The upset winner of the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, Javier Castellano was chosen as the Jockeys’ Guild Foundation Detox Jockey of the Week for July 22-28, 2019. The award is voted on by a panel of experts for riding accomplishments by members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 riders in North America. Jockey of the Week is sponsored by FoundationDetox.com, America’s #1 Equine Toxin Remover.
Javier Castellano was one of several jockeys to win a Grade 1 race last week, but the only one to shatter a track record in the process. Castellano was aboard Imperial Hint ($13.60) in the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga. The duo gained an early lead and maintained it to win by four lengths as the third betting choice in the field.
Imperial Hint was the defending champion of the Alfred G. Vanderbilt but had not won since his win in the Vosburgh (G1) at Belmont last fall. Castellano also rode Imperial Hint in the 2018 edition, the gelding’s first Grade 1 win.
The winning pair set a new track record for six furlongs on the dirt of 1:07.92. The victory for Imperial Hint also ended Mitole’s win streak, who had won seven consecutive races prior to Saturday’s third place finish.
Earlier in the week, Castellano finished second in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales Stakes, with Avie’s Flatter. He was also second in the Honorable Miss (G2) at Saratoga with Chalon.
Castellano was the leading North American jockey by total earnings and was the second leading rider by stakes earnings. His performances in stakes races netted $332,056, and his earnings for the week totaled $683,071. In 2019, he has earned $14,820,779 and has career earnings of over $332 million to date.
With seven wins, Castellano maintained a win rate of 28% and he finished in the money in 64% of his 25 starts. Castellano has won 111 of his 529 starts this year and he is 5,134 for 28,091 lifetime. He reached a career milestone of 5,000 wins last fall at Belmont.
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