Tags ‘John Velazquez’

The Future Is Here: University Of Kentucky Sports Medicine Program Will Help Jockeys Ride Safer, Better, Healthier

Any longtime rider of horses will tell you: It's not a question of whether you will fall off but when. For jockeys, the question becomes not whether they'll get hurt, but how badly (or for how long... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my websit... Read More...

The Friday Show Presented By NYRA’s Loyalty Program: Safety Concerns?

While the Thoroughbred racing industry has made great strides in recent years to better protect horses and jockeys, there are still areas of concern. In this edition of The Friday Show, Scott Jagow... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my websit... Read More...

#WeStandWithLiam: Hall Of Famer Velazquez Takes A Stand Against Bullying

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is collaborating with the New York Racing Association in an effort to promote awareness about the effects of bullying. On Saturday at Aqueduct, the day of the Grade... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my webs... Read More...

Who Needs A Rollercoaster Ride When You’ve Got Horse Racing?

Things I learned during this topsy turvy summer of racing:  Young Guys Rule: Flavien Prat, 25, won his second consecutive Del Mar summer riding title (he tied with Rafael Bejarano in 2016) and the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] Read More...

Inspired By His Late Father, Castellano Enters Hall Of Fame With Dreams Yet To Fulfill

When Javier Castellano is inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Friday, it will culminate his illustrious career but hardly mark the end. In some respects, the 39-year-old... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my websit... Read More...

U.S. Racing Lags Behind Sports World On Concussion Protocol

Dr. Carl Mattacola, director and professor of the University of Kentucky's Graduate Athletic Training Program, has provided a roadmap for the horse racing industry to join the rest of the sporting... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website... Read More...

Salute To Dan Loiselle: A Tough Act To Follow

There’s only about a month left. Fourteen racing dates to be exact to hear that full-bodied flavor of a voice, the voice of Woodbine, Dan Loiselle, before he retires after 48 years of working for the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] Read More...

Untapable Much the Best in Mother Goose Stakes

Michael Compton | 10 years ago
Untapable won the Mother Goose Stakes (G1) as she pleased on Saturday, cruising to the wire 9 ¼ lengths clear of runner-up Princess Violet. The Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.48 under John Velazquez for trainer Steve Asmussen. The only pebble in Untapable’s path came early in the race when Princess Violet […](Read more...) Read More...

To Honor and Serve Turns Back Mucho Macho Man

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
To Honor and Serve returned to top form on Saturday, repulsing a bid from Mucho Macho Man in deep stretch to win the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. In his prior start, the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap on July 7 at Belmont Park, To Honor and Serve react... Read More...

Archwarrior Takes Care of Business in Career Debut

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Archwarrior made his anticipated debut on Thursday at Saratoga, comfortably dispatching his rivals in a maiden special weight race at Saratoga. Ridden by John Velazquez, Archwarrior is trained by Todd Pletcher and races for Alto Racing. The OBS graduat... Read More...

Turbulent Descent Wins Ballerina in First Start for New Connections

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Florida-bred Turbulent Descent notched her fourth Grade 1 win making the first start for her new connections in Friday’s Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. Purchased privately by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith this summer and sent... Read More...

Wise Dan Proves His Versatility in Fourstardave Victory

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Wise Dan parlayed a ground-saving journey to an impressive score in Saturday’s Fourstardave Handicap  (G2) over a yielding turf course at Saratoga. Given a patient ride by recent Hall of Fame inductee John Velazquez, Wise Dan waited for an opening a... Read More...

Mariano Rivera Visits Saratoga Race Course

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, a 12-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, paid a visit to Saratoga Race Course on Friday.  Rivera posed with John Velazquez after Velazquez was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hal... Read More...

Ramon Dominguez Wins Six Races in One Day

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Ramon Dominguez, the reigning two-time Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding Jockey, won six races at Saratoga on Sunday. Dominguez joined Hall of Famer John Velazquez as the only riders in the 144-year history of Saratoga Race Course to win six races on... Read More...

