Teen phenom notches 100th career win aboard Passage Eas

LAUREL, MD— Teenage apprentice rider Yedsit Hazlewood, who took Maryland racing by storm in 2025, reached another career milestone on Sunday at Laurel Park.

Hazlewood, 17, earned his 100th career victory aboard Passage East in the featured eighth race, a $56,000 allowance for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

“It’s perfect,” said Hazlewood, who thanked his “teacher,” trainer Jose Corrales, and his agent, John DiNatale.

“She was the best horse in the race.”

Even before Hazlewood made his riding debut on March 21, his arrival was touted to the heavens by Corrales, a successful rider with over 1,000 wins in the United States and plenty more in Macau before switching to training.

“I ride this apprentice, who’s going to run this week,” Corrales mentioned at the time. “This kid is from Panama. He’s been in [jockey] school in Panama, and he’s been at the racetrack since he was nine years old. He’s got so much talent. I’m thinking he’s going to be one of the Ortiz kids in the future.”

Corrales had mentored other successful young riders in Maryland, but felt that Hazlewood was his best pupil.

Hazlewood’s first triumph came with Addy’s Laddy T N T on April 4. A half-hour later, he completed his first multiple-win day, as Skip Thru Da Fire thrust him back into the spotlight. Hazlewood proved that feat was no fluke by booting home two winners the following day.

After missing two months due to injury, Hazlewood racked up achievement after achievement.

He obtained his first riding title when leading the standings at the Maryland State Fair meet at Timonium.

He rode three winners at Laurel Park on Oct. 4, and then captured Laurel’s Oct. 5 feature aboard trainer Hugh McMahon’s Lady Ensign.

"You see him so well-centered, so well-balanced,” McMahon said after that race. “Before he even started, [trainer] Jose Corrales told me that he had a guy who was really good. He was talking about [Hazlewood]. The horses just run for him.”

Hazlewood won four races, including the first two stakes of his career, on the Jim McKay Maryland Million program on Oct. 11

He won four races again at Laurel Park on Nov. 1, and repeated the accomplishment on Nov. 8.

Hazlewood has won three stakes races this month alone, with the most recent coming aboard Ready to Dial in Penn National’s $50,000 Blue Mountain on Nov. 26.

He currently leads the jockey standings for the Laurel Park Fall Meeting. After Sunday’s card, Hazlewood has 51 wins at the stand, 18 more than veteran Jorge Ruiz. He rode at least one winner on each of the last 16 racing dates at Laurel Park.

Since his return from the sidelines on Aug. 14, the youngster has won with 78 of 310 mounts, good enough for a 25% strike rate.

Passage East ($3.20) made things easy for Hazlewood as the odds-on favorite. Trained by McMahon, the Audible filly made quite the impression in the paddock and ran to her looks, besting late-running Goodnightngodbless by 1 ¼ lengths after making a wide, sweeping move on the turn.

Bred by Don Alberto Corporation, Passage East sold for $12,000 as a yearling, then was purchased by Fox and Hare Stables for $20,000 the following spring.

Passage East finished second in her career debut at Finger Lakes last year before McMahon claimed her on behalf of owner Larry Rabold for $30,000 out of her second start, a runner-up effort at Laurel Park on Dec. 29.

"I saw a beautiful horse in the paddock," McMahon said. "I know she finished second in a nondescript race before, but a 2-year-old as beautiful and as robust as she looked, it would be rude not to [claim her]."

After finishing second in her first three starts for Rabold and McMahon, Passage East reeled off five consecutive victories at four different tracks. That streak came to an end last month when she finished third at Aqueduct.

“Aqueduct was a blunder, the last race," McMahon admitted. "I've had friends like the [Robbie] Davis family, and he would allow me to send her early because she's a nervous shipper. [This way], she gets acclimated there for a few days, and the environment is friendly. We've had success doing that. That one time, I couldn't do that because the Davis family wasn't there, and I had to ship her the day of. She had a six-hour van ride, and it was just too much."

Although no specific race has been decided, McMahon wouldn’t rule out running Passage East next in a stakes event.

“I’d like to attach some black type,” he stated. “She’s been developing and maturing, and her competitiveness has increased. I think she’s now in that place where we can take a stab. I was going to run her last week [in the Willa On the Move Stakes], but she ripped her shoe off and stood on a nail. It only took a week to heal her, and here we are.”

*Around the track:

Jockey Xavier Perez and trainer John Robb combined for two winners on the Sunday program. Hoppetosse ($4.20) was a popular winner of the fifth race, and Itsamonstamash ($4.80) reported home as the favorite in the finale…Live racing resumes Friday with an eight-race program…The first post time is 12 p.m. ET, and there are two “Value Pick 5” wagers, each with a low 12% takeout rate…The FREE “Laurel Park Handicapping Guide” is available every racing day. Get picks, analysis, trainer stats, horses to watch, track bias information, and much more from The Maryland Jockey Club team of handicappers. Friday’s Guide will be available Thursday evening: click here to view…Participate in the season of giving with Laurel Park’s Toy Drive on Saturday, Dec. 6, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Bring an unwrapped, new toy, or make a cash donation of $10 or more, and receive a free live racing program…Reserve your spot for our weekly “Bubbly Brunch Sundays.” Kick back with friends over delicious brunch favorites and bottomless mimosas in our vibrant Stone Bar Restaurant and Bar. Sunday Brunch begins at 11:00 am ET…Never miss a second of the action with the Laurel Park YouTube channel. Click here to catch full pan and head-on replays.