Evin A. Roman

Puerto Rico native Evin Roman rode in his first race in January 2017 in his home country and soon moved to Southern California, where he began riding on Feb. 9, 2017. He had great success at the Santa Anita Park spring meet, winning 41 races to tie for the leading jockey title at age 19. He is the first apprentice to earn that title at Santa Anita since 1949.

Roman won his first stakes race in June 2017 aboard Street Surrender in the Southern Truce Stakes. Roman ranked 37^th in the national earnings list for 2017 and won his first graded stakes at Emerald Downs on Aug. 13 – the Longacres Mile with Gold Rush Dancer. He capped the year with the Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey.