John R. Velazquez

John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both years was given the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. He was inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2012, rode his 5,000th winner in 2013, and became the leading money-earning jockey in the history of the sport in 2014.

John Velazquez
Velazquez in 2016
OccupationJockey
Born (1971-11-24) November 24, 1971
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Career wins6,000 in North America As of 30 November 2018[1]
Major racing wins
American Classic wins:

Breeders' Cup wins:

International race wins:

Racing awards
United States Champion Jockey by earnings
(2004, 2005)
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
(2004, 2005)
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (2009)
Honours
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (2012)
Significant horses
Authentic (racehorse), Da Hoss, Storm Flag Flying, Lemon Drop Kid, Ashado, Kitten's Joy, Flower Alley, Lawyer Ron, Roses in May, Bluegrass Cat, Circular Quay, Scat Daddy, Rags to Riches, Commentator, Indian Blessing, Uncle Mo, Animal Kingdom, Wise Dan, Curalina, Always Dreaming

A winner of fifteen Breeders' Cup and five Triple Crown races including the 2011, 2017 and 2020 Kentucky Derbies, Velázquez has also won major graded stakes races such as the Kentucky Oaks, Metropolitan Handicap, Whitney Handicap, Dubai World Cup and Woodbine Mile.

Background

Velazquez was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico and learned to ride there, attending a jockey school for a year and a half. On January 3, 1990, he won his first race, aboard Rodas at El Nuevo Comandante racetrack in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. That same year, he moved to New York State and obtained guidance from leading jockey Angel Cordero Jr. Richie Allen was his first agent,[2] followed in 1992 by Ralph Theroux. Velazquez initially lived with Cordero and later said that he learned to speak English by watching The Little Mermaid with Cordero's daughter for ​2 1⁄2 months.[3] In 1998, Cordero became his agent. "Without Angel, I wouldn't be here," said Velazquez in 2005. "I learned from him, not just about riding, but everything you need to survive. Since I've been here, he's always been behind me 100%, even when he was still riding."[2]

Velazquez is married to Leona O'Brien, the daughter of trainer Leo O'Brien. Residing in New York, they have two children, a daughter, Lerina, and a son, Michael Patrick.[4][5]

Velazquez is the chairman of the board of the Jockeys' Guild and on the board of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.[6] He is known for his cool riding manner and "nerves-of-steel".[3]

Racing career

Soon after moving to the United States in 1990, Velazquez won his first stakes race, the Ticonderoga at Aqueduct Racetrack. His first graded stakes win came the next year in the Ohio Derby aboard Private Man. It was not until 1995 that he won his first Grade I stakes race, the Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont. In 1996, he won his first riding title at Aqueduct and also rode his first Eclipse Award winner, Yank's Music, trained by his father-in-law, to Championship Three-Year-Old Filly honors.[6]

In 1998, Velazquez won the first of five riding titles at Saratoga.[7] Later that year, he picked up a ride in the Breeders' Cup Mile on Da Hoss, who had won the 1996 Mile but had only raced once in the intervening years. Da Hoss hit the front of the field with ​3⁄16 of a mile to go, but then was passed in mid-stretch. He fought back and eventually won by a head. Track announcer Tom Durkin called it "the greatest comeback since Lazarus." It was Velazquez's first Breeders' Cup victory.[8]

Velazquez set a Saratoga record with six wins in one day on September 3, 2001.[9]

In 2004, Velazquez earned his 3,000th win aboard Runningforpresident on July 29 at Saratoga, the same date that Saratoga was holding "John Velazquez Bobblehead Doll Day". He was the leading rider at the Saratoga meet that year with a record 65 winners. Later that year, he won the Bill Shoemaker Award for top Breeders' Cup performance by a jockey, winning the Breeders' Cup Distaff with Ashado and the Breeders' Cup Sprint with Speightstown. He won the Shoemaker Award again in 2011 and 2014. Velazquez finished 2004 with 335 wins from 1,327 races, a "remarkable" win rate of 25%. He was the 2004 leading jockey by earnings in North America and won the 2004 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.[6][2][10]

