Velazquez will be Monmouth regular

Jockey John Velazquez will be at Monmouth Park for at least the first four days of that Jersey Shore track's meet, according to his agent, Angel Cordero Jr.

Velazquez is booked to ride at Monmouth on May 22-23 and again on May 29-30. He will be at Belmont on the weekdays proceeding those weekends as well as on May 31, Memorial Day, when he will ride Quality Road in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.

Cordero said the fact trainer Todd Pletcher will be sending a lot of his better horses to Monmouth - which is offering an average of $1 million a day in purses - is one reason he will be there.

"I have very little business [at Belmont],'' Cordero said. "Why have Johnny ride one or two horses a day when I can ride six or seven? I'm going to go there for sure.''