2025 Eclipse Awards: John Velazquez

John Velazquez became the first jockey in North America to surpass $500 million in career mount earnings in June as part of a 2025 season in which he also was the regular rider aboard unbeaten FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance hero Ted Noffey.

The accomplishments have led to Velazquez being voted a finalist for the Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding jockey – an honor the 53-year-old native of Puerto Rico won in both 2004 and 2005.

Velazquez, who is a member of the Hall of Fame, reached the milestone earnings mark during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. As of Jan. 2, he had reached mount earnings of $513,687,058, according to Equibase.

“I don’t think about numbers,” Velazquez said in a June. “I’m happy and blessed to be here and doing things I like to do and winning races, but numbers are numbers. One day when I retire, I’ll look back and say you know what, I did very good.”

:: Full list of 2025 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

Velazquez’s earnings mark coincided with a memorable Belmont Stakes festival as he won a trio of Grade 1 races: the Jaipur with Ag Bullet; the New York Stakes presented by Rivers Casino with She Feels Pretty; and Ogden Phipps Stakes presented by Ford on Dorth Vader.

The races were among 10 Grade 1 wins Velazquez had last year to rank second in the category behind Flavien Prat. The victories included the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity, and Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes with Ned Toffey.

Velazquez ranked fifth among all North American-based riders in mount earnings in 2025, with $21,284,926. He won 117 races from 778 mounts and of his wins, 24 came in graded stakes races. They included the Grade 1 Pacific Classic with Fierceness and the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup with Antiquarian.

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