2020 Eclipse Awards: Luis Cardenas

Luis Cardenas has made the impressive leap from hotwalker to top money-earning apprentice jockey in North America.

The 23-year-old native of Peru reached the summit last year, when his mounts earned $2,235,529. Overall, Cardenas won 41 races from 587 starts. He also was the leading apprentice in New York and won the first race of last year’s meet at Saratoga.

For his accomplishments, Cardenas is an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding apprentice jockey of 2020.

Cardenas comes from a racing family, and in his time in the industry has progressed from hotwalker to groom to exercise rider to apprentice jockey. He won his first career race Jan. 10, 2020, at Aqueduct, aboard Solitary Gem.

“I had a nice start at the beginning of the year and so many people on the backstretch who I worked for were real supportive,” Cardenas told the New York Racing Association publicity department. “I recently watched my first-ever race on replay and I think to now and I see the improvement. That’s the key. You just have to take care of your own business. It’s one of the best colonies in the world, and I always wanted to compete with the best, and it’s taught me a lot.”

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

Cardenas said he has been set on pursuing a riding career since he was a child. His father was an exercise rider who later worked with harness horses, and his grandfather was a jockey. Cardenas worked as an exercise rider for trainers such as Leah Gyarmati, Bruce Levine, and Randi Persaud.

Now, Cardenas is looking to build on the success of 2020.

“Hopefully, we just keep taking the right steps forward,” he said.