Velazquez John R

Starts

4030

1st

678

2nd

573

3rd

552

Win %

17%

Show %

45%

$2 ROI

$1.54

DHP

Avg

Surfaces

Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
Turf 2112 266 273 254 13% 38% $1.48 Bad
Dirt 1850 397 291 291 21% 53% $1.60 Great
All Weather Track 68 15 9 7 22% 46% $1.85 Good

Conditions

Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
Dirt - Good 480 80 65 69 17% 45% $1.77 Avg
Dirt - Fast 1571 340 232 243 22% 52% $1.59 Great
Turf - Firm 1605 186 208 193 12% 37% $1.38 Bad
Turf - Yeilding 104 18 14 11 17% 41% $1.73 Avg
Dirt - Muddy 73 19 15 11 26% 62% $2.32 Great
Dirt - Sloppy 165 31 35 21 19% 53% $1.51 Good
Dirt - Wet Fast 12 1 1 3 8% 42% $0.40 Bad
Turf - Soft 20 3 3 1 15% 35% $2.98 Bad

Posts

  Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
1-3 1495 291 218 243 19% 50% $1.62 Good
4-6 1478 241 206 205 16% 44% $1.46 Avg
7-9 763 105 123 77 14% 40% $1.44 Poor
10-12 278 38 25 25 14% 32% $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 160 37 27 26 23% 56% $1.25 Great
5.5-6 Furlongs 890 171 137 106 19% 47% $1.75 Good
6.5-7 Furlongs 636 116 78 99 18% 46% $1.59 Avg
1 Mile 856 138 123 102 16% 42% $1.42 Poor
1 1/16 Mile 1180 172 165 179 15% 44% $1.42 Avg
1 1/8 Mile and Over 308 44 43 40 14% 41% $1.79 Poor

Tracks

  Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Win % Show % $2 ROI DHP
Belmont Park 982 175 127 138 18% 45% $1.56 Avg
Saratoga 720 107 102 94 15% 42% $1.43 Avg
Aqueduct 240 39 48 30 16% 49% $1.55 Good
Gulfstream Park 681 109 100 91 16% 44% $1.38 Avg
Woodbine 21 2 1 2 10% 24% $1.16 Bad
Kentucky Downs 57 2 10 7 4% 33% $0.73 Bad
Churchill Downs 219 38 26 24 17% 40% $2.58 Poor
Fair Grounds 40 7 7 5 18% 48% $1.58 Avg
Keeneland 396 65 64 48 16% 45% $1.24 Avg
Sunland Park 5 1 1 1 20% 60% $1.32 Great
Pimlico 54 12 11 4 22% 50% $1.52 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 14 5 1 1 36% 50% $2.70 Great
Santa Anita Park 346 64 47 61 18% 50% $1.50 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 42 6 4 6 14% 38% $1.08 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 1331 261 201 175 20% 48% $1.60 Good
Claiming 895 155 134 126 17% 46% $1.47 Avg
Allowance 584 95 83 68 16% 42% $1.59 Avg
Stake 1220 167 155 183 14% 41% $1.51 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)