Hall of Famer Castellano lands 5,000th career victory

Javier Castellano became the 34th North American jockey to reach 5,000 wins by winning back-to-back stakes on the Empire Showcase Day card for New York State-breds at Belmont on Saturday.

For the 40-year-old Hall of Famer, there was a special satisfaction in finally achieving one of his milestones in New York, the circuit that has been his home for the bulk of the last 17 years.

"I won my 1,000th, 2,000th, 3,000th and 4,00th races in Florida, so to win my 5,000th race in New York is special," said the native of Maracaibo, Venezuela.

"I'm very excited and grateful to do it here with this strong jockeys' colony with John Velazquez and the Ortiz brothers and all the top riders in the country who have such great skill. You need to be on top of your game here because these young kids have talent. You have to ride hard to be competitive."

A lopsided six-length win on Offering Plan for owners Michael Dubb, Nantucket Thoroughbred Partners, Bethlehem Stable and Gary Aisquith in the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes accounted for win number 4,999, and in the very next race, a very appreciative Castellano guided Harold Lerner LLC and Nehoc Stables' Runaway Lute to a three-quarters-of-a-length victory in the $150,000 Hudson Handicap to join the 5,000 club.

Castellano, a six-time winner of the Travers Stakes and two-time winner of the Preakness, said: "I thank God for giving me the skill and opportunity to ride horses and I've been very lucky and fortunate because it's a very difficult job. Anything can happen. You can get hurt but, thank God, everything has gone smoothly throughout the many years of my career.

"I'm thankful to all the trainers for having the confidence in me and giving me the opportunity to ride their horses. The owners, my wonderful wife [Abby], who has supported me through a job that's not easy, my three children, my father-in-law, [Jockeys' Guild national manager] Terry Meyocks, my mother, they have always supported me."

With another milestone checked off in an illustrious career that started in the United States in 1997, Castellano said he remains as focused as ever on the first Saturday in May and one of the glaring omissions on his resume.

Castellano, who is winless from 12 rides in the Kentucky Derby, said: "I'm a Hall of Famer, I've won four Eclipse Awards, but it's not over. I'm still chasing some dreams. My next goal is the Kentucky Derby. It's the dream that I'm always chasing and trying to win one day.

"Hopefully I'll have the right situation and the right horse to win it one day."

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