At 46, Velazquez doing more with less

When John Velazquez guided Always Dreaming to victory in last year’s Kentucky Derby at 45 years old, he became the second-oldest rider to win the world’s most famous horse race. Velazquez doesn’t have designs on chasing the record set by Bill Shoemaker, who won the Derby at age 54 aboard Ferdinand in 1986.

“I’m definitely not going to be 54 and riding, that’s for sure,” Velazquez said in a recent interview.

At 46, however, Velazquez “is riding as well now as he ever has,” according to trainer Todd Pletcher, who has teamed with Velazquez to win 1,716 races, including last year’s Kentucky Derby.

Last Saturday, at Belmont Park, Velazquez picked up his 5,900th career victory, appropriately enough aboard the Pletcher-trained Blind Ambition in the $125,000 Elusive Quality Stakes.

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Though riding less frequently by design, Velazquez has 52 victories from 211 mounts this year, winning at a strong 24.6 percent.

“I think that’s kept him healthy and in tune, but I think he’s every bit as passionate and as aggressive as he’s ever been,” Pletcher said. “I think as far as guys finishing on horses, he’s as good as there’s ever been.”

“I am enjoying it now that I ride less horses,” Velazquez said. “I get really good opportunities, that keeps sucking me back in. Anytime you ride a good horse it’s exciting.”

Velazquez has ridden a lot of good 3-year-olds this year, but can only ride one in Saturday’s 144th Kentucky Derby. When prompted to make a decision sooner than later on whom to ride, Velazquez opted to go with Vino Rosso, the Grade 2 Wood Memorial winner, over Audible and Noble Indy, horses on whom he won the Grade 1 Florida Derby and Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, respectively.

“I liked him from the beginning,” Velazquez said of Vino Rosso, a son of Curlin owned by Vinnie Viola and Mike Repole. “That’s the main thing. … It was a quick decision, and I didn’t have to think twice about it.”

Velazquez stuck with Vino Rosso despite two disappointing efforts at Tampa Bay Downs, where he finished third in the Sam F. Davis and fourth in the Tampa Bay Derby. It wasn’t until the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial, where Vino Rosso drew away to win by three lengths after exchanging bumps with Enticed in upper stretch, that Vino Rosso finally fulfilled Velazquez’s expectations.

Velazquez said he felt Vino Rosso took the worst of the bumping with Enticed, as his colt’s hind end got turned sideways twice in the stretch.

“But he goes on and wins the race and he puts his ears up and acts like he didn’t do anything,” Velazquez said. “That was the horse I was expecting.”

Velazquez also is expecting Vino Rosso to improve at the Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles.

“That’s the confidence I have in him,” Velazquez said. “I think the mile and a quarter is going to help us a lot.”

Velazquez’s faith in Vino Rosso doesn’t mean he doesn’t think highly of Pletcher’s other horses in the Derby. Audible, Noble Indy, and Magnum Moon have combined to win 11 of 13 starts. In addition to riding Audible and Noble Indy, Velazquez worked Magnum Moon before he made his debut in January, but was unable to ride him.

“Todd is pretty powerful this year,” Velazquez said. “These are no ordinary horses. I think any of those four horses can jump up and win the race, and I just hope it’s me.”

A third Derby victory would make Velazquez just the 11th rider to win at least that many. In 2011, he won the race aboard Animal Kingdom, picking up the horse due to an injury suffered by Robby Albarado. On Saturday, Velazquez will become just the eighth jockey to ride the race 20 times.

“You want the next one no matter what,” Velazquez said. “This is what you work for for so many years, the dream is there. You’re still hungry for it. It keeps calling you, man.”

Velazquez, the all-time leader in purse money won with $383.5 million, doesn’t know how many more years he will keep answering the call. He has been fortunate to stay healthy the last four years following a dangerous spill at the 2013 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita that resulted in having his spleen removed.

“If I’m healthy enough and getting the chances I’m getting, I’ll stick around for a while,” Velazquez said. “I’m not in a rush to go anywhere, I’m enjoying what I’m doing, I have a lot of people really supporting me. That’s what gives me the encouragement to stay where I am.”

Velazquez said he gains inspiration from Mike Smith and Gary Stevens, both still successful in their 50s.

“To see those guys at the top of their game, winning those big races and doing what they’re doing, you got take your hat off,” Velazquez said. “It gives me hope. It keeps me young.”