Castellano to receive Venezia Award on Monday

ELMONT, N.Y. – Four-time Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano can add another trophy to the mantel, that being the Mike Venezia Award.

The New York Racing Association announced Wednesday that Castellano was the winner of an online vote of fans to win the Venezia Award, given to jockeys who exemplify extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.

NYRA in 1989 established the Venezia Award in honor of Mike Venezia, a jockey who died as a result of injuries suffered in a spill in 1988 at Belmont.

Castellano, 41, was selected from a group of riders that included Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz, Florent Geroux, and Ricardo Santana Jr.

Castellano, who in 2017 was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, ranks second all-time in purse money won with $327,646,449 and is one of 31 riders to amass at least 5,000 wins (he has 5,096).

Castellano will be presented the Venezia Award on Monday at Belmont Park.