Velazquez becomes all-time graded stakes leader as Bast takes Chandelier

ARCADIA, Calif. – No matter how you spell it, John Velazquez is the all-time leader for graded stakes wins in North America.

The Hall of Fame jockey reached that mark on Friday at Santa Anita, when he urged heavily favored Bast to a hard-fought neck victory over Comical in the Grade 1, $300,351 Chandelier Stakes, which gives Bast a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies here five weeks hence.

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Velazquez now has 661 graded stakes wins, one more than another Hall of Fame jockey, and a former rival, the retired Jerry Bailey.

Velazquez was presented with a oversized placard by Santa Anita for the milestone, which Velazquez quickly handed off to his long-time valet, Tony Millan, who traveled with Velazquez from New York for the day.

On the placard, the name of the 30-year riding veteran, longtime president of the Jockeys’ Guild, and winner of more than 6,100 races, was spelled “Velasquez.”

“It means a lot,” Velazquez said of the milestone, calling Bailey “a guy I looked up to for many years.”

Bast ($2.40) was hammered in the wagering owing to her runaway, 8 3/4-length victory on Aug. 31 in the Del Mar Debutante. But in her two-turn debut, she had to fight every inch of the stretch to turn back Comical, whom Bast had beaten by 9 1/4 lengths in the Debutante.

The final time of 1:46.10 for 1 1/16 miles – the same distance as the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies – was ordinary.

Velazquez said Bast “was going easy until the far turn, then came off the bridle.”

“I was like, ‘You can’t do that to me,’” he said. “She just kept a head in front. She was telling me, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’”

Bast was the subject of an oversized show bet, with $109,748 on her from the $136,283 in the pool.

K P Dreamin finished third, three lengths farther back. Been Studying Her was fourth, with Buyer’s Remorse fifth.

Leucothea veered right immediately leaving the gate and dislodged jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. While well behind the five others, she then continued down the outer rail toward a group of photographers who were near the finish line shooting the race, most focused on the action and not what was barreling towards them 75 yards behind.

One, Ernie Belmonte, a daily regular here, saw what was coming and ran into the course and avoided getting hit by Leucothea, while several others retreated under a rope along the outer rail when they heard the cries of “loose horse.” But two other photographers did not see the horse and were hit. Both got up, but were taken away in an ambulance to first aid for further observation. One went to the hospital after being hit in the back, while the other was released with a sore arm.

Arroyo got right up and was fine. Leucothea continued to follow the other five runners and eventually was caught by an outrider.

Bast, by Uncle Mo, has won twice since losing her debut going 5 1/2 furlongs. She is owned by the Baoma Corp. of Charles and Susan Chu, and is trained by Bob Baffert, who was winning the Chandelier – formerly known as the Oak Leaf Stakes – for the 11th time.