have been named. Now, the wait.
Hazlewood headed to Florida early along with his household and fellow Panamanian jockey Angel Morales. He was in a position to be a child for a bit and visited Disney World, then he needed to be the grownup for a night on the posh, upscale The Breakers in Palm Seashore for the Eclipse Awards program. Wearing a brown tuxedo, gold watch, and a bow tie that was as unfastened as one would possibly anticipate on a 17-year-old, Hazlewood labored the room, glad-handing many who is likely to be a future employer, whereas crammed with the expectation and hope he is likely to be handed some {hardware} in a couple of minutes.
Picture: Eclipse SportswireYedsit Hazlewood breezes a horse
Hazlewood did not have to attend lengthy for the excellent apprentice class to reach. As they flashed the résumés of Elliott, Moran, and Hazlewood on the screens within the room, they confirmed Hazlewood as securing solely 105 wins for the 12 months. Apparently, they despatched out the yearly totals in early December, and voters needed to discover the year-end totals on their very own. (Editor’s Word: Every day Racing Type printed up to date statistics by Dec. 28 on its web site as a useful resource for Eclipse voters.)
Whereas the importance of this hadn’t hit fairly but, DiNatale and Corrales actually noticed the writing on the wall—the wins Hazlewood racked up in December might have come too late, these two months misplaced to a violent automotive crash meant every part, and Pietro Moran would win the Eclipse Award.
Corrales was seated subsequent to Hazlewood behind the room at Desk 31. As they watched Moran settle for the award, Corrales defined what occurred. They gathered themselves and ventured throughout the room to Moran’s desk, the place Hazlewood congratulated him on the award. Hazlewood returned to his desk, and the seating preparations had an impromptu change. He sat subsequent to his mom, Yitzelka, posed for some photos, and watched the remainder of the trade, a unique household he yearns to hitch, revel of their successes.
Hazlewood did not let the frustration of not successful derail him. He received proper again to work. He ranks third nationwide for wins amongst jockeys by March 5. He’ll flip 18 in a couple of weeks, and due to the accident that price him in 2025, Hazlewood may have till mid-June to possibly run it again as a contender for excellent apprentice for 2026.
