Solis earns first career win at Tampa Bay Downs

Apprentice jockey Austin B. Solis had reason to be discouraged after losing

back-to-back photo finishes with his only mounts Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

However, the 21-year-old son of veteran rider Alex

Solis has been around racing long enough to know such days are inevitable.

After four second-place finishes during the opening days of

the 2013-14 Tampa Bay meeting, Austin Solis broke through with his first career

victory in Sunday's 7TH race, powering See I A to

a dominating seven-length victory while going seven

furlongs on the main track.

Maintaining a longstanding tradition, the young Solis'

fellow riders doused him with buckets of ice water after the victory. A couple

of riders chilled the unsuspecting Solis from a perch on the jockeys' room

second-floor veranda, but Solis said nothing has felt as good since he began his

career earlier in the meeting.

"It was pretty cold water, a lot of ice and dirt and

everything," Solis said. "The last time I saw somebody get initiated for his

first win was Tyler Baze -- they got really him good with hot peppers and

everything. Luckily they didn't do that to me today, but I'm freezing right now.

But it feels tremendous. I've been waiting 21 years for today."

Almost 3,000 miles away, Solis' father had a much warmer

feeling. The Gulfstream-based rider, home in Arcadia, California, for the holidays,

watched the race at home with another son, Andrew. Alex Solis has ridden 4,975

winners, including Snow Chief in the 1986 Preakness and Pleasantly Perfect in

the 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic and 2004 Dubai World Cup.

"My heart was pounding like crazy," Alex Solis said by

telephone after watching his son's breakthrough victory on TV. "I have so many

people calling me right now, it's unbelievable. He knew after Saturday that

things like (close losses) are going to happen, and you have to pick yourself up

and ride the next race. He's been working very hard and coming along well, and

I'm very proud of him."

Austin Solis moved from California to Miami two years ago

to work with former jockey and current south Florida trainer Juan Arias, who

graduated from the jockeys' school in Panama the same year as Alex Solis. Tampa

Bay Downs trainer Dennis Ward, the father of past Eclipse Award-winning

apprentice and current trainer Wesley Ward, has also been schooling Austin.

"I'm very happy and lucky to have them on my side," the apprentice said. "They really got me to where I am today. And the other jockeys here kept

encouraging me. Quincy (Hamilton) came up to me yesterday after those photo

finishes and told me not to worry, and that helped keep me up.

"My dad has been a big part of my life," the younger Solis added. "I see his

work ethic and his riding style, and to me there is no one who works harder than

him. He's a great rider and a great person and I'm very fortunate to have him as

my dad."

The elder Solis sees a lot of himself in Austin.

"He has a

nice, quiet, long hold on horses. The first few times I watched him in a race, I

saw that he had that connection with horses, and that's what makes me so happy,"

Alex Solis said. "Horses run for him, and he's known since he was a little kid he wanted

to ride."

The victory came on Austin Solis' 15th career mount.

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