There are very few safe bets in horse racing but, at Saratoga Race Course this year, jockey Cornelio Velasquez has been as safe as it gets.

In fact, through the first 30 days of the meet, if you placed a $2 win bet on every one of Velasquez’s 212 mounts you would be up $217.40.

Who said handicapping was hard?

As of August 28, Velasquez has 41 wins and is the meet’s leading rider and has a decisive lead over second-place jockey, Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, as the meet winds to an end on Labor Day, Monday, September 3.

Not only has Velasquez risen to the top of the elite Saratoga jockey colony, but he has been lighting up the tote board with enormous payouts. Velasquez has brought in horses that have paid $97.00, $87.50, $63.00, $39.60, $34.20, $30.40 and $29.60.

“It doesn’t matter if the horse is 5-2 or 12-1, he does his best to give the horse a chance to win,” said trainer Linda Rice, who has won five races this meet with Velasquez aboard her horses. “He’s aggressive and he never gives you a complacent, lackluster ride. He gives it a good college try every time you put him up there and, consequently, he wins lots of races.”

Velasquez echoed that sentiment and has made that one of his mottos.

“I ride every horse the same,” Velasquez said. “Maybe it’s 2-1, or maybe it’s not. I don’t see the price on the horse. I want to ride every horse strong and want to win for every trainer.”

Trainer Tom Bush, who has eight wins as of August 28 and is having a great meet of his own, is one of those trainers.

“He’s just focused on his game and is an excellent rider,” Bush said. “He gets the most out of his horses. He is a good position rider and a great finisher.”

The odds are stacked against Velasquez even more because he lacks the supreme trainer connections that some of the other jockeys have like Desormeaux, who is teamed up with the meet’s leading trainer, Hall of Famer Bill Mott, or John Velazquez, who rides regularly for trainer Todd Pletcher, who has been Saratoga’s leading trainer the last five years.

“A lot of trainers have given me a lot of chances,” Velasquez said. “I have nice horses. I’m very happy now, but Kent Desormeaux is a good rider and so is Edgar Prado and John Velazquez and everybody else here. It’s good for me and I want to run for everybody and win for every trainer. Desormeaux has a good trainer in Bill Mott and Mott has a lot of nice horses, but I’m staying happy and I want to win a lot of races with a lot of trainers.”

In addition to the wins and the large payouts, Velasquez’ meet has been highlighted by two stakes races victories. He won the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame aboard Nobiz Like Shobiz and the West Point Handicap aboard Classic Pack.

The 38-year-old jockey has also shown remarkable consistency. He has won at least two races in 14 days of the meet, including two days in which he won four races.

“He is a very patient rider and he is very professional and that’s why he’s so good,” Bush said. “He is no nonsense. He is a very straight forward guy to deal with and that’s why I like to ride him. That’s what we expect up here. These jockeys are a good bunch.”

Rice is one of the trainers that realizes Velasquez’s value and she routinely uses the Panamanian jockey.

“Cornelio has been riding most of my horses for the last three or four years and we’ve had a lot of success together,” Rice said. “I used to use (retired Hall of Fame jockey Jose) Santos and then I moved over to Cornelio and since then he has been good for me. When I leg him up I think that I have my best chance. He makes good decisions. He is always aggressive and he tries on every horse that I put him on. He tries to give them a chance to win, which is important.”

Velasquez had 30 victories at Saratoga in 2006 and is coming of a 56-win Belmont meet where he was second in the jockey standings to Eibar Coa. He also started the year by winning the jockey title at the Gulfstream Park meet with 73 victories. In the past, Velasquez has won riding titles at Gulfstream, Churchill Downs, Calder and Tropical-at-Calder.

Riding consistently at a high level and for numerous trainers has been a recipe for success for Velasquez and now he seems primed to win his first ever Saratoga riding title and bring momentum to the 33-day Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet, that begins on Friday, September 7.

“I’m happy with the meet,” Velasquez said. “Hopefully, I can keep getting good horses and keep riding good.”

And with his ability to reach the winners’ circle despite the odds, that’s something you can take to the bank.

There will be a general meeting of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association on Friday, August 31 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the At the Rail Pavilion at Saratoga Race Course.

A reminder that Friday will be a Sunset Friday card at Saratoga Race Course, with first-race post at 2:45 p.m.

Saratoga Race Course’s 139th racing meet comes to a close on Monday, September 3, and it will host an All-American Labor Day barbecue that is open to the public.

For $20 ($14 for kids ages 3 – 12), fans can enjoy an All-American barbeque that features hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, salad, dessert and more at the track’s At the Rail tent and Paddock Pavilion. The price includes Clubhouse admission and an official “Post Parade” program.

Racing fans may also get an early look at the 2008 Triple Crown field in one of the premier races for two-year-olds, the Grade 1, $250,000 Hopeful. The seven-furlong race is the third in a series for juvenile colts at Saratoga, following the Grade 2 Sanford and Grade 2 Saratoga Special.

The All-American Labor Day barbecue is the culmination of Final Stretch weekend, August 31 – September 3, which includes sunset racing on Friday, a free downtown music festival Saturday and Sunday, and a free family fun fest at Saratoga Race Course on both Sunday and Monday.

In addition, all fans on Sunday, September 2, will receive a free Saratoga cooler bag with their paid admission, while supplies last. Just in time for the picnic holiday, the red, white and black cooler bag is the sixth and final of the Spa’s popular, premium giveaways.

For tickets to the Labor Day barbecue, call 518-584-6200 ext. 4476.