In an Eclipse finalist battle of brothers, Irad Ortiz, Jr. beat out younger brother and 2017 outstanding jockey Jose Ortiz to earn the first championship of his career. Ortiz led all North American jockeys by earnings in 2018 won a pair of Breeders' Cup races on championship weekend.
The 20-year-old Weston Hamilton, who began his riding career in December 2017 and won his first two pro races Dec. 11, 2017 at Laurel, became the 11th Maryland-based rider to earn the Eclipse Award as champion apprentice.
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