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Twist Of Fate: 37-Year-Old Apprentice's First Santa Anita Win Honors David Hofmans
Serafin Carmona, a 37-year-old apprentice jockey, earned his first-ever win at Santa Anita Saturday when scoring in the fourth race aboard longshot Sapadilla ($45.60) for trainer George Papaprodromou.
A native of Panama, Carmona’s first win came Jan. 28 at Fair Grounds. His maiden-breaker at Santa Anita came in a $16,000 claimer for non-winners of two races going 5 ½ furlongs on dirt. It also came with a melancholic twist of fate.
The fourth race Saturday was named in honor of late trainer David Hofmans, a longtime Santa Anita stalwart who died on July 3 at the age of 81. Carmona began his career as an exercise rider at Santa Anita in 2010. His first employer? David Hofmans.
“He gave me my first steady job,” Carmona recalled from the Winner’s Circle. “He gave me a shot when I was just starting out. He was a nice man. A very respectful man. It’s so sad what happened.”
After spending more than a decade as an exercise rider, in early 2023 Carmona decided it was time to take a shot at being a jockey. He moved to Canterbury Park in Minnesota where his first ride came on July 26. Carmona would go winless in his first 82 mounts before finally reaching the Winner’s Circle at Fair Grounds in January.
After that first win, Carmona’s career quickly took off. He was back at Canterbury Park this year for its 54-day meet beginning May 18. On the evening of July 12 at Canterbury, Carmona would win five races including his first stakes aboard Xavey Dave for perennial Canterbury leading trainer Mac Robertson. He finished the Canterbury season second in the jockey’s standings with 60 wins from 289 mounts, a 21 percent strike rate and $1,262,479 in earnings.
On closing day of the Canterbury meet Sept. 28, Carmona was presented with a surprise from agent Chuck Costanzo, himself a former jockey.
“My agent told me on that final Sunday, ‘Don’t make any plans, we’re going to do something,” Carmona said. “I thought he meant we were going out to dinner or something. Well, instead, he presented me with plane tickets for us to come here. It came out of the blue. It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, I want to go back to Santa Anita.”
Carmona’s first mount at Santa Anita came on Oct. 4. He was 0-for-12 before winning aboard Sapadilla.
“This is such a magnificent place,” said Carmona, whose apprenticeship ends in May. “Those beautiful mountains over there have been witness to so many great horses and jockeys. God gave me this shot. I’m so grateful.”
Carmona, who now has 69 career wins, has three mounts at Santa Anita on Monday.
