Omar Moreno, the 2009 Sovereign Award recipient for outstanding apprentice jockey in Canada, was given another well-deserved honour on Monday evening in Miami, an Eclipse Award, for his riding efforts in 2010.
Moreno, who won his first race with his first mount, Fortress Mountain, on August 10, 2008, at Grand Prairie, Alberta, becomes the fourth Canadian-based rider (Mickey Walls, 1991; Neil Poznansky, 1996; Emma-Jayne Wilson, 2005) to take home the coveted Eclipse Award as North America’s champion apprentice.
Based at Woodbine for the past two campaigns, Moreno finished fifth in the Toronto oval standings in 2010, courtesy of 126 victories, including four stakes scores.
“I was so nervous before they called my name,” said Moreno, who recorded $5,468,354 in purse earnings and 425 top-three finishes last season. “My stomach was in knots and I couldn’t eat or relax. But when they did call my name, it was a great feeling. I almost started crying when I went up to accept the award.”
Moreno graduated from the OldsRider/Jockey program in the early part of 2007 and spent the winter of 2007-08 galloping horses in Florida. After riding at two ‘B’ tracks (Evergreen in Grande Prairie and Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge) in the summer and fall of 2008, Moreno headed to Florida once again, working horses over the winter. After some success Alberta, he was convinced by local horsemen to take a shot at making inroads at Woodbine Racetrack in 2009, a move that has paid off handsomely for the personable rider. Moreno, who made the transition from apprentice to journeyman late in the 2010 season, considers the Eclipse one of his most cherished accolades to date.
“It’s a great accomplishment, especially when you look at who has won the award in the past,” he said. “There are so many people that have supported me and that’s what I was thinking about when I heard them call my name.”
He’s also looking forward to the possibility of adding another Sovereign in the top apprentice category (the 2010 awards ceremony is set for April 1, at Woodbine), and to the start of the 2011 Thoroughbred season, slated for the next day, Saturday, April 2.
“I am definitely pumped up for the new season,” offered Moreno. “It’s a new year and there are new challenges. But I feel I am ready. I can’t wait to get going again. I get to ride at a great racetrack. I tell everyone I meet how lucky I am to ride at Woodbine.”
Zenyatta, who won champion older female honours for the third consecutive year, was also crowned as Horse of the Year, at the 40th annual event.
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