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Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano returns to New York a G1 Kentucky Derby winner

by NYRA Press Office

• Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano returns to New York a G1 Kentucky Derby winner
• Ottoman Fleet earns 102BSF for G2 Fort Marcy score; Warren Point breezes for G1 Man o’ War
• Repo Rocks registers 109 BSF in G3 Westchester win
• Pass the Champagne turns attention to G1 Ogden Phipps off G2 Ruffian score
• Anaconda earns career-best 98BSF for game Elusive Quality victory
• Belmont Park Week 2 stakes probables

New York-based Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano realized a lifelong dream on Saturday when he guided Mage to victory in the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Castellano is the second-leading rider of all-time by purse earnings with more than $382 million banked across a remarkable 5,648 wins. And yet, after winning the first leg of the Triple Crown, he was back at Belmont Park Sunday morning preparing to ride six mounts on the nine-race card.

“It's such a great feeling,” Castellano said. “I didn't want to go to bed last night. My family was there and we just stayed up talking and talking.”

Castellano was accompanied to the Derby by his wife, Abby, and their daughters Kayla, [17] and Sienna [14], and their 10-year-old son Brady, who was thrilled to meet two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes after the superstar athlete delivered the 'riders up' call.

“I woke up early this morning to catch our flight home and my whole family was together,” Castellano said. “I asked them, ‘Wow, did that really happen or was it a dream?’ And they said, ‘No, you did it, you did it!’”

Castellano had made 15 previous Kentucky Derby appearances with his best result coming in 2018, finishing third aboard Audible in a race won by eventual Triple Crown-winner Justify. Among his many previous chances was Bellamy Road, the 2005 Wood Memorial-winner, who finished seventh as the favorite in that year’s Derby captured by 50-1 shot Giacomo.

The veteran rider, a four-time Eclipse Award-winner as Outstanding Jockey from 2013-16, said the victory was made all the more meaningful by having his family there for support.

“A while ago, I was the most successful jockey in the country. I won the Eclipse Award four years in a row and I enjoyed those moments, but my kids were so little they didn't understand what was going on,” Castellano said. “Now, they understand the sacrifice we make when I get up in the morning to work a horse and go away to travel and I’m missing birthdays and games. These are the sacrifices we make to have a better life. Life is great - it's beautiful, but you have to earn it, too.”

The 45-year-old native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, picked up the mount aboard Mage, trained by his fellow countryman Gustavo Delgado, when Luis Saez, who guided the chestnut to a runner-up effort to Forte in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, committed to Tapit Trice.

Despite starting a step flow, Castellano executed a dream trip for the lightly-raced Mage, angling to the rail from post 8-of-18 and settling in 16th position as Verifying and Kingsbarns rattled through swift splits of 22.35 seconds and 45.73 over the fast track. Castellano, feeling the pressure of the advancing Tapit Trice, got his charge moving from the two-path into the final turn before angling out five-wide at the three-eighths.

“I knew my horse wouldn’t break fast because he didn’t in his last two starts in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby,” Castellano said. “My goal was to break OK and try to let him develop. The difference with my horse is that he only ran three times. He never ran as a 2-year-old. I had to be patient. If he breaks slow and I put him in the race, you will blow the race.” 

Castellano had Mage seven-wide as the field straightened away and set his sights on Two Phil’s, who had taken command after a mile in 1:36.06. 

“The next challenge was going to be the second part of the race when those horses start backing up and getting tired - that's when I have to be aware and not get stuck in traffic and lose momentum,” Castellano said. “Luckily, I followed the right horses and moved up a little bit and BOOM from the quarter-pole to the finish line, I felt I was going to win. I felt that acceleration when I asked him and he took off.”

Two Phil’s dug in gamely but as he reached the furlong marker, Mage’s momentum would not be denied and Castellano guided his charge to a historic one-length score in a final time of 2:01.57.

“For one moment, I got worried a little bit because Two Phil's was still there,” Castellano said. “I thought my horse was going to blow by the field but he was still there, but then I switched the stick to my left hand and he broke again and he opened up and I knew. Oh my God, I did it. Thank God. It's the race I've been trying to win my whole career.”

The rider and his family were deluged with well-wishers reaching out by phone, email and social media.

“The Kentucky Derby is the biggest race in the world and my name is at the top right now and everyone knows who I am. It's amazing. My kids feel proud of their Dad,” Castellano said. “We live in Garden City and it's a small community and everyone grew up together and knows about racing. To win the Kentucky Derby is huge for the kids. My little boy told me that all his friends were texting him and the principal sent an email to us. It's special for them. I'm so proud.”

Castellano, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, holds the distinction of a record six Grade 1 Travers wins. 

In 2020, he guided the Delgado-trained Caracaro to a runner-up effort to New York-bred Tiz the Law in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga Race Course, but was denied a chance at Derby glory in the pandemic-altered Triple Crown when the horse was injured in a workout one week before Authentic captured the “Run for the Roses” on September 5. 

Castellano landed 13th in that year’s Derby aboard Money Moves and in November the veteran rider would have hip surgery to clear up a lingering issue. It was slow going for Castellano on his return, but he switched agents to P.J. Campo later that year and his business has improved steadily since.

He won 105 races from 770 starts in 2021 and improved on his totals to notch 163 wins from 969 mounts last year. The progress has continued into his current campaign with 53 wins in the bank and a significant milestone reached.

“The last couple years were lean and it slowed down a little bit. It's hard,” Castellano said. “No matter all those races you won. All the Grade 1s, the Breeders' Cups...all that matters is what you did today. It's hard because you have to maintain. 

“You can feel like they don't believe in you anymore. That's the toughest part for a jockey - the mental,” he continued. “To win races, you have to be physically strong but most important is the mental. You have to get through those tough times in your life when they forget about who you are.”

But Delgado and the Mage ownership team of OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and CMNWLTH did not forget about Castellano.

“He's one of the people who gave me a second opportunity," said Castellano of Delgado. "They could have picked anybody else, but luckily I was open. It’s special because of the connection with the Venezuelan people. He's known me since I was a little kid. My Dad rode horses for him and the exercise rider [J.J. Delgado] that gallops the horse, he rode with my Dad in Venezuela.”

The 12-time Breeders’ Cup winner, who won the Preakness with Bernardini [2006] and Cloud Computing [2017], said he would love to complete a personal Triple Crown by riding his first Belmont Stakes winner.

“To win the Belmont Stakes here would mean a lot to me and my family. We've lived here in New York for many years. My kids grew up here,” said Castellano, who has completed the exacta on three occasions in the “Test of the Champion” aboard Stay Thirsty [2011], Commissioner [2014] and Destin [2016].

And Castellano believes Mage, who will first have a date in the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course, has the ability to travel 12 furlongs in the Belmont Stakes and perhaps a chance at his own Triple Crown glory.

“He has a lot of potential. You can see that the way he ran in the Kentucky Derby in just the fourth time he has run. He competed with the best horses in the country,” Castellano said. “Now, we have to see how he improves each race. He has the talent and he has a good mind. He can run all day long. He has everything, it's just how well he progresses every race.”

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Ottoman Fleet earns 102BSF for G2 Fort Marcy score; Warren Point breezes for G1 Man o’ War

Godolphin’s Ottoman Fleet, trained by Charlie Appleby and expertly piloted by Richie Mullen, saved ground before shooting up the rail at the top of the lane to post a 1 3/4-length score in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy, a nine-furlong inner turf test for older horses, at Belmont Park.

The 4-year-old Sea the Stars gelding registered a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the eye-catching score in his North American debut, overtaking the longshot pacesetter Tide of the Sea on the turn for home and completing the course in a final time of 1:47.25 over the firm footing.

“It was a really nice effort,” said Chris Connett, Appleby’s traveling assistant. “The team back home thinks he’s that kind of horse and for him to put it to bed as quickly as he did was quite impressive when he shot through the gap there. Hopefully, that bodes well for the rest of the summer.”

Bred in Great Britain by SCEA Marmion Vauville and Alain Jathiere, Ottoman Fleet entered from a last-to-first score in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton on April 18 at Newmarket, which came on the heels of a trio of third-place finishes in group races at Meydan Racecourse.

Ottoman Fleet will now enjoy the week in New York as the Appleby team prepares Godolphin’s Warren Point for a start in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Man ‘o War, an 11-furlong turf marathon for older horses.

“We’re very pleased with him,” said Connett of the improving Ottoman Fleet. “He ate up last night and came out and had a walk and a pick of grass this morning. He’ll get back out to the track tomorrow.”

Warren Point, a 4-year-old British homebred by Dubawi, breezed five-eighths solo in 1:00.88 Sunday with Mullen up over the Belmont inner turf.

“He just had an easy canter from the six to the five and then he had what we’d call a building piece of work and finished off really nicely down the lane,” Connett said. “That will be his last major piece of work before next Saturday.”

A four-time winner from seven starts, Warren Point captured the HH Royal Crown Prince Cup on February 3 in Bahrain to kick off his campaign and followed two weeks later with a close runner-up effort to Russian Emperor in the Group 1 HH The Amir Trophy in Doha.

Frankie Dettori will have the call in the Man o’ War.

***

Repo Rocks registers 109 BSF in G3 Westchester win

Double B Racing Stables’ Repo Rocks returned to winning form with a powerful 5 1/4-length score in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester, a one-turn mile for older horses, at Belmont Park.

Trained by Jamie Ness and piloted by Ruben Silvera, Repo Rocks tracked Expressman through splits of 22.99 seconds and 45.80 over the fast main track before taking over at the five-sixteenths and drawing clear to win in a final time of 1:34.96.

Repo Rocks will now target the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 going a one-turn mile over Big Sandy as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

"It's a big day - Belmont Day. We're very excited,” Ness said. “Hopefully, we have a good month of training.”

The 5-year-old Tapiture gelding has won 5-of-6 starts since join the Ness barn, taking the Let’s Give Thanks and Blitzen at Parx before making the grade in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan in January at the Big A with an 8 1/2-length romp that earned a career-best 111 Beyer. 

Repo Rocks made his next two starts at Aqueduct, capturing the one-mile Stymie in February ahead of a runner-up performance to Doppelganger in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on April 8.

Following the Westchester, Ness said the stretch out in distance and the sweeping turns at Belmont benefitted Repo Rocks.

“I thought the bigger track would be better, and I think a mile is his distance,” Ness said. “He’s this big, long-striding horse. This is the trip I wanted, and it was perfect on the outside with one horse to chase.”

Ness also credited the prominent trip provided by Silvera, who took over from Andrew Wolfsont. Silvera has teamed up with Ness to win 340 races from 1,206 career starts.

"That's his kind of riding style. He's an aggressive gate rider,” Ness said. “He works him and gets on him in the morning.”

Ness said the lofty 109 Beyer earned Friday validates Repo Rocks tour-de-force in the Toboggan.

"It shows that the Toboggan wasn't a fluke and that he has it in him,” Ness said. “A lot of times, you run one big number and can never repeat it. He got pretty close to repeating it and it shows he's a legit horse. Now, it's my job to try and get him to run back to it again."

Repo Rocks posted a trio of bullet works between the Stymie and the Carter and the lackluster effort prompted Ness to take his foot off the pedal heading into the Westchester.

“I think the Grade 1 got me and I pushed him a little harder for the Carter and he ran a little flat. You learn from your mistakes and try not to repeat them again,” Ness said. “I brought him back to Parx [after the Westchester] and I think I'll take him to Fair Hill for a week to 10 days and then get back to work and point for the Met Mile. I'll probably put a couple breezes in him.”

Bred in Virginia by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, III, boasts a record of 35-9-7-6 for purse earnings of $795,871.

***

Pass the Champagne turns attention to G1 Ogden Phipps off G2 Ruffian score

R. A. Hill Stable, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Rock Ridge Racing, BlackRidge Stables and James F. Brown’s Pass the Champagne provided her connections with a gratifying victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian, a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares, at Belmont Park. 

Pass the Champagne was an emphatic 5 1/2-length winner after tracking the pace set by Gerrymander and pouncing to the lead at the stretch call. She drew away strongly down the lane under Feargal Lynch to complete the course in 1:36.13. 

“She looks real good and we’re just delighted with her,” said trainer George Weaver. “She’s a filly in the mornings that has said to us that she’s a really good racemare, and it’s been a long road for her.”

Weaver was rewarded for his patience with the 5-year-old daughter of Flatter, who has had two lengthy layoffs since making her first start in January 2021 at Gulfstream Park with trainer Rusty Arnold. She won at second asking that February in her first start for Weaver before running a close second to subsequent two-time Champion Malathaat in the Grade 1 Ashland and finishing off-the-board in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. She did not return until last February at Gulfstream when she won an optional claiming event, and was on the bench again for almost a year before finishing second in the Wayward Lass this January at Tampa Bay Downs. 

“She ran a great second in the Ashland and then nothing went right in the Oaks where she got squeezed at the start and pinched back,” said Weaver. “She came up with an issue that needed time off. We got her back and she won early in her 4-year-old year and we had to stop on her again. It’s been a long road for her and as often is the case in this game, you just have to be patient. She always told us she was worth waiting on. We could have retired her, but we felt like she had some unfinished business on the racetrack.” 

Pass the Champagne entered the Ruffian off a game second-place finish in the Heavenly Cause at Laurel Park. She has banked $315,070 in total earnings from a consistent record of 9-3-4-0. Weaver said he is proud to see the mare add a graded win to her resume. 

“It’s real gratifying seeing her put in that kind of performance yesterday,” said Weaver. “She deserves it and she’s that good of a filly. Heck, I’m a little ashamed I haven’t been able to show that until now, but better late than never.” 

Weaver said it is likely Pass the Champagne will now target a return to top-level competition in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps going 1 1/16 miles over Big Sandy on June 10. The Ogden Phipps is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Santa Anita Park. 

“We’ll definitely nominate there and I do think – and always did think – that she’s a filly that appreciates the big, wide turns at Belmont,” said Weaver. “She ran big yesterday in her only start at Belmont, and I don’t think we have a choice but to give her a chance to be a Grade 1 winner.” 

Weaver also enjoyed stakes success on April 30, Closing Day of the Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet, when the New York-bred Today’s Flavor took the six-furlong Affirmed Success against fellow state-breds. The son of Laoban, owned by Reddam Racing, bounced back well from a pacesetting fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on April 8 in his lone graded stakes start. 

The bay gelding has won 5-of-6 starts since being transferred to Weaver’s care late last year. He began his career in California with conditioner Doug O’Neill and ran second in his first three starts, two of which were won by subsequent graded stakes-winners Laurel River and Essential Wager. 

“He’s great,” said Weaver. “He has just turned out to be a real nice horse for us. He was kind of stuck as a maiden out in California catching one tough maiden after another. We’re just happy to have the horse in our barn. He’s very talented and he’s been a lot of fun.” 

Weaver said it is unlikely Today’s Flavor will wheel back quickly for the Grade 3, $175,000 Runhappy on May 13, but will consider giving him another try in graded company soon. 

“He ran hard the other day and there’s plenty of spots for him, so there’s no reason to rush him back,” said Weaver. “I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, like if something falls apart we might take a look at it, but the plan isn’t to run him back so quick. If we do decide to run him, it would be an entry day decision based on us thinking he’s doing so well and that we can’t leave him in the barn.” 

Bred by Joseph Calvo, Today’s Flavor is out of the winning Speightstown mare Evangelical and was purchased for $80,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-Bred Yearling Sale. He has banked $284,830 through a record of 10-5-3-0. 

Anaconda earns career-best 98BSF for game Elusive Quality victory

Three Diamonds Farm’s Anaconda earned his first stakes conquest Saturday with an off-the-pace victory in the $150,000 Elusive Quality, a seven-furlong Widener turf sprint for older horses, at Belmont Park. 

Trained by Joe Sharp and ridden to victory by Kendrick Carmouche, Anaconda entered the Elusive Quality with two stakes placings on his resume and broke through with a career-best performance when closing from seventh-of-9 and overcoming traffic troubles down the backstretch to fly home late and collar Yes and Yes by a nose at the wire. He completed the course in 1:21.94 and earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure. 

“He’s doing well today,” said Sharp’s Belmont Park assistant Lorita Lindemann. “He ate up his breakfast and walked good. He’s feeling good.” 

The 6-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile entered the Elusive Quality from a narrow loss to Big Everest in the one-mile Danger’s Hour on April 15 at Aqueduct Racetrack. His other stakes placing was a second in the six-furlong Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship. The Elusive Quality marked his third win since joining the Sharp barn in July at Saratoga Race Course and his first win since an optional claiming coup in November at Laurel Park. 

Bred by Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton, Silver Fern Farm and WinStar Farm, Anaconda is out of the stakes-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare Lawn Party and is a half-brother to 2018 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf third-place finisher Stellar Agent. He has banked $385,610 in earnings through a record of 16-5-2-2. 

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Belmont Park Week 2 stakes probables

Saturday, May 13

G1 Man o’ War

Probable: Howe Street (Jorge Abreu), Red Knight (Mike Maker), Soldier Rising (Christophe Clement), Strong Quality (Mark Casse), Warren Point (Charlie Appleby)

Possible: Channel Maker (Bill Mott), Therapist (Maker), Verstappen (Brendan Walsh)

G3 Peter Pan

Probable: Arctic Arrogance (Linda Rice), Asmodeus (William Morey), Bishops Bay (Brad Cox), Classic Catch (Todd Pletcher), Didinger (Butch Reid, Jr.), Go Soldier Go (Pletcher), Henry Q (Doug O’Neill)

Possible: Slip Mahoney (Brad Cox)

G3 Runhappy 

Probable: Drafted (David Duggan), Mr Phil (Rob Atras), Stage Left (David Jacobson)

Possible: Beren (Butch Reid, Jr.) 

Sunday, May 14

G3 Vagrancy

Probable: Dr B (Reid, Jr.), Funny How (Ray Handal), Hot Fudge (Rice)

Possible: Rossa Veloce (Rob Atras)