ARCADIA, Calif. – For the better part of the last two decades, in the biggest events in horse racing, John Velazquez could typically be found on the back of a horse trained by Todd Pletcher. The John Lennon-Paul McCartney of Thoroughbred racing, Velazquez and Pletcher have teamed to win 1,795 races. Among the 282 graded stakes they’ve won together are a Kentucky Derby, a Belmont Stakes, and four Breeders’ Cups. In the history of racing, no jockey has earned more purse money than Velazquez ($413 million); no trainer has earned more purse money than Pletcher ($382 million). While Velazquez holds a strong hand in this year’s Breeders’ Cup on Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita, he will not be riding for Pletcher in those races. It’s the first time since 2000 that Velazquez will not ride a Pletcher horse in a Breeders’ Cup race. “I just don’t have anything good enough with Todd right now,” Velazquez said. :: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s special section with fields, odds, comments, and more Pletcher, who is running only four horses in this year’s Breeders’ Cup, said Velazquez’s absence from his horses is more circumstantial than anything. “I have as much confidence in Johnny as ever,” Pletcher said. “We’ve had a lot of great wins together and I’m sure there are more to come as well. I’ve been amazed how well he’s been able to ride for so long. I think you could argue he’s riding as good right now as he’s ever ridden.” Velazquez will be riding in 11 of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races for nine different trainers, including two mounts each for Bob Baffert and Peter Miller. In the $6 million Classic, Velazquez rides Code of Honor against the Pletcher-trained Vino Rosso, the 4-1 co-second choices on the morning line set by Jon White. Five weeks ago, Velazquez and Code of Honor crossed the finish line second to Vino Rosso and Irad Ortiz Jr. in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Velazquez claimed foul alleging interference and the stewards disqualified Vino Rosso and elevated Code of Honor to first. “That’s part of the business,” said Velazquez, who had ridden Vino Rosso, owned in part by Mike Repole, in all his races prior to the Gold Cup but chose Code of Honor over him. “I’m going to do the best job that I can do for the people I’m riding for at that time. I told [Repole] that. That’s why he rides me because I would do the same for him.” Pletcher held no animosity toward Velazquez for the claim of foul. In fact, Velazquez worked a horse for Pletcher the morning after the Gold Cup and it never came up in discussion. Both Velazquez and Pletcher are in search of their first win in the Classic. Velazquez is 0 for 18 in the Classic and says it’s a race “that’s missing big time” from his Hall of Fame résumé. Pletcher has started 13 horses over 10 runnings of the Classic. Velazquez has ridden six of those runners, including 2005 runner-up Flower Alley. Velazquez has ridden Code of Honor in eight of his nine starts, including the Kentucky Derby, where he finished third but was moved up to second via the disqualification from first of Maximum Security. Since the Derby, Code of Honor has won the Grade 3 Dwyer, Grade 1 Travers, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Velazquez said that Code of Honor has simply matured mentally since the spring. “That’s what he was missing,” Velazquez said. “He showed you he was capable to do anything but in his races he needed to pay more attention to the things you wanted him to do. He’s done that since after the Derby.” For his part, trainer Shug McGaughey is happy to have Velazquez on Code of Honor. “I just think he’s as good as there is day in day out, and when you get to the big races I think he’s so smart and he’s been there so many times,” McGaughey said. “He’ll come in with a good game plan and he knows a lot of the other horses very well.” When Bob Baffert needed a jockey for his 2-year-olds Eight Rings and Bast, he reached out to Velazquez. On Sept. 27, Velazquez came to Santa Anita and rode Eight Rings to victory in the American Pharoah Stakes and Bast to victory in the Chandelier. Now, Eight Rings (Juvenile) and Bast (Juvenile Fillies) are likely to be the first or second choices in their respective races. “I like to use guys that I’ve won with, that can handle the pressure of being the favorite on the big stage,” Baffert said. “When you’re the favorite on the big stage I want a rider that can handle it.” Though Bast’s victory in the Chandelier was by a narrow margin, Velazquez said Baffert told him she wasn’t completely fit for that race. “Coming back I told Bob she’s pretty tired,” Velazquez said. “He did tell me I didn’t have her quite as fit as the colt. That made me feel good. She’ll be much better for the Breeders’ Cup.” Velazquez will seek a repeat win in the Filly and Mare Turf with Sistercharlie, trained by Chad Brown. He has ridden Sistercharlie to six consecutive Grade 1 stakes wins. “If she runs the same race that she ran last year, I think she’ll be really tough,” Velazquez said. “She hasn’t done anything wrong yet this year. Hopefully, she continues that going forward.” On Nov. 24, Velazquez will turn 48 years old. He says that as long as there are good horses out there to ride and people want him to ride them, he’ll continue to ply his trade. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t enjoy what I’m doing,” he said. “The day I’m not enjoying it, I’m out. I’m not going to be bouncing around riding just horses that are not getting me excited. The good horses, the big races, they’re what get you excited and keep coming back.”