Velazquez climbs standings on backs of Baffert stakes horses

ARCADIA, Calif. – Last Sunday began and ended at Santa Anita as so many race days have this winter for Hall of Fame trainer John Velazquez.

In the morning, Velazquez, riding in California on a temporary basis, arrived at trainer Bob Baffert’s stable to work a horse. In the afternoon, Velazquez climbed off two exciting Baffert-trained runners in the winner’s circle.

First, there was Adare Manor winning her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes at a mile for 3-year-old fillies by 13 lengths. A few hours later, Messier was equally impressive, winning the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds by 15 lengths to solidify his position among the top runners in the division.

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“Bob said to me, ‘We’ve got two really good chances and I think these horses are going to impress you today,’ ” Velazquez said after Messier’s win. “I mean, he was not wrong.”

Velazquez has won 25 races from 95 mounts at Santa Anita since the start of meet on Dec. 26. Four of his five stakes wins at the meet have been for Baffert.

“Bob has given me a lot of good horses and stakes horses,” Velazquez said in a recent morning interview. “It’s been very, very good.

“For the time I’ve been here, I’ve had great support from trainers. Everyone has given me a chance.”

Of Velazquez’s 25 wins, 14 have been for Baffert, with four victories for Ruben Alvarado and two each for Peter Eurton and John Sadler. Velazquez also has won races for Dan Blacker, Vladimir Cerin, and Steve Knapp.

Entering this week’s racing, the 50-year-old Velazquez was second in the standings to Flavien Prat, who had won 44 races from 138 mounts. Velazquez would have more wins if he was not in the midst of a three-day suspension for causing interference in a race in January, or had not traveled to Oaklawn Park to ride the Baffert-trained Newgrange to a win in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds on Jan. 29. The suspension continues Sunday and ends next Friday.

Velazquez has been aboard Newgrange for all three of his starts, beginning with a maiden special weight race at Del Mar in late November when he was in Southern California for a weekend of major turf stakes.

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“He’s come from a maiden to a little stakes and then going to Oaklawn,” Velazquez said. “He was impressive to step up that quickly. You hope to get another horse like him and they step into the right direction and go from there.”

Last year, Velazquez traveled from his Florida base to Santa Anita to ride Medina Spirit to second-place finishes in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby before the colt won the Kentucky Derby in an upset. The victory was marred by a medication overage that remains the subject of upcoming regulatory hearings and a controversial subject for the sport.

Because of the overage, Baffert has been banned from running horses at Churchill Downs in 2022 and 2023. It is unclear how the situation involving the Baffert-trained runners Adare Manor, Messier, and Newgrange – to name just three – will develop later this spring as the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby approach.

Velazquez is highly likely to remain in demand as the regular rider of those runners as well as the promising 4-year-old filly Distractedprincess, who is trained by Baffert. As spring approaches, Velazquez said he will be traveling more frequently for other major stakes around the nation. He is scheduled to ride at Oaklawn Park the next two Saturdays.

The duration of Velazquez’s California winter stay is unclear, although he is likely to be based at Santa Anita until late March or early April when Keeneland begins its spring meeting.

Velazquez stresses there were no numeric or monetary goals attached to the winter journey to Santa Anita. But the results so far suggest the trip has been a massive success.

“That’s never been my thing,” he said of setting goals.

“I want to ride good horses and win some races and be happy when you get good opportunities. You have to be happy with that.”