Otero earns 2,000th career win

Jockey

William Otero captured career victory 2,000 when

Burst Away won the

2ND race at Penn

National on Thursday.

Otero, 38, grew up in Puerto Rico and came to the United

States in 1995, riding initially at Tampa Bay Downs. He burst onto the Penn

National riding scene in 2003, and was the track's leading rider in 2004, 2008

and 2009, with 166, 126 and 176 wins, respectively. Otero is 13th all-time at

Penn National with 1,475 victories.

"This is super exciting and a very happy and emotional

moment for me," said Otero, currently second in the 2013 Penn National jockey

standings with 82 wins. "Penn National is home, and I love everybody here. This

is my family, and I'm thrilled to win it here at my home."

He won the $60,000 Wiseman's Ferry HBPA Stakes at Penn

National on June 22 aboard the five-year-old mare Lenape Rim. The duo teamed up to

annex two prior stakes at Penn National -- the $75,000 Lyphard in 2012 and $75,000 Ligature in 2011.

Otero's 2000th win came in his 13,720th career start, with

in excess of $25 million total purses earned by his mounts.

Burst Away, a four-year-old filly trained by

Les Stickler Jr., went off as the 7-5 favorite in the race, a $22,000

starter allowance event on the turf. Under confident handling by Otero, the

daughter of After Market stalked the early pace, took the lead going into the far turn, and held off all

comers to register a measured 1 1/4-length score.