Velazquez Honored as Jockey of the Week
Just as the Belmont Stakes Festival of Racing got underway on Wednesday, John Velazquez began accumulating stakes wins. By the end of the 5-day Festival, Velazquez won a total of six stakes including three designated Gr. I and one Gr. III for a total of nine wins for the week. The panel of racing experts voted the Hall of Famer Jockey of the Week for June 2-June 8.
The weekly honor recognizes jockeys for significant riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
On Wednesday, New York Showcase Day, Velazquez posted a 2-1/2 length win in 1:43.27 aboard Spinning Colors in the Mount Vernon, a 1 1/16th mile inner turf route for older fillies and mares for trainer Mark Hennig.
Friday was one of Velazquez’s single best days highlighted by three graded stakes wins.
Riding for trainer George Weaver in the Ogden Phipps (G1), Velazquez was aboard Dorth Vader. Under the patient handling of Velazquez, Dorth Vader raced in third until the top of the stretch when the 5-year-old took command cruising to a 4-3/4 length win in 1:49.10 for a mile and one-eighth over a main track labeled as “sloppy.” The Ogden Phipps is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Originally scheduled for two miles on the turf, the Belmont Gold Cup was moved to the main track at 1-3/4 miles. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Parchment Party drew into the race as a main-track-only entrant with Velazquez picking up the mount last minute. The 4-year-old colt raced near the back until the field entered the backstretch when Parchment Party began to pick off his opponents to draw off powerfully and win by 8-1/2 lengths in 2:57.86.
Velazquez capped his day aboard 4-year-old She Feels Pretty for trainer Cherie DeVaux in the New York Stakes (G1T) at 1-3/16th on the yielding turf. Off as the overwhelming favorite in the field of seven, She Feels Pretty stalked the pace until the top of the stretch when she engaged Beach Bomb with Luis Saez. At Velazquez’s urging, She Feels Pretty gained the upper hand to win by a half-length in 2:00.76.
Velazquez added another stakes win on Saturday aboard three-year-old A.P. Kid for trainer Todd Pletcher in the off-the-turf Pennine Ridge moved to the main track at one mile. A.P. Kid drew away from his five opponents to post a 6-1/4 length win in 1:36.83.
On Sunday, Velazquez picked up the mount on the five-year-old mare Ag Bullet from Flavien Prat who had prior riding commitments as a result of the Jaipur (G1T) being rescheduled from Saturday. Ag Bullet bested the boys with a two-length win in 1:03.62 for trainer Richard Baltas in the five and one-half furlong turf test. The race is a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week included Kentucky Derby hero Junior Alvarado with his first win in the Belmont Stakes (G1), Kendrick Carmouche who won the Manhattan (G1T), Dylan Davis with wins in the Acorn (G1) and Just a Game (G1T) and Frankie Dettori who won the Met Mile (G1).
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