Castellano sweeps the big ones

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Though he realizes he may not win his third consecutive meet title, jockey Javier Castellano believes this is his best Saratoga season ever.

Castellano, who entered the final weekend of the meet with 45 wins, nine fewer than Irad Ortiz Jr., has won four Grade 1 stakes at the meet, including the Travers, Whitney, and Alabama, arguably the three signature races of any Saratoga season. He is the first jockey to win all three races in the same season. His victory on Keen Ice in the Travers gave him a record fifth Travers win, eclipsing a mark shared by four jockeys, including Eddie Arcaro and Pat Day. Castellano also won the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt.

“Don’t get me wrong, everybody wants to win the title, but I won all the big races,” said Castellano, who also was scheduled to ride the Woodward favorite, Liam’s Map, on Saturday.

Actually, Castellano has had a better summer in the Grade 1 stakes department. In 2011, He won the Travers, Ballerina, Personal Ensign, Ruffian, and Diana – all Grade 1 races. He also won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 2 Saratoga Special.