Kentucky Derby: Velazquez hopes he chose wisely with Carpe Diem

Jockey John Velazquez believes he will only ride for another two or three years and hopes there’s another Kentucky Derby with his name on it before he retires.

For the most part, the Derby has been cruel to Velazquez. In 16 rides, he has just one win and a second. The win came in 2011 aboard Animal Kingdom, a horse he picked up the day before the race when his mount, morning-line favorite Uncle Mo, was scratched due to injury. Meanwhile, Animal Kingdom’s rider, Robby Albarado, had been involved in a spill during Derby week. Uncle Mo was one of three top contenders – Quality Road (2009) and Eskendereya (2010) being the others – whom Velazquez was going to ride before they got hurt and were withdrawn from the race.

There is still a week before the 141st Kentucky Derby, and Velazquez again finds himself with a top contender in Carpe Diem. A Grade 1 winner at ages 2 and 3, Carpe Diem likely will be just the third single-digit-odds horse Velazquez will ride in the Run for the Roses. Saarland (10th in 2002) and Bandini (19th in 2005) were both 6-1.

Velazquez chose Carpe Diem over Materiality, whom he rode to victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March. Materiality is 3 for 3 but will be trying to buck history by becoming the first horse to win the Derby who didn’t race at age 2 since Apollo did it in 1882.

:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays

Velazquez said Carpe Diem’s experience was a factor in his ultimately electing to stick with him over Materiality.

“They are two horses that are very, very close in talent. It was really hard, definitely,” said Velazquez, who was expected to be aboard Carpe Diem for his final prerace breeze this weekend. “But you only can ride one. Carpe Diem, I started riding him when he was a 2-year-old. He has more experience than the other horse. Basically, that was the deciding factor.”

Carpe Diem, a son of Giant’s Causeway trained by Todd Pletcher, is 4 for 5, with Grade 1 victories in the Breeders’ Futurity last October and the Blue Grass Stakes three weeks ago. His only blemish is a second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

A little difficult around the gate, Carpe Diem was better behaved before the Blue Grass. Velazquez said he even noticed a change in Carpe Diem when he worked him at Keeneland on April 18.

“He’s definitely more mature,” Velazquez said. “He knows what he needs to do a little more. I think he has learned how to behave and how to handle himself in between horses and in behind horses and all that, whereas Materiality has not had the chance to be in that position the way that Carpe Diem has.”

Velazquez hopes Materiality isn’t the one who got away. In 2004, Velazquez had the chance to ride Afleet Alex but ended up on Bandini. While Afleet Alex didn’t win the Derby, he finished a troubled third, beaten a length under Jeremy Rose, who then guided him to victories in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

In 2006, Velazquez was offered the ride on Barbaro moments after Velazquez finished fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes on Bluegrass Cat. Velazquez chose Bluegrass Cat to remain loyal to his main client, Pletcher, but never got to ride the race, as the jockey was injured a week later. Barbaro, the 6-1 second choice, won the Derby under Edgar Prado, with 30-1 Bluegrass Cat finishing second under Ramon Dominguez.

In 2013, Velazquez rode Orb to victory in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby. A week later, Velazquez won the Wood Memorial with Verrazano, keeping that colt undefeated. Velazquez was basically committed to Verrazano, who finished 14th behind Orb and Joel Rosario.

“Both horses made the Derby; one won it, and the other one didn’t,” Velazquez said.

Riding in an era offering record purses, Velazquez has accumulated $323 million in purse earnings, the most of any jockey in Thoroughbred history. Velazquez has ridden 5,302 winners, ranking him 21st all time.

Velazquez is 43. Should he win the Derby next Saturday, he would be the third-oldest rider to do so behind Bill Shoemaker (54) and Calvin Borel, who was 43 (but he was 17 days older than Velazquez would be) when he won the 2010 Derby on Super Saver.

Velazquez, who has had his fair share of injuries, including having his spleen removed in November 2013, said he could see himself retiring in the next 2 1/2 years.

“I always thought 45 or 46 was an age people start looking at you differently and not giving you the opportunities, and if that happens, I will not go out there and struggle,” Velazquez said. “I look at Mike Smith and Gary Stevens and what they’re doing – it’s amazing that they’re getting the opportunities that they’re actually getting right now. Not too many guys get those opportunities.”

Velazquez said he’s thankful to have had the choice between two very good mounts in the Derby.

“It means I’m riding good horses,” Velazquez said. “The Derby’s the Derby; it’s the race everybody in the world knows. I’d love to win one more, two more, maybe three more, if possible. This is what you work for.”

In a previous version of this article it was incorrectly stated that Barbaro was the favorite in the 2006 Kentucky Derby. He was the second choice.