2020 Eclipse Awards: Joel Rosario

Joel Rosario finished second in purse money won in 2020 ($18,235,917) and led all jockeys in North America with 11 Grade 1 stakes victories – on 10 individual horses –to become a finalist for an Eclipse Award.

Rosario, who primarily wintered in Southern California and rode the rest of the year mainly in New York, ranked fourth in races won (192) and was second only to Irad Ortiz Jr. in purse money earned. He finished third behind Ortiz and Flavien Prat in stakes races won with 42, and finished tied for third in graded stakes won with 25, three behind Flavien Prat’s year-leading 28.

Among his Grade 1 victories were on Vequist in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Knicks Go in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, and Nadal in a division of the Arkansas Derby. He rode the 2-year-old colt Jackie’s Warrior to victories in the Grade 1 Champagne and Grade 1 Runhappy Hopeful. His last Grade 1 victory of 2020 came in the Grade 1 Matriarch aboard Viadera, a race in which Rosario demonstrated his prowess as one of the strongest finishers in the game.

:: Full list of 2020 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

In November, Rosario recorded his 3,000th career victory. His 48 victories at Saratoga were a personal best and placed him third in the standings. He was the leading rider at that meet in stakes wins (13) and graded stakes wins (7). He also led all riders at the Belmont Park fall meet with five graded stakes victories.

Rosario rides for virtually everybody, but in 2020 he enjoyed great success with trainer Christophe Clement, winning 38 races from 161 mounts for him, including six stakes.