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Javier Castellano
Castellano in 2010
Occupation	Jockey
Born	(1977-10-23) October 23, 1977 (age 47) Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela
Career wins	5798 ongoing (as of 2024-07-07)
Major racing wins
Graded Stakes wins Metropolitan Handicap (2005, 2015, 2020) Donn Handicap (2015) Miami Mile Handicap (1999, 2009) Smile Sprint Handicap (2000) Beldame Stakes (2001, 2004) Clark Handicap (2003) Woodward Stakes (2004, 2015, 2016) Wood Memorial Stakes (2005) Flash Stakes (2005) Hill Prince Stakes (2005, 2006) Jim Dandy Stakes (2006) Jockey Club Gold Cup (2006, 2023) Withers Stakes (2006, 2013) Long Branch Stakes (2007) Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap (2007, 2008) Shirley Jones Handicap (2008) Highlander Stakes (2008) Man o' War Stakes (2008) Garden City Handicap (2008) Commonwealth Turf Stakes (2009) Remsen Stakes (2013) Gazelle Handicap (2001, 2006) Secretariat Stakes (2003) Vosburgh Stakes (2003) Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (2003) Bertram F. Bongard Stakes (2004) Beaugay Handicap (2004) Discovery Handicap (2004) Sport Page Breeders' Cup Handicap (2004) Jamaica Handicap (2005) Coolmore Lexington Stakes (2005) Forward Gal Stakes (2005) Ben Ali Stakes (2006) Gallant Bloom Handicap (2006) Vagrancy Handicap (2007) Sabin Stakes (2007, 2008) Endeavour Stakes (2012) Bowling Green Handicap (2013) Travers (2006, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2023) American Classics / Breeders' Cup: Kentucky Derby (2023) Preakness Stakes (2006, 2017) Belmont Stakes (2023) Kentucky Oaks (2016) Breeders' Cup Classic (2004) Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (2015, 2018) Breeders' Cup Distaff (2015) Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (2013, 2019) Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2012, 2014) Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (2016) Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (2019) International races: Dubai Golden Shaheen (2005) Connaught Cup Stakes (2006) Woodbine Oaks (2008) Canadian International Stakes (2008)
Racing awards
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Honors
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (2017)
Significant horses
Ghostzapper, Bernardini, Red Rocks, Stay Thirsty, Bellamy Road, Honor Code, Shaman Ghost, Cloud Computing, Mage

Javier Castellano (born October 23, 1977) is a Venezuelan jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.

Castellano won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey four times in a row from 2013 to 2016. In 2023 he won two legs of the American Triple Crown–the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes–aboard different horses.

Career

Castellano began his riding career in 1996 at Santa Rita and La Rinconada racecourses in Venezuela. In June 1997 he moved to the United States where he rode at race tracks in southern Florida until 2001, when he moved north to race on the New York State racing circuit.

He had his first major wins in 2004, on Frank Stronach's colt Ghostzapper and won several major races including the 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic, earning 2004 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year and other honors. In 2006, Castellano rode Bernardini for Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Darley Racing, winning the Preakness Stakes, the Travers Stakes, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Castellano received the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, each year having the highest purse winnings of any jockey in North America. In 2013, he finished the year with purse earnings of over $26.2 million, surpassing the single-season record previously held by Ramon Dominguez in 2012. He passed 4,000 North American wins in February 2015, and by the end of the year had broken his own single-season winnings and earnings record.

In 2023 Castellano won two legs of the Triple Crown on two separate horses, winning aboard Mage in the Kentucky Derby and Arcangelo in the Belmont Stakes. It was Castellano's first career victory in each race.

Castellano was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2017.

Personal life

Racing runs in Castellano's family. His father, who died in 2000, his uncle, and a brother all have been jockeys. He considers his father to be the biggest influence on his career.

He and his wife, Abby have three children. His father-in-law is Terry Meyocks, national director of the Jockeys' Guild. His younger brother Abel Castellano, Jr. (born 1983) is also a jockey and rode his first winner on September 22, 1999, at Santa Rita Race Course in Venezuela. In 2000 he began riding in the United States at Gulfstream Park.

Year-end charts

References

1. ^ Shulman, Lenny (21 January 2017). "Castellano Scores Fourth Straight Eclipse as Top Jockey". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
2. ^ Grening, David (10 June 2023). "Belmont: Arcangelo's upset makes Antonucci first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 10 June 2023. Arcangelo was ridden to victory Saturday by Javier Castellano. It was his first career win in the Belmont with his 15th mount. Five weeks ago, Castellano won his first Kentucky Derby in his 16th attempt, aboard Mage, who did not run in the Belmont after finishing third in the Preakness.
3. "Javier Castellano || Official Site". Jockeyjaviercastellano.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-17. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
4. Novak, Claire (January 18, 2014). "Javier Castellano Earns First Eclipse Award". bloodhorse.com. The BloodHorse. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
5. Castellano Reaches 4,000th-Win Milestone
6. "And Away We Go … Eclipse Awards Night at Gulfstream Park". 17 January 2016.
7. Frakes, Jason (26 April 2017). "Kentucky Derby 2017 | Castellano now enters Derby as Hall of Famer". Courier Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
8. https://www.keeneland.com/jockey-bios/javier-castellano
9. Pimlico Race Course Archived 2013-04-01 at the Wayback Machine
10. Delaware Park Archived 2013-06-29 at archive.today

• Javier Castellano's profile at the NTRA

External links

• Official Website

• 1977 births
• Living people
• Sportspeople from Maracaibo
• Eclipse Award winners
• Venezuelan expatriate sportspeople in the United States
• Venezuelan jockeys