Javier Castellano is riding high once again…
The 37-year-old jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing won his second straight Eclipse Award in the jockey division, making him the 11th rider in history to take that honor in consecutive years.
Castellano set a high standard in 2013, when he won his first Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey after establishing a North American record for mount earnings in a year. He again managed to reach significant heights in 2014, and because of his accomplishments, he is an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding jockey for the fourth time.
Castellano led all jockeys in North American mount earnings in 2014 with $25,056,464. And while the number did not eclipse his $26,218,107 record, it ranked $3.4 million ahead of the year’s second-leading rider in earnings, Joel Rosario.
Castellano’s win total for 2014 was 315 from 1,365 mounts, second among all riders in North America. His year also included a handful of key riding titles, from the Gulfstream Park championship meet, to a tie atop the spring standings at Belmont Park, to the crown at Saratoga. There also were some thrilling stakes wins along the way, topped by V. E. Day’s nose score in the Travers.
Castellano was the top choice on 77 percent of the ballots cast. John Velazquez was second.
The Eclipse Awards, selected by voters from Daily Racing Form, the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
Winners were announced at the 44th annual Eclipse Awards dinner at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
