Horse Racing: Jockey Bios

Javier Castellano

Born: Oct. 23, 1977 in Maracaibo, Venezuela

Height: 5-foot-1

Weight: 114

Notable: Captured his first Saratoga riding title in 2013 with 66 wins then followed it up with the 58 wins and the 2014 riding title at the Spa … Eclipse award for Most Outstanding Jockey in 2013, 2014 … Rode V.E. Day to a record fourth Travers victory in 2014 … Won the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf aboard Zagora … Won 11 Grade 1 races in 2011, the most of any jockey in the nation … Three-time Travers winner: Stay Thirsty (2011), Afleet Express (2010) and Bernardini (2006) … Was the regular rider for 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, piloting him to wins in the Tom Fool Handicap, Philip H. Iselin Breeders’ Cup Handicap, Woodward Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic … Was the regular rider of 2006 champion 3-year-old male Bernardini, riding him to win the Preakness Stakes, Jim Dandy, Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup … Has three times won five races on one card at Saratoga, including five straight in one card in 2010 … Has won riding titles at Aqueduct, Tropical-at-Calder and Hialeah … Won the Sword Dancer Invitational (Telling), Ballston Spa (Salve Germania) and Kings Bishop (Capt Candyman Can) during the 2009 Saratoga meet.

Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Born: Aug. 11, 1992 in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico

Height: 5-foot-3

Weight: 112

Notable: Top rider in New York with 278 wins in 2014 … Won the Coaching club American Oaks and Alabama with Questing and Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap with Poseidon’s Warrior at the 2012 Saratoga meet to finish first among jockeys with three Grade 1 wins … Rode in his first NYRA race at Belmont Park on June 17, 2011 then earned his first victory a week later aboard Millennium Jet … Began his riding career at Hipodromo Camarero in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Day 2011 eventually winning 76 of his 357 mounts … Attended Puerto Rico’s Escuela vocacional Hipica, a school for prospective jockeys.

John Velazquez

Born: Nov. 24, 1971 in Carolina, Puerto Rico

Height: 5-foot-6

Weight: 112

Notable: Won his 12th Breeders’ Cup race aboard Main Sequence in the 2014 Turf … Became Saratoga’s all-time leding rider with his 694th victories July 27, 2013 … Earned career victory No. 5,000 aboard Galloping Giraffe June 14, 2013 at Belmont … Has won or shared 24 riding titles in New York, including four at Saratoga and was the leading rider at the Spa in 2011 with 54 victories … Won first Kentucky Derby in 2011 aboard Animal Kingdom … Set a record on Sept. 3, 2001 by winning six races on one card at Saratoga … Won his 4,000th career race at Belmont in fall 2008 … Won the 2007 Belmont Stakes with Rags To Riches … Won the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Mile (Da Hoss), 2000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Caressing), 2002 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (Storm Flag Flying) and Filly and Mare Turf (Starine), 2004 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Ashado) and Sprint (Speightstown) and 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf (English Channel) … Has won the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga three times; in 2002 (Left Bank), 2007 (Lawyer Ron) and 2008 (Commentator) … Won the 2005 Travers with Flower Alley … Regular rider of multiple track record-holder Quality Road … Earned the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top rider in 2004 and 2005.

Joel Rosario

Born: Jan. 14, 1985 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Height: 5-foot-2

Weight: 109

Notable: Won the 2014 Belmont Stakes aboard Tonalist to deny California Chrome the Triple Crown … Regular rider of 2014 Champion Older Female Close Hatches … Won the 2013 Dubai World Cup aboard Animal Kingdom, the Kentucky Derby aboard Orb and Royal Ascot’s Norfolk Stakes on No Nay Never … Finished the 2012 Saratoga meet in fifth place among jockeys with 29 wins … Rode Dakota Phone to victory in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile … Won the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Sprint aboard Dancing in Silks … Tied a Hollywood Park record of six wins on a single card in 2009.

Jose Ortiz

Born: Oct. 2, 1993 in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico

Height: 5-foot-7

Weight: 112

Notable: Captured the 2014 Spring Riding title at Aqueduct with 28 winners … Rode Country Green to a win at Parx Racing in 2012 for his first win in the U.S. … Won his first Grade I aboard Strong Mandate at the 2013 Saratoga meeting … Like his older brother Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose started riding at Hipodromo Camarero in Puerto Rico before moving the the U.S. in 2011.

Rajiv Maragh

Born: July 9, 1985 in Jamaica

Height: 5-foot-4

Weight: 114

Notable: Rode 2014 Older Male Champion Main Sequence to victories in the Grade I Sword Dance and the Grade I Joe Hirsch turf Classic … Captured the Wood Memorial aboard Wicked Strong in 2014 … Won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint aboard Groupie Doll, the eventual 2012 and 2013 Champion Female Sprinter … Picked up his first Breeders’ Cup victory in the Dirt Mile aboard Caleb’s Posse in 2011 … Collected his 1,000th victory on Feb. 26, 2010 at Gulfstream Park aboard Mint Maker … Second-leading jockey in New York in 2009 with 203 victories … Competed at Saratoga regularly for the first time in 2008 and has finished in the top 10 in victories each year since … Won the Ballerina (Music Note), Lake George (Be Fair) and Yaddo (Nehantic Kat) during the 2009 Saratoga meet.

Cornelio Valasquez

Born: Sept. 28, 1968 in Panama

Height: 5-foot-5

Weight: 115

Notable: Won the Aqueduct spring riding title in 2013 with 24 wins … Won the Turkish International Jockey Challenge at Veliefendi Racecourse in Istanbul in 2012 … Won the spring riding titles in 2011 and 2012 at Aqueduct … Picked up his 3,000th win aboard Up in Smoke at Aqueduct in 2011 … Runner-up in the 2011 NYRA jockey standings with 193 wins … Won the 2007 riding title at Saratoga … Has ridden four Breeders’ Cup winners: Cajun Beat in the 2003 Sprint, Pleasant Home in the 2005 Distaff, War Pass in the 2007 Juvenile and Kip Deville in the 2007 Mile.

Junior Alvarado

Born: May 20, 1986 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela

Height: 5-foot-6

Weight: 113

Notable: Guided Moreno to win in the Grade I Whitney in 2014 … Piloted Emma’s Encore to a victory by a nose in 2012 Grade 1 Prioress, one of 15 New York stakes wins last year … First Grade 1 win was aboard Eclair de Lune in Arlington Park’s Beverly D. Stakes in 2009… Winner of the Arlington Park riding title in 2009 … Was meant to be named Rafael Alvarado, Jr., after his father but was mistakenly registered as Junior Rafael Alvarado.

Jose Lezcano

Born: Apr. 20, 1985 in Chiriqui, Panama

Height: 5-foot-3

Weight: 112

Notable: Won Belmont Derby Invitational aboard Mr. Speaker and Belmont Sprint Championship aboard Clearly Now in 2014 … Rode Horse of the Year Wise Dan to three victories in 2013 … Third place in the jockey standings with 35 wins in 212 starts at the 2012 Saratoga meet … Piloted 2011 Champion 3-year-old filly Royal Delta to victory in Pimlico’s Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan, Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alabama, and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic … Won Gulfstream Park’s Grade 1 Florida Derby in 2010 with Ice Box … Won his first Breeders’ Cup race aboard his first mount, Maram, in the inaugural running of the Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2008.

Julien Leparoux

Born: July 15, 1983 in Senlis, France

Height: 5-foot-5

Weight: 112

Notable: Finished seventh in wins at the 2012 Saratoga meet with 23 wins … Earned his first Eclipse as a journeyman for the 2009 season, was the 2006 Eclipse Award winner as leading apprentice jockey … Was the nation’s leading rider while an apprentice in 2006, with 403 victories and earnings of $12,491,316, the most ever by an apprentice … Has won riding titles at Churchill Downs (five times), Keeneland (the first apprentice to do so) and Turfway Park … Rode seven winners on one day at Churchill Downs in 2008, tying the mark set by Hall-of-Famer Pat Day … Won his 1,000th career race at Churchill Downs on May 13, 2009 … Won the Jim Dandy Stakes (Macho Again) and Diana Handicap (Forever Together) at Saratoga in 2008 and the Diana (Forever Together) and Personal Ensign (Icon Project) in 2009 … Won three Breeders’ Cup races in 2009, the Juvenile Fillies (She Be Wild), Filly and Mare Sprint (Informed Decision) and Dirt Mile (Furthest Land) … Led the nation with 403 victories in 2006, including 28 in Saratoga.

Luis Saez

Born: May 19, 1992

Height: 5-foot-2

Weight: 111

Notable: Earned his 1,000th career victory aboard Lea in the Grade III Hal’s Hope Jan. 11, 2014 at Gulfstream Park … Rode 2013 Champion Three-Year-Old Will Take Charge to victory in the Grade I Travers, Grade I Clark Handicap and Grade II Pennsylvania Derby … Graduated from the Laffit Pincay Jr. Jockey Training Academy in Panama … First win in America came aboard Fearless Honor, Aug. 20, 2009 at Calder.