Carrasco Recognized With Special Award

Victor Carrasco is well-known for his success on the racetrack as a jockey, but he has remained true to the experiences that laid the groundwork for his career.

Carrasco, 28, was a hot walker and groom in his native Puerto Rico before becoming a jockey. He hasn’t forgotten it, and his dedication in assisting backstretch workers and their families at Maryland racetracks has earned him the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Unsung Hero Award for 2020. The MTHA Board of Directors approved adding the award to its existing awards that recognize backstretch workers are Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course each year.

“I grew up on the backstretch back home,” said Carrasco, who won his 1,000th race in 2020 and was the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey for 2013.