Jockey Bios

Javier Castellano

Born: October 23, 1977, in Maracaibo, Venezuela

Record at Keeneland

Total Wins: 214

Stakes Wins: 54

Career Firsts

First Grade 1 Win: 2001 Gazelle at Belmont Park on Exogenous

First Stakes Win: 1997 Dr. Fager at Calder on Governor Hicks

First Graded Stakes Win: 1998 What a Pleasure (G3) at Calder on Certain

First Career Win: July 31, 1997, at Calder on Phone Man

Starters in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes

Year	Horse	Finish
2024	Good Money	10th
2023	Classic Car Wash	8th
2021	Highly Motivated	2nd
2020	Rushie	3rd
2019	Vekoma	Won
2014	Bobby’s Kitten	12th
2013	Balance the Books	6th
2012	Howe Great	5th
2006	Court Folly	9th

At Keeneland

Tied for fourth as track's leading jockey by stakes wins (53).

Two-time leader rider: 2015 Spring (22 wins) and 2016 Spring (17 wins).

Won eight stakes in 2019: (Spring) Toyota Blue Grass (G2) on Vekoma, Madison (G1) on Spiced Perfection, Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) on Rushing Fall, Maker's 46 Mile (G1) on Delta Prince, Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) on Avie's Flatter and Palisades Turf Sprint on Bulletin; (Fall) Darley Alcibiades (G1) on British Idiom and Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) on Spiced Perfection.

Rode Rushing Fall to five stakes wins: 2017 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3), 2018 Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association and 2018 Queen Elilzabeth II Challenge Cup (G1), 2019 and 2020 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1).

Four wins in the Maker's Mark Mile/Maker's 46 Mile (G1): Get Stormy (2011), Jack Milton (2015), American Patriot (2017), Delta Prince (2019).

Four wins in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1): Hard Not to Like (2014), Ball Dancing (2015), Rushing Fall (2019-2020).

Three wins in QE II: Bit of Whimsy (2007), Dayatthespa (2012), Rushing Fall (2018).

Two wins in Central Bank Ashland (G1); Lilacs and Lace (2011), Speech (2020).

First Keeneland win came during the 2002 Spring Meet.

First Keeneland stakes win was the 2002 Stonerside Beaumont (G2) on Proper Gamble.

Career

2017 inductee into the Racing Hall of Fame.

Triple Crown wins (4): Kentucky Derby on Mage (2023); Preakness on Bernardini (2006) and Cloud Computing (2017); Belmont on Arcangelo (2023).

Breeders’ Cup wins (12): 2004 Classic on Ghostzapper (first Breeders' Cup mount); 2012 Filly and Mare Turf on Zagora (FR); 2013 Juvenile Fillies on Ria Antonia; 2014 Filly and Mare Turf on Dayatthespa; 2015 Distaff on Stopchargingmaria and Dirt Mile on Liam’s Map; 2016 Juvenile Fillies Turf on New Money Honey; 2017 Juvenile Fillies Turf on Rushing Fall; 2018 Dirt Mile on City of Light and Juvenile Turf Sprint on Bulletin; and 2019 Juvenile Fillies on British Idiom and Turf Sprint on Belvoir Bay (GB).

Earned Eclipse Awards as North America's outstanding jockey from 2013-2016.

Named the 2023 winner of the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, which Santa Anita Park has presented since 1950. The award honors a jockey for career achievements and personal character.

Won his 5,000th North American race Oct. 20, 2018, at Belmont Park, where he rode Runaway Lute to win the fourth race.

North American career earnings nearing $400 million with 5,782 wins through May 12, 2024.

Click here for his Equibase career record.

Background

Javier followed his late father, Abel, and an uncle into racing in Venezuela in 1996. He came to the U.S. in June 1997. Brother Abel Jr. rode 1,849 winners in North America during his career. Javier's father-in-law is Terry Meyocks, National Director of the Jockeys’ Guild.

He is a Vice Chairman of the Jockeys' Guild.