Velazquez John R

Starts

4243

1st

704

2nd

598

3rd

587

Win %

17%

Show %

45%

$2 ROI

$1.53

DHP

Avg

Surfaces

Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
Turf 2230 277 286 268 12% 37% $1.47 Bad
Dirt 1940 410 303 312 21% 53% $1.58 Great
All Weather Track 73 17 9 7 23% 45% $1.92 Good

Conditions

Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
Dirt - Good 490 81 66 71 17% 44% $1.75 Avg
Dirt - Fast 1651 353 243 260 21% 52% $1.57 Great
Turf - Firm 1715 196 220 206 11% 36% $1.37 Bad
Turf - Yeilding 105 19 14 11 18% 42% $1.79 Avg
Dirt - Muddy 81 20 16 12 25% 59% $2.15 Great
Dirt - Sloppy 168 31 35 22 18% 52% $1.49 Good
Dirt - Wet Fast 12 1 1 3 8% 42% $0.40 Bad
Turf - Soft 21 3 3 2 14% 38% $2.84 Bad

Posts

  Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
1-3 1569 301 228 257 19% 50% $1.62 Good
4-6 1558 254 215 221 16% 44% $1.45 Avg
7-9 805 107 127 81 13% 39% $1.40 Bad
10-12 295 39 27 26 13% 31% $1.76 Bad
13+ 16 3 1 2 19% 38% $2.72 Bad

Distances

  Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
5 Furlongs 163 39 27 27 24% 57% $1.29 Great
5.5-6 Furlongs 948 175 144 121 18% 46% $1.68 Good
6.5-7 Furlongs 669 119 82 104 18% 46% $1.54 Avg
1 Mile 890 142 126 107 16% 42% $1.43 Poor
1 1/16 Mile 1242 183 172 185 15% 43% $1.46 Avg
1 1/8 Mile and Over 331 46 47 43 14% 41% $1.72 Poor

Tracks

  Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
Belmont Park 982 175 127 138 18% 45% $1.56 Avg
Saratoga 806 122 111 103 15% 42% $1.45 Poor
Aqueduct 253 41 48 32 16% 48% $1.64 Avg
Gulfstream Park 693 112 101 94 16% 44% $1.39 Avg
Woodbine 28 3 2 3 11% 29% $1.19 Bad
Kentucky Downs 80 2 13 12 2% 34% $0.52 Bad
Churchill Downs 221 38 26 26 17% 41% $2.56 Poor
Fair Grounds 40 7 7 5 18% 48% $1.58 Avg
Keeneland 426 67 67 53 16% 44% $1.22 Avg
Sunland Park 5 1 1 1 20% 60% $1.32 Great
Pimlico 56 12 11 5 21% 50% $1.46 Good
Penn National 3 1 0 0 33% 33% $4.80  - 
Delaware Park 5 0 0 1 0% 20% $0.00 Bad
Arlington 7 3 0 0 43% 43% $12.31 Good
Parx Racing 15 5 2 1 33% 53% $2.52 Great
Santa Anita Park 363 65 49 65 18% 49% $1.44 Good
Oaklawn Park 43 9 4 11 21% 56% $0.99 Good
Tampa Bay Downs 23 8 1 1 35% 43% $3.90 Great
Charles Town 10 1 0 4 10% 50% $0.48 Great
Monmouth Park 16 2 1 5 12% 50% $0.61 Good
Del Mar 89 18 14 17 20% 55% $2.32 Great
Los Alamitos (Thoroughbred) 3 1 0 0 33% 33% $0.80  - 
Finger Lakes 1 0 1 0 0% 100% $0.00  - 
Belmont At The Big A 62 8 9 9 13% 42% $1.00 Poor
Turfway Park 9 3 3 0 33% 67% $2.48 Great
Colonial Downs 4 0 0 1 0% 25% $0.00  - 

Race Types

  Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
Maiden 1412 270 209 194 19% 48% $1.58 Avg
Claiming 934 165 141 128 18% 46% $1.49 Avg
Allowance 611 95 84 74 16% 41% $1.52 Poor
Stake 1286 174 164 191 14% 41% $1.50 Poor

More Details

Primary Tracks: Belmont, Saratoga, Aqueduct, Keeneland, Gulfstream

 

John Velazquez is one of the most accomplished jockeys in the United States. Coming from Puerto Rico in 1990 he learned under legendary jockey Angel Cordero. Although Velazquez became a stakes winner in his first year of racing it would take him 5 years to earn his first grade 1 stakes win at Belmont Park. In 1996 Velazquez won his first of many meet titles at Aqueduct in the New York circuit.

 

“Johnny V” as he is often affectionately called earned his first Breeder’s Cup win on a horse named Da Hoss. The win was described by the track announcer as “the greatest comeback since Lazarus.”

 

Velazquez has had a wonderful career including multiple Eclipse awards, two jockey earnings awards, and over 6,000 career wins. However, it wasn’t until 17 years into his career after 21 failed attempts that he got his first Triple Crown series victory aboard Rags to Riches in the Belmont Stakes.

 

Off the track Velazquez has served as a leading advocate for jockeys in both the Jockeys’ Guild and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

 

Accomplishments


Velazquez has won over 80 different Triple Crown, Breeder’s Cup, and grade 1 stakes races. He is a three time winner of the Kentucky Derby, most recently with Authentic in 2020, a two time Belmont Stakes champion, and a 17 time Breeder’s Cup winning jockey.

 

Along with his American success he has also won multiple international races including the 2005 Dubai World Cup, The E.P. Taylor Stakes, and the Woodbine Mile.

 

Velazquez is a two time winner of the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey winning it back to back in 2004 and 2005.

 

Top Riders/Trainers: Todd Pletcher, William Mott, Mark Casse, Graham H. Motion, Bob Baffert

 

Top 5 Career Horses in Earnings: Authentic, English Channel, Wise Dan, Roses in May, Sistercharlie (IRE)