After a nationwide vote among his peers, Junior Alvarado has won the 2024 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, Santa Anita Park announced via press release Friday.
Presented annually at the Great Race Place since 1950, the award honors riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem individually as well as for the sport. Alvarado garnered national attention in 2023 as the regular rider of Horse of the Year Cody's Wish and more recently spoiled Japan's hopes in the world's richest race, the G1 Saudi Cup, aboard G1SW-KSA & MGISP Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). Going into March, Alvarado has 2,117 career victories with his top mounts also including the likes of champion MGISW Just F Y I (Justify), GISW Olympiad (Speightstown), and MGISW Art Collector (Bernardini).
The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award is named for the late Hall of Fame rider who won the inaugural Santa Anita Handicap Feb. 23, 1935 and later piloted Seabiscuit to victory over Triple Crown winner War Admiral in the great match race at Pimlico in 1938. A date for the presentation ceremony has not been announced yet but will be held in the spring.
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