In 2005, Velazquez broke the national earnings record set in 2003 by Jerry Bailey. Velazquez went on to a second leading jockey title and second Eclipse Award. He won 65 stakes races with 34 different horses, including champions Ashado and Leroidesanimaux. He won at 15 different tracks in the U.S., Canada and Dubai.[11]

On April 20, 2006, Velazquez was seriously injured in a fall at Keeneland racetrack, suffering a fractured shoulder blade, two broken ribs, a bruised sternum and a slightly injured right lung. He was originally expected to miss five months,[12] but was able to return for the Belmont Stakes in June, in which he finished second.[13] Later that year, he was elected to the Puerto Rico Horse Racing Hall of Fame.[14]

Going into the 2007 Belmont Stakes, Velazquez had been 0 for 21 in American Triple Crown races. He picked up the mount on Rags to Riches at the last moment and rode her for the first time in the Belmont. Rags to Riches stumbled at the start, then was taken wide by another horse around the first turn before Velazquez guided her to better position. In a prolonged stretch duel with Curlin, Velazquez hit the filly only twice, for a little additional encouragement. They withstood several bumps from the colt and prevailed by a head. It was the first win for a filly in the Belmont since 1905. It was also the first Classic victory for trainer Todd Pletcher, Velazquez's most important client. "There were drinks flying everywhere," said Lauren Robson, the exercise rider of Rags to Riches. "Leona (Velazquez) was in tears right away and she put me in tears. It was so great because Todd and Johnny have been together for so long."[15]

In 2009, Velazquez, nicknamed "Johnny V", was awarded the Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award by his fellow jockeys in recognition of his career and personal character. At that time, he had already earned 24 racing titles at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga.[16] That same year, he rode Quality Road to a win at the Florida Derby, knocking off the previously unbeaten Dunkirk in the process.[17] He later rode Dunkirk to a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes.[1]

Winning the Belmont on Union Rags

On May 7, 2011, Velazquez won his first Kentucky Derby, riding Animal Kingdom. Velazquez was supposed to ride Uncle Mo, but his horse was scratched from the race due to stomach problems. Then, due to an injury to Robby Albarado, Animal Kingdom's regular rider, Velazquez got the mount and won the race.[18] Velázquez rode Animal Kingdom again at the 136th Preakness Stakes and almost repeated the Kentucky Derby feat, coming from behind. However, Animal Kingdom finished second to Shackleford. Velázquez said about the loss, "It's a tough one. It's a real tough one ... I thought this horse had a really good chance to make it. Things didn't go our way today. He ran great, but he didn't quite get there."[19]

In the 2012 Belmont Stakes, Velazquez won his third Triple Crown Race aboard Union Rags.[20] Later in the year, he won the Breeders' Cup Mile on the gelding Wise Dan, who went on to become a two-time American Horse of the Year in 2012 and 2013 with Velazquez as his regular rider. Also in 2012, Velazquez was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.[21] He was introduced by Pletcher, whom Velazquez thanked, saying: "Todd's been my number one supporter for many, many years...The marriage is still going, right, Todd? Almost as long as my marriage with Leona."[3]

Velazquez reached several milestones in 2013. On June 14, he won his 5,000th race at Belmont Park aboard Galloping Giraffe. He became Saratoga's all-time winningest rider on July 27, with his 694th victory at that track aboard Unitarian. On October 13, Velazquez became the all-time leading money winner among North American jockeys, surpassing Pat Day in the ninth race at Belmont aboard the filly Bit Bustin. After that race, his earnings reached $297,922,320 in career purses.[6][22] His year ended abruptly during the Breeders' Cup weekend at Santa Anita on November 2 when his mount in the Juvenile Fillies fractured her leg and fell, throwing Velazquez, who was struck by one of the trailing horses. Velazquez was taken to hospital, and had his spleen removed.[23]

