Castellano seeks fourth consecutive title at Gulfstream

For the past three winters, Javier Castellano has dominated Gulfstream Park's

star-studded riding colony like no jockey before him. He set the bar even higher

in 2013-14, crushing his own single-meet victory total and capturing both his

first Florida Derby and the Eclipse Award as champion rider.

The 37-year-old Venezuelan native will look to build on his success during

Gulfstream's 2014-15 Championship meet.

"I'm looking forward to the meet," Castellano said. "I think it's going to be

a great meet. We're excited to be here."

Through December 4, Castellano led all North American jockeys with more than

$24.4 million in purse earnings and was second with 300 victories, including 28

graded stakes, nine of them in Grade 1 races, most recently taking the Breeders'

Cup Filly & Mare Turf with Dayatthespa.

He topped both categories in 2013, finishing with 362 wins and $26,218,107 in

purses, breaking Ramon Dominguez's single-season mark of $25,634,852 on December

13 at Gulfstream.

Castellano finished the Championship meet with 132 wins and $5.3 million in

purses, breaking the mark of 112 victories he set in his first title season of

2011-12.

"I'm very excited," Castellano said. "I'm very motivated to come down every

year. It's such a great meet. I'm very honored to participate at Gulfstream Park

because I always say it's the best meet. You hook up with all the best riders in

the country. So many places are closed for the winter and they all kind of end

up in the same spot, and there are some very good local riders, too, who have

their own business in Florida."

Castellano is the first jockey in Gulfstream history to reach triple digits

in wins, a level he has reached in all of his title seasons, including 100 in

2012-13. He has averaged 114.6 victories and nearly $4.6 million in purse

earnings over the past three years. 

Another Championship meet title would make Castellano the first rider to win

four consecutive Gulfstream Park titles outright. Jorge Chavez also won three in

a row from 1999 to 2001. 

"It's going to be a tough meet like it always is, but I'm very thankful and

blessed to be in the position I am, with the support of all the owners and

trainers who have supported me the last few years," Castellano said. "I have to

give so much credit to my agent, Matt Muzikar, for finding the best horses for

me to ride."

Last January, Castellano picked up his first statue as North America's

leading jockey, and he is a leading contender to earn his second when Gulfstream

hosts the annual 44th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony on January 17.

At Gulfstream Park, Castellano has won 47 career graded stakes. He is poised

to earn his 4,000th career victory during the Championship meet, sitting at

3,932 and counting. It was at Gulfstream where he picked up win No. 3,000, in

February 2012. 

Earlier this year, Castellano shared the Belmont Park spring-summer meet

title with Irad Ortiz Jr. at 51 wins apiece and captured his second consecutive

championship at Saratoga Race Course with 58 victories in 40 days. He was second

to Ortiz, 46-43, at Belmont's fall meet.

"The results speak to the owners and trainers who put me in that position,"

Castellano said. "I never take anything for granted because this is such a tough

business. You can't lay back and say I did this or I did that. You need to be

very competitive and you need to stay on top of the game.

"I've been working so many years for these moments and I'm very blessed and

thankful that the opportunity came at the right time, in the right place. You

need to work hard for that moment."

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