Less than a month from his 54th birthday and about to complete his 36th year of riding, John Velazquez still gets pumped up for the big events in racing. Especially when he’s got live mounts.
Velazquez certainly has more than his share of top-quality runners for the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships on October 31 and November 1 at Del Mar, live on Sky Sports Racing.
In Breeders’ Cup history, Velazquez leads all riders with 225 mounts and in purse-money won with $39.3 million. He ranks second in wins with 21. Velazquez has mounts in at least 11 of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races.
Watch the 2025 Breeders’ Cup from Del Mar live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) on Friday 31st October and Saturday 1st November.
Some, like FORMIDABLE MAN (FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF) and ULTIMATE LOVE (John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf), he has never ridden.
Others, like Fierceness (Classic) and She Feels Pretty (Filly and Mare Turf), he has been aboard in nearly all their starts.
Velazquez has ridden FIERCENESS in 11 of his 13 starts, starting with his shock victory in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Fierceness has not been the most consistent of runners, but he is coming off an eye-catching victory in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, where he overcame ducking in at the start to win by 3 1-2 lengths.
“He’s never done anything like that,” Velazquez said. “I thought I was off of him. I broke with my hands really low, and loose rein, thinking I’m going to leave him alone. He broke a step slow and the second jump he went (inside) and it took me three jumps to straighten him.”
Velazquez said the key to getting the best of Fierceness is not to get in his mouth.
“If I can get him off the bridle without me putting too much (pressure) in his mouth, he’ll be really good,” Velazquez said. “Every time I had to put him in the race and then grab him and then I let him go, that’s when he runs poor. Every time I leave him alone or maybe just take a light hold of him, he responds better that way.”
Velazquez will be seeking a repeat victory in the Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint with STRAIGHT NO CHASER, who has only made three starts this year, winning the Riyadh Dirt Sprint before finishing eighth in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in April. Off since then, Straight No Chaser returned with a third-place finish in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship on September 28.
“I think he came back good, got a little bit tired,” Velazquez said. “It’s a pretty tough race speed-wise, but if I can get him back just a little bit, he’ll be tough.”
The three-year-old filly PRAYING, coming off an upset victory in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes, gives Velazquez a chance in the PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Velazquez, who rode Praying three times last year, said the filly can be a bit nervous and how she behaves pre-race could be key to her chances.
Trainer Robbie Medina noted that Praying had lost her composure prior to an allowance race in which she finished seventh at Churchill Downs in May. She came back with victories in the Grade 3 Prioress at Saratoga and the TCA.
“She’s very talented but very nervous,” Velazquez said. “If we can keep her calm, I think she’s all right. She’s in a tough race, but she’s definitely improving.”
Velazquez said DORTH VADER, his mount in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, is another who can be fractious at times. Velazquez said he loved how she acted prior to the Grade 1 Personal Ensign where she ran the race of her life, falling a nose short to Thorpedo Anna, last year’s Distaff winner and North American Horse of the Year who was recently retired.
“That’s the best race she’s run since I’ve ridden her, knowing I can get her farther back is a plus,” Velazquez said. “Hopefully she relaxes the first part, she’s another horse that’s difficult, she’s nervous in the paddock, she’s nervous in the post parade, hopefully she doesn’t get too keen.”
SHE FEELS PRETTY is America’s top prospect in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, a race recently dominated by European raiders. Velazquez has ridden her to four Grade 1 stakes victories and said the key to her success is getting covered up early.
“If I get her covered up the first part of the race, she’ll be really good,” Velazquez said. “She has a great kick when I cover up, you pull her out, that’s when she goes. If she’s outside pulling, pulling, pulling she doesn’t go anywhere.”
Velazquez will ride the five-year-old mare AG BULLET against males in the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Velazquez only rode Ag Bullet once, when she beat the boys in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Saratoga. Ag Bullet finished third, beaten a neck in this race last year.
Velazquez said he was told by trainer Richard Baltas that Ag Bullet can be a bit of a handful to ride as well before he got on her prior to the Jaipur.
“I didn’t know anything about her until the day I rode her, but did I get an ear full about her,” Velazquez said. “She behaved good in the paddock, when I got on her she was perfect. She was really good in the gate and she ran a really good race.”
On Friday, Velazquez will ride TED NOFFEY as the favourite in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Ted Noffey is unbeaten in three with Grade 1 victories in the Hopeful at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, his first start around two turns.
“He doesn’t give you the impression that he’s doing something, he just does what he has to do and that’s it,” Velazquez said. “That’s what I like about him.”
In the NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Velazquez rides TOMMY JO, who won her first two races impressively but then seemed to regress in the Grade 1 Alcibiades where she finished second behind Percy’s Bar, but was elevated to first after she got impeded by Percy’s Bar in the stretch.
“I think she struggled with the two turns,” Velazquez said. “She got a little more keen than I wanted her to the first part of the race. She was fighting. The only thing is when I tipped her out so I don’t clip heels she went back to the left lead and she left the race. Hopefully, she doesn’t do that.”
Velazquez rides SCHWARZENEGGER in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The horse has plenty of speed and he’ll be shortening up from 5 1-2 furlongs to five.
“Super fast horse,” Velazquez said. “Come and get him.”
Watch the 2025 Breeders’ Cup from Del Mar live on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) on Friday 31