By Ed McNamara
Breaking into a major circuit is usually a serious challenge for a jockey. You must cultivate new relationships with trainers and getting prime mounts early on is difficult. But not if your name is John Velazquez.
Baffert and Velasquez – Photo Courtesy of Preakness Stakes
The 50-year-old Hall of Famer blasted out of the gate Dec. 26 on opening day at Santa Anita, winning with his first three rides and adding a stakes victory on Bob Baffert’s 3-year-old filly Kalypso in the Grade 1 La Brea.
That began an insane run for Velazquez, who finished first with nine of his first 17 mounts at The Great Race Place. He celebrated New Year’s Eve early with a 4-for-5 afternoon, and his 12-for-27 surge led the standings after five days. Seven of his winners are trained by Baffert, including the 3-year-old colt Newgrange, who led throughout the mile Sham Stakes (G3) on Jan. 1.
“You know Johnny V. is great to begin with,” Baffert said. “He’s like Tom Brady. He’s very wise and he doesn’t panic. He rides his horse. That’s why he’s a great one.”
Velazquez has excelled at Gulfstream Park since the Nineties, but for the first time he will spend the winter in Southern California, not South Florida. He’ll be based in SoCal through April 9, the day of the Santa Anita Derby (G1), with occasional forays to stakes around the country.
Superstar agent Ron Anderson books the horses for Velazquez, a four-time Kentucky Derby (G1) champion, including the last two (Authentic, Medina Spirit) with Baffert. No one ever rode three straight Derby winners, and maybe Newgrange will give him a chance.
“Overall, Johnny is in a league by himself,” Anderson said. “He’s without a doubt one of the greatest riders we’ve seen in a very, very long time.”
It will be impossible for him to keep winning at this pace, but until he cools off, it will be foolish to dismiss anything he rides. Velazquez has seven mounts Saturday at Santa Anita, and he has a big chance on the undefeated Cal-bred Big Switch in the Santa Ynez Stakes (G2). Maybe she’ll develop into a prospect for the Kentucky Oaks (G1), which Velazquez won last year on Malathaat.
Besides the Santa Ynez, I’ll try to figure out the maiden grass race that follows it, along with a turf stakes at Gulfstream, the Tropical Park.