January 21, 2025

Castellano joins 4,000-win club

Last updated: 2/8/15 9:00 PM











Jockey Javier Castellano celebrated another milestone Sunday
(Lauren King/Adam Coglianese Photography)





Jockey Javier Castellano reached a significant career milestone at Gulfstream
Park Sunday, when the reigning two-time Eclipse Award titlist notched his
4,000th career victory with his third winner of the day in the 10TH race.

Castellano scored aboard his first mount Sunday, guiding the Todd Pletcher-trained
Stanford (Malibu Moon) to an impressive victory in the 4TH race. He registered
win number 3,999 aboard Tell Tale Friend (Harlan’s Holiday) in the 7TH race
before claiming number 4,000 in the 10TH race aboard Captain Stan (Henrythenavigator).

“It’s amazing. I’m so, so happy. I think it’s one of the best moments of my
life, right now. I’ve been very fortunate to ride a lot of good horses the last
few years and two Eclipse Awards back to back. I’ve won a lot of good races, a
lot of Grade 1s,” Castellano said. “Everything has gone so far in my career. I’m
very thankful and blessed.”

Castellano praised the work of his agent, Matt Muzikar, and the horsemen who
have provided him with so many winning mounts and the support of his wife, Abby,
and his kids, Kayla Marie, Sienna Grace and Jack, in helping him reach the top
of his profession.

In the 10TH race, Castellano was able to obtain good stalking position aboard
Captain Stan, tracking pacesetter A Bit Quick (Super Saver) around the first turn and along
the backstretch. Captain Stan made progress on the last turn and opened a lead
at the top of the stretch before shortening stride late. The Jorge
Navarro-trained colt responded to Castellano’s urging to hold off late-running
Let’s Wrap It Up (Leroidesanimaux) by a half-length.

“The way the race developed I felt
like I had a chance to win today. My horse, turning for home when I asked him,
responded so quick and I got so emotional. I said, ‘Wow, I’m going to win my
4000th race,'” Castellano said. “The last sixteenth I started worrying a little
bit when my horse started getting tired. Finally, he gave me that little extra
to get the 4000th win. It’s amazing. I feel so proud to be participating against
the best jockeys, the best colony, in the country. It’s special.”



Castellano entered Sunday’s 13-race program with 3,997 victories after riding
four winners on Saturday’s Gulfstream card, three in graded stakes. He was
victorious in both Grade 1 stakes, guiding Constitution (Tapit) to a triumph in the
$500,000 Donn H. and Mshawish (Medaglia d’Oro) to a nose decision in the $300,000
Gulfstream Park Turf H., as well as visiting the winner’s circle with Sandiva (Footstepsinthesand) following her victory in the $150,000 Suwannee River (G3). All three
winners are trained by seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher.

“It’s a pretty significant milestone. He’s riding great and he’s had a great
career. I think anybody that has stayed in the game this long and has been able
to ride that many winners shows a lot of determination and a lot of commitment
and talent, and he certainly has that,” said Pletcher, the defending 11-time
Championship Meet titlist at Gulfstream.

Castellano, who notched his 3,000th career triumph at Gulfstream Park on February 24,
2013, has dominated the jockey standings during the past three Championship
Meets at the Hallandale Beach track, where he has ridden 100 winners each season
to become only the third jockey to win three consecutive titles, joining Jorge
Chavez (1999-2001) and Jeff Fell (1977-79). He currently has a commanding lead
in the jockey standings this season.

The 37-year-old Maracaibo, Venezuela, native launched his U.S. riding career in
South Florida in 1997, collecting his first win aboard Phone Man at Calder. He
moved on to New York, where he won his first of nine titles there during the
2002-2003 inner-track meeting. He notched his first Triple Crown success aboard Bernardini
in the 2006 Preakness S. (G1) and tasted victory in the 2004 Breeders’
Cup Classic (G1) aboard Ghostzapper, who went on to be named Horse of the Year.

Constitution, who defeated defending champ Lea (First Samurai) by three-quarters of a length in
the Donn, provided Castellano with one of his most important Gulfstream victory
last year while winning the $1 million Florida Derby (G1).




Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com