John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971 in Carolina, Puerto Rico) is a jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He learned to ride in his native Puerto Rico and in 1990, under the guidance of agent and former jockey, Angel Cordero, Jr., he moved to New York State where he earned 24 riding titles at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course.
A winner of six Breeders' Cup races, he has also won graded stakes races such as the Kentucky Oaks, Blue Grass Stakes, Dubai World Cup, E. P. Taylor Stakes (twice), Whitney Handicap, Woodbine Mile, plus the Cigar Mile Handicap. To date in his career, John Velazquez has ridden more than 3,000 winners. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in 2004 and 2005.
In 2004, he won the Bill Shoemaker Award for top Breeders’ Cup performance by a jockey, winning the Breeders' Cup Distaff with Ashado and the Breeders' Cup Sprint with Speightstown.
In 2009, Velazquez, known at tracks as "Johnny V," was awarded the Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. That same year, he led Quality Road to a win at the Florida Derby, knocking off the previously unbeaten Dunkirk in the process.
2007 Belmont Stakes
In the 2007 Belmont Stakes, Velazquez earned his first win in a Triple Crown race when he rode Rags to Riches to a victory that made her the first filly to win the race since 1905.
Family
John Velazquez married Leona O'Brien, the daughter of trainer Leo O'Brien. Residing in New York, they have two children, a daughter, Lerina, and a son, Michael Patrick.
