Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez turned 50 on Nov. 24, but his talent on horseback and dealing with horsemen and the media hasn't diminished one iota due to his age.
Riding regularly now at Santa Anita after being based mainly in New York since 1990, the native of Puerto Rico is well atop the jockey standings after three racing days, with nine wins from 17 mounts, leading in purse earnings as well with $653,900.
It's no surprise to those in the know, particularly his agent, Ron Anderson, whose savvy extends well beyond horse racing.
“He's without a doubt one of the greatest riders we've seen in a very, very long time,” said the 67-year-old Anderson, who became a world-class agent soon after he started in 1973, and also represents future Hall of Famer Joel Rosario.
Anderson's admiration of “Johnny V.,” as Velazquez is known to friends and fans alike, is understandable and deserved.
“John devotes considerable time as president of the Jockeys' Guild, which involves much more than meets the eye,” Anderson said. “Overall, he's in a league by himself, a great rider and a complete professional in every facet of his life.”
Anderson is reticent when it comes to beating the drums on his own behalf, but his record speaks for itself.
“I've won 38 Breeders' Cup races,” Anderson noted sans fanfare. “Nobody's even close.
“I've been doing this long enough that we've got it figured out,” he said, “but the bottom line is these guys make it easy for me, because I get opportunities to put them on good horses.”
He has represented a Who's Who of Hall of Fame jockeys in his nearly 49 years as an agent, namely Velazquez, Jerry Bailey, Garrett Gomez, Gary Stevens, Chris Antley and Kent Desormeaux, with Rosario waiting in the wings.
Ron Anderson may not own up to it, but you could say this: he's been Colonel Parker to all of those jocks.
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