23-year-old Crystal Carman recorded her first career victory in the 10th ride of her life on Saturday at River Downs. Breaking from the inside post in the second race she took a short lead into the first turn aboard Yore for owner/trainer Amalio Garcia and slowly drew off to win easily. After the race she was greeted by fellow riders for her "initiation" as a winning jockey with a hail of eggs, shaving cream and buckets of water. A graduate of the North American Racing Academy headed by Hall of Fame Jockey Chris McCarron, Crystal plans to make the Cincinnati oval the summer starting point for her career.
A native of Dover Plains, New York she is based at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Carman has been working for trainer Paul Garcia and Akiko Gothard who often ship and race at River Downs.