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| CATEGORIES ABOUT JOHN R. VELAZQUEZ | |
| 1942 births | |
| living people | |
| american jockeys | |
| eclipse award winners | |
| people from carolina, puerto rico | |
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John R. Velazquez (born November 24 , 1971 in Carolina , Puerto Rico ) is a Jockey in Thoroughbred Horse Racing . He learned to race in his native Puerto Rico and under the guidance of agent and former jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. , in 1990 he moved to race in New York State . A winner of six Breeders' Cup races, he has also won Graded Stakes Race s such as the Kentucky Oaks , Blue Grass Stakes , Dubai World Cup , E. P. Taylor Stakes (twice), Whitney Handicap , Woodbine Mile , plus the Cigar Mile Handicap . To date in his career, John Velazquez has ridden more than 3,000 winners. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey By Earnings and was voted the Eclipse Award For Outstanding Jockey in 2004 and 2005. ADVERTISING CONTROVERSY John Valazquez was also one of the first of five top jockeys to wear advertising patches in the Kentucky Derby , starting in 2004. They sued on First Amendment grounds, to be allowed to wear ad patches during the race. The ruling was issued on April 21, 2004, by U.S. District Judge John Heyburn in Louisville . The patches, worth approximately $30,000 apiece, were legal in other Triple Crown states of New York and Maryland , but were argued by The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority that they might lead to corruption and violated racing tradition. The other jockeys included Jerry Bailey , Jose Santos , Gary Stevens , and Shane Sellers . 2007 BELMONT STAKES In the 2007 Belmont Stakes , Velazquez earned his first win in a Triple Crown race when he rode Rags To Riches to a victory that made her the first filly to win the race since 1905. FAMILY John Velazquez married Leona O'Brien, the daughter of Trainer Leo O'Brien . They have two children, a daughter, Lerina, and a son, Michael Patrick. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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