Orb is the Kentucky Derby Winner, but guiding him to victory Saturday evening was 28-year-old, Dominican jockey, Joel Rosario. Though not the most popular sport in the country, Rosario gave plenty of people a reason to cheer. Whether it was Spanish media outlets, Dominican baseball greats or simply derby fans, the sport had something to cheer about and the Dominican Republic was once again put on the map as a winner.
Here are some of the Twitter reactions as Rosario won his first derby.
You guys might remember Moises Alou the former Montreal Expo, Florida Marlin, Houston Astro, Chicago Cub, San Francisco Giant and New York Met outfielder? He was also the general manager for the Dominican Republic team that went unbeaten in the World Baseball Classic. Here was his reaction to Rosario's win on Saturday.
Of course, humor is necessary and as baseball is the Dominican Republic's most popular sport, references to one of the country's best players have to be made. There were even comparisons to David Ortiz or how most of the world knows him, "Big Papi."
And there has to be a Spanish news source covering the news, although, a bit surprising to see the tweet in English since they appeal mostly a Spanish-speaking audince. Here's Univision, home of Don Francisco, coverage of Rosario's victory.
Then of course, things get a little political as President Danilo Medina writes a letter to the winning jockey and it becomes news, which is explained in the tweet.
For Rosario, he will continue to enjoy success on the field. He is no David Ortiz, Albert Pujols or Al Horford, who are some of the nation's more popular sports figures playing in major American sports. Rosario is breaking ground for Dominicans and snapping the stereotype of the country's major successes lying solely in baseball. There are guys like Felix Sanchez who become national heroes as they introduce this small nation in the caribbean to the world. It's a country filled with beautiful sounds, people and, of course, skilled athletes.
Rosario has been a jockey since 2003. Since then, he has raked victories and large chunks of profit. So far in 2013, he's off to a ridiculous start winning 130 of his 528 races. Over half the time, Rosario has finished in the Top 3, 298 times to be exact. Seeing Rosario finish at the top is becoming as common as seeing Dominicans succeed in the general world of sports.
