Eddie Martin Jr. earns NTRA All-Star Jockey Championship invite

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Eddie Martin, Jr., earned an invitation to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association All-Star Jockey Championship on June 20 for being the leading rider at host track Lone Star Park by the last race Sunday.

Martin won two races on the program to move to a one-win lead in the standings over Corey Lanerie, 50 wins to 49. Martin has ridden in the Jockey Championship one other time, in 1999.

He will join 12 other riders in the four-race competition, with the final berth into the Jockey Championship to go to the winner of an online poll at www.ntra.com. The poll will close Saturday.

In addition to Martin, the other riders already set for the competition are Jose Santos, regular rider on Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide; Robby Albarado, Russell Baze, Ryan Fogelsonger, Edgar Prado, Shane Sellers, Mike Smith, Alex Solis, Pat Valenzuela and John Velazquez.

The choices on the online poll are Javier Castellano, Jorge Chavez, Eibar Coa, Kent Desormeaux, Ramon Dominguez, Rene Douglas, Victor Espinoza, David Flores, Rosemary Homeister, Jr., Richard Migliore, Corey Nakatani and Cornelio Velazquez.

Laffit Pincay, Jr., the all-time winningest jockey who retired last month, will be the guest of honor during the Jockey Championship. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Disabled Jockeys' Endowment.