Velazquez Among Four Jockey Finalists for ESPY Awards

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Javier Castellano, Ramon Dominguez, Mario Gutierrez and John Velazquez were announced by ESPN as the four nominees in the “Best Jockey” category of the 20th annual ESPY Awards. The ESPYS, which honor a wide array of athletes and sports entities, wi... Read More...

Union Rags Exits Belmont Stakes in Good Order

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Union Rags, winner of Saturday’s 144th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes, was a happy horse Sunday morning. The hero of the Belmont Stakes was back home in Michael Matz’s barn at the Fair Hill training center in Elkton, Md., the tra... Read More...

Quotes From Tuesday’s Belmont Stakes Press Luncheon

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Connections of some of the Belmont Stakes contenders gathered Tuesday in New York to discuss their charges with the media during the Belmont Stakes press media luncheon at Rockefeller Center. Mario Gutierrez, rider of Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have A... Read More...

Shackleford All Heart in Met Mile Win at Belmont Park

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Shackleford broke sharply in Monday’s 119th edition of the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park and never looked back. Under a smart ride from John Velazquez, Shackleford assumed command at the break, kept race favorite To Honor and Serve in ti... Read More...

In Lingerie Wins Black Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
In Lingerie proved much the best in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) at Pimlico Race Course on Friday. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber, In Lingerie stumbled at the start, but gathered herself quickly and settled nicely for John V... Read More...

Went the Day Well Targeting Preakness Stakes

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Trainer Graham Motion was pleased with Went the Day Well’s physical condition on Tuesday at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., following his fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Owned by Team Valor International and Mark Ford, Went ... Read More...

Blinkers On Help Went the Day Well

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Went the Day Well, outfitted with blinkers, worked five furlongs in 1:01 at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Owned by Team Valor International and Mark Ford, Went the Day Well was ridden in the work by jockey John Velazquez. Working in company with Crimson... Read More...

Wise Dan Romps in Keeneland’s Ben Ali Stakes

Michael Compton | 12 years ago
Morton Fink’s Wise Dan simply toyed with his rivals on Sunday at Keeneland, winning the Ben Ali Stakes (G3) in track-record time on closing day at the Lexington track. Ridden by John Velazquez, Wise Dan won the $150,000 event as he pleased by 10 ½ l... Read More...

Hymn Book Returns at Oaklawn Park

Hymn Book makes his first start since a game win in the Donn Handicap (G1) at Gulfstream Park Feb.11 in today’s Oaklawn Handicap (G2). Stuart Janney III, who won the Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) at Keeneland on Friday with Data Link, looks to make it back-... Read More...

Union Rags Dominates Fountain of Youth Foes

Union Rags photo courtesy of Gulfstream Park/Coglianese photo In a sparkling performance, Union Rags establishes himself as a clear Kentucky Derby favorite Union Rags’ reputation may have taken a hit when he lost last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenil... Read More...

Awesome Maria Storms to Sabin Score

Photo courtesy of Gulfstream Park/Coglianese photo The striking gray daughter of Maria’s Mon makes a successful return in Sabin Stakes to remain undefeated at Gulfstream Park What was expected to be a showdown between returning stakes stars Royal Del... Read More...

Fountain of Youth Stakes attracts compact, competitive field

By MICHAEL COMPTON As the Kentucky Derby trail kicks into high gear this weekend, Sunday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park should go a long way in helping sort out the 3-year-old picture, at least in South Florida. With a field that includes the undefeated Todd Pletcher-trained pair of Algorithms and Florida-bred Discreet […] Read More...

Pletcher Pair to Clash With Union Rags

Photo of Algorithms courtesy of Gulfstream Park/Coglianese photo Sunday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park promises answers in sorting out contentious 3-year-old division. As the Kentucky Derby trail kicks into high gear this weekend, Sund... Read More...