Two wins separate them in a sport where every race is a chance
En las pistas de tierra de Delaware Park, dos jinetes latinoamericanos —el panameño Yedsit Hazlewood y el venezolano Samuel Marín— libran una batalla silenciosa pero constante por la cima de las estadísticas nacionales de jinetes en Estados Unidos. El miércoles, ambos ganaron, pero fue Hazlewood quien amplió su ventaja a dos victorias: 135 frente a 133. En el mundo del turf, donde cada monta es una oportunidad y cada jornada reescribe el marcador, esa diferencia mínima es a la vez un logro y una invitación a seguir compitiendo.
- La competencia entre Hazlewood y Marín es tan estrecha que dos victorias separan el liderato del segundo lugar en las estadísticas nacionales de jinetes de EE. UU.
- Hazlewood impuso su ritmo desde la primera carrera del día, guiando a Luminous Secret a la victoria en una reclamación de $16,000 en Delaware Park.
- Marín respondió con una actuación sólida en la séptima carrera, ganando con Chatelot en una Allowance de $46,000, pero no logró recuperar el primer puesto.
- El jueves, ambos jinetes se dispersan por distintas pistas —Hazlewood en Laurel Park con siete mounts, Marín en Delaware con ocho— sin que la rivalidad tome un solo día de descanso.
- En un deporte donde el marcador se actualiza carrera a carrera, la ventaja de hoy puede ser el déficit de mañana, y ninguno de los dos puede permitirse bajar la guardia.
Delaware Park abrió su temporada 2026 el miércoles con ocho carreras en el programa, y al final de la jornada el liderato en las estadísticas nacionales de jinetes de Estados Unidos volvió a moverse. Yedsit Hazlewood, aprendiz panameño, y Samuel Marín, su contraparte venezolana, encontraron el círculo de ganadores el mismo día —pero fue Hazlewood quien salió de la pista con mayor impulso en su duelo particular.
Hazlewood actuó primero. En la carrera inaugural de la tarde, condujo a Luminous Secret —entrenado por Jamie Ness— a la victoria en una reclamación de $16,000 sobre tierra, cubriendo la milla en 1:42.13. Una victoria sin estridencias, del tipo que se acumula en el historial de un jinete sin hacer ruido, pero que en el contexto de una competencia estadística tan ajustada adquiere un peso específico.
Marín respondió en la séptima carrera, pilotando a Chatelot bajo las órdenes de la entrenadora Kerri Raven en una Allowance de $46,000. El caballo recorrió los 1.200 metros en 1:11.98, suficiente para ganar, pero no para recortar la diferencia en el marcador general.
Con los resultados del miércoles registrados, Hazlewood suma 135 victorias en las estadísticas nacionales y Marín, 133. Dos triunfos los separan —un margen que en el turf puede cerrarse o ampliarse en cuestión de horas. El jueves, Hazlewood tenía programados siete mounts en Laurel Park y Marín, ocho en Delaware. Ambos seguirán cazando victorias, ambos sabrán que el otro hace lo mismo, y la carrera por el liderato continuará sin pausa.
Delaware Park opened its 2026 meeting on Wednesday with eight races on the card, and by day's end the leaderboard in the U.S. national jockey standings had shifted once again. Yedsit Hazlewood, a Panamanian apprentice, and Samuel Marín, his Venezuelan counterpart, each found the winner's circle—but it was Hazlewood who left the track with renewed momentum in their ongoing competition for supremacy.
Hazlewood's victory came early in the afternoon, in the first race of the day. He guided Luminous Secret, a horse trained by Jamie Ness, to victory in a $16,000 claiming race over the dirt surface. The horse covered the mile distance in 1:42.13, crossing the wire cleanly enough to pay $3.00 to win, $2.10 to place, and $2.10 to show. It was a straightforward win, the kind that accumulates in a jockey's record without fanfare—but in the context of a tight statistical race, every victory carries weight.
Marín answered back later that same afternoon. In the seventh race, he piloted Chatelot, a horse in the care of trainer Kerri Raven, to victory in an Allowance race worth $46,000. The horse ran the 1,200-meter distance on dirt in 1:11.98, earning Marín a $3.20 win payout and $2.10 to place. It was a solid performance, the kind that keeps a rider in contention—but it was not enough to reclaim the lead.
With Wednesday's results entered into the books, Hazlewood now stands at 135 victories in the national standings, while Marín sits at 133. The gap is narrow—two wins separate them—but in the mathematics of horse racing, where every mount is an opportunity and every race day brings new chances, that margin can close or widen in an instant. The two riders have become fixtures in the conversation about who leads the pack, their names appearing together in dispatches from tracks across the country.
The competition will continue without pause. On Thursday, Hazlewood was scheduled to move to Laurel Park, where he had seven mounts across eight scheduled races. Marín, meanwhile, was set to work a full card at Delaware with eight mounts in eight races. Both men will be hunting for wins, both will be calculating their positions, and both will be aware that the other is doing the same. In the compressed world of professional horse racing, where jockeys travel from track to track and the national statistics are updated constantly, the race for the lead is never truly over.
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
What makes this moment significant? Two jockeys won races on the same day—why does that matter?
Because they're chasing the same thing. In horse racing, the national jockey standings are the measure of a career. Every win counts toward a permanent record. When you're separated by two victories, you're in a real fight.
But they're not racing each other directly, are they? They're riding different horses in different races.
No, they're not head-to-head. But they're both working the same circuit, the same tracks, the same opportunities. Hazlewood took the lead back on Wednesday. Marín had a good day too, but it wasn't enough. That's the tension—they're competing in parallel, always aware of where the other stands.
How quickly can these standings change?
Fast. A jockey can ride seven or eight races in a day. Win four of them, and you've moved the needle significantly. Lose four, and you fall behind. These two are close enough that a good week or a bad week could flip the whole thing.
So Hazlewood's lead is fragile?
Completely. Two wins is nothing in this sport. It's why they keep moving, keep riding, keep grinding. The standings are a snapshot that changes every time the gates open.