Velazquez returned to the track in late January 2014 at Gulfstream Park in Florida. Later that year, he became the all-time leading money winner in the history of jockeying and the first whose earnings surpassed $300 million.[24]

Velazquez won the 2017 Kentucky Derby riding Always Dreaming.[25] At the 2017 Breeders' Cup, he won both the Distaff with Forever Unbridled and the Mile with World Approval. This brought his lifetime total to fifteen, tying him for the second-most wins in Breeders' Cup history with Jerry Bailey, behind only Mike Smith.[26]

On November 30 2018, Velazquez earned his win number 6000 aboard Singapore Trader, trained by Todd Pletcher.[27]

On May 18th, 2019 at Preakness Stakes Velazquez was thrown from the saddle off at the start of the race by Bodexpress, with the horse running without Velazquez for the duration of the race.

On September 5, 2020, Valazquez would win his third Kentucky Derby after riding Authentic to victory.[28]

Velazquez and Wise Dan in the winners' circle after the 2012 Breeders' Cup Mile

Year-end charts
Chart (2000–present) Rank
by earnings[1]
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2000 10
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2001 2
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2002 3
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2003 3
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2004 1
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2005 1
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 4
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 3
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2008 7
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2009 6
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2010 3
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2011 2
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2012 3
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2013 3
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2014 4
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2015 3
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2016 4
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2017 4
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2018 6
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2019 6
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2020 5

References
  1. "John R Velazquez". Equibase. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  2. Mieszerski, Bob (6 July 2005). "Velazquez Searching for Gold". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  3. Bossert, Jerry. "Velazquez fights back tears during HOF speech". NY Daily News. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  4. "Velazquez Wins George Woolf Award". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  5. Springstead, Will (August 23, 2010). "Life of a jockey's wife not always glamorous". The Post-Star. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  6. "John Velazquez - Keeneland Bio". Keeneland.com. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  7. "John Velazquez - Hall of Fame". National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  8. Haskin, Steve. "Da Comeback". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  9. "Velazquez rides record six winners at Saratoga". USA Today. Associated Press +date=September 3, 2001. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  10. "2004 Eclipse Award Jockey: John Velazquez". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  11. Marr, Esther. "Eclipse Award: John Velazquez, Jockey". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  12. Novak, Claire. "Velazquez to Miss Derby with Shoulder, Chest Injuries". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  13. Mitchell, Ron. "18-Year-Old Jara Guides Jazil to Belmont Victory". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  14. "Annuary of the Puerto Rico Horse Racing Hall of Fame for the year 2006
  15. Haskin, Steve. "Rags to Riches: Greatest Victory for Pletcher". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  16. "Velazquez Wins George Woolf Award". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  17. "Record Victory in Dubai in World's Richest Race". New York Times. 28 March 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  18. "Animal Kingdom wins 137th Kentucky Derby". Sporting News. May 7, 2011.
  19. Wilkin, Tim (May 22, 2011). "Shackleford edges Animal Kingdom in Preakness". SFGate.
  20. "John Velazquez". Retrieved 2012-06-13.
  21. "John Velazquez, Ghostzapper to Hall". ESPN. April 23, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  22. "Velazquez Becomes Top Money-Earning Rider". Blood-Horse. 13 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  23. Dwyer, Bill. "John Velazquez returns to the Breeders' Cup after bad spill". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  24. Erick Rodríguez (March 22, 2014). "El jinete boricua John Velázquez hace historia". El Nuevo Día.
  25. Angst, Frank (May 6, 2017). "Always Dreaming True in Kentucky Derby Win". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  26. "The five biggest movers in the world rankings after the Breeders' Cup | Topics: More Than Ready, Roy H, John Velazquez, Medaglia D'Oro, Breeders' Cup, Scat Daddy". Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  27. "John Velazquez Gets Win No. 6,000". Blood-Horse. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  28. https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/09/05/sports/05reuters-horseracing-kentucky.html
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