He’s among the quieter riders out there, seldom seeking the spotlight, but as 2013 comes to a close, jockey Javier Castellano may well be on the verge of winning his first Eclipse Award.

On December 13, the Venezuela native broke the single season earnings record set in 2012 by Ramon Dominguez, forced to retire earlier this year as a result of injuries suffered in a January riding accident. Dominguez’s purse earnings last year were $25,634,852; as of today, Castellano has earned $26,061,862.

Castellano, 36, began riding in Venezuela in 1996, moving to the United States in 1997 to ride the South Florida circuit. He got his first winner on July 31, 1997, at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens.  Moving to New York in 2001, he quickly became one of the top riders in the competitive jockey colony, finishing second in the standings in 2002.

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