Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano is having a very good year which only got better on Saturday at Colonial Downs. Castellano won two of the three graded stakes, the Grade 1 Beverly D. and the G2 Secretariat, while riding at the Virginia track for the first time in 10 years.
He also won a stakes race at Saratoga on Friday, leading the panel of racing experts to vote Castellano Jockey of the Week for Aug. 7 through Aug. 13.
The award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Castellano started the weekend on a winning note on Friday at Saratoga aboard Grannys Connection, riding for trainer Tom Morely in the Union Avenue Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares. Off as the prohibitive favorite in the field of five, Grannys Connection broke inward but went straight to the front to take command and post a 1 1/2-length win, completing six furlongs on the main track in 1:11.09.
“After the first jump, she put everything together and she is a free-running horse,” Castellano said. “She was enjoying herself out there. She had plenty left in the tank and I like the way she did it today,”
Castellano then travelled to Colonial Downs on Saturday for their inaugural “Festival of Racing.” Riding for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Castellano was aboard Gigantic for the first time in the G2 Secretariat for 3-year-olds on the turf. Off as the longest price in the six-horse field, Gigantic was last down the backstretch while Castellano just bided his time. With three furlongs to run, Gigantic went four wide and began to pass his rivals one by one. He took the lead at the eighth pole to win by a neck in 1:35.10 over a fast closing Nagirroc with Flavien Prat aboard. Gigantic paid $47.80 for the upset win.
“I took my time, rode with a lot of patience, a lot of confidence,” Castellano said.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse next gave a leg up to Castellano on Fev Rover in the G1 Beverly D. Stakes, a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Off as the favorite in the compact field of five, Fev Rover took command at the start and drew off to post a 3 1/2-length win in 1:54.35.
“She really started to pick it up,” Castellano said. “And by the way she finished, I think she was the best in the race.”
The win was Castellano's 12th graded stake of the year.
“I thank God that everything has been going the right way,” Castellano said. “It has just been a great year.”
Castellano out polled Tyler Gaffalione who won a graded stakes at Saratoga and posted 10 wins for the week to lead all jockeys, Florent Geroux with a victory in the G1 Arlington Million, Umberto Rispoli with a graded stakes win at Del Mar, and Luis Saez who won the G1 Fourstardave at Saratoga.
The post ‘It Has Just Been A Great Year’: Javier Castellano Voted Jockey Of The Week After Graded Double At Colonial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
