Javier Castellano

Javier Castellano is a Venezuelan jockey and Hall of Fame member in American thoroughbred racing, born on October 23, 1977. He began riding in 1996 at Santa Rita and La Rinconada in Venezuela, moved to the United States in June 1997 to ride in southern Florida, and from 2001 raced on the New York circuit. His first major wins came in 2004 on Ghostzapper, including the Breeders' Cup Classic, and in 2006 he won the Preakness Stakes aboard Bernardini. Castellano won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey four years running, from 2013 to 2016, and in 2013 set a single-season record with more than 26.2 million dollars in purse earnings. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2017, and in 2023 won the Kentucky Derby aboard Mage and the Belmont Stakes aboard Arcangelo.