Yedsit Hazlewood reaching for lofty heights
Linda Dougherty
December 3, 2025
Through the years, Maryland racing has been the base of operations for many talented apprentice jockeys that not only earned Eclipse Award honors but also went on to successful careers as journeymen riders. In fact, four of the last twelve Eclipse winners as champion apprentice spent significant time in Maryland.
Of those dozen overall Maryland-based Eclipse-winning apprentices, two have been enshrined in the sport’s Hall of Fame — Chris McCarron and Kent Desormeaux. Jeremy Rose has won more than 2,700 races, including two classics, while Mike Luzzi won more than 3,500 races and in excess of $100 million in purses by the time he retired.
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Those lofty heights are what Yedsit Hazlewood, the newest Maryland apprentice sensation, hopes to reach. Hazlewood’s career has blasted off like a rocket since he recorded his first victory back in April, propelling him to the top of the Laurel jockey standings and making him a major Eclipse Award contender.
“To win the Laurel riding title is really big,” said Hazlewood, 17, a native of Panama, “but to win the Eclipse Award is my dream.”
Hazlewood’s emergence has been with the help and guidance of Jose Corrales, a Maryland trainer and former jockey who has a proven track record of taking apprentices under his wing and transforming them into top-notch riders.
Among the beneficiaries of Corrales’ apprentice development program are Eclipse apprentice winners (Eric Beitia, 1980 and Art Madrid, 1985); a champion apprentice in Britain (David Egan, 2017); two Breeders’ Cup winners (Elvis Trujillo, 2007 and Geraldo Corrales, 2023), and three meet title winners (Michael Baze, Hollywood Park and Del Mar, 2006; J. G. Torrealba, Laurel, 2019, and Walter Rodriguez, Turfway, 2023).
“I love to teach, and I love to see success,” said the 65-year-old Corrales.
Corrales, like Hazlewood a native of Panama, said the youngster had attended its jockey school, and came to the United States at age 16.
“When I arrived, I had to learn to ride differently,” said Hazlewood. “In Panama, they teach you to ride bareback, and Jose helped me adjust to how they ride here.”
He also credits his mentor in instilling confidence in himself.
At first, Corrales arranged for him to gallop horses at Fair Hill. Once he turned 17 and got his working papers, Corrales began to groom him for racing.
“I polished him,” said Corrales. “It took about three months, and then he got his license to ride. Right at the beginning I saw his talent, and I told people he was gonna be my next Eclipse Award winner.”
Hazlewood got off to a slow 0-for-12 start, but he then won two races on April 4 at Laurel and two more on April 5 to kick his career into gear. His first win came aboard the Corrales-trained Addy’s Laddy TNT in a starter/optional claimer.
His momentum was interrupted on June 10, however, when he sustained multiple injuries in a car accident on Interstate 95. Hazlewood and J. G. Torrealba were returning to Maryland from New York when their car flipped after clipping the guardrail. Though Torrealba was unhurt, Hazlewood underwent surgery to insert a plate in his broken wrist and also broke several ribs.
“After the accident, I told him, ‘You need to concentrate on this business, and maybe God gave you a wakeup call,’” said Corrales. “That accident could have ended not only his career, but his life.”
Taking Corrales’ words seriously, Hazlewood worked hard and when his career resumed at Delaware Park on August 14, he promptly won the sixth event for trainer Gary Capuano.
Other highlights since the accident include capturing the Timonium riding title this summer and scoring a four-bagger, which included his first two stakes events, on the Maryland Million card at Laurel on October 11.
Both of the Maryland Million wins, aboard Onyx Ten in the Distaff and with Big Cuddle in the Nursery, came for trainer Gary Capuano. Capuano, known for employing apprentice riders, has become one of Hazlewood’s key connections, and the two have teamed up for additional stakes wins with Doc’s Miracle in Laurel’s Smart Halo and with Ready to Dial in the Blue Mountain at Penn National.
“He really is a good rider, and he’s coming around and getting better and better,” Capuano said following the Maryland Million Distaff. “He’s got a bright future, so I have confidence in him, and that’s what I need.”
Corrales certainly agrees.
“He’s young and he’s got a bright future,” said Corrales. “He could be a top rider, like one of the Ortiz brothers (Irad and Jose), that’s how good he is. He sits low in the saddle, he can switch the whip like nothing, he’s strong at the end, he’s a good turf rider, he’s the right size and weight, and has a great personality.”
The gregarious Corrales also gave Hazlewood some words of wisdom to ponder as his career progresses.
“I told him ‘Watch (soccer star) Messi, he aims for the goal and it’s in. When you ride, the wire is the goal,’” he said. “Don’t look at the money you make, look to be number one in the world.”
Hazlewood plans to stay in Maryland for the rest of the year, but if an opportunity presents itself that’s good for him, according to Corrales, they’ll consider it.
“Moving up will be a big thing,” said Corrales. “But if you move up to a bigger circuit and fail, you’ll come back to earth real quick.”
Working with agent John DiNatale, Hazlewood through Dec. 2 has a record of 100 wins from 462 starts (22 percent), with purse earnings of almost $3.4 million. At the current Laurel meet, he has all but sewn up the riding title with 51 wins from 226 starters, 18 more wins than his nearest pursuer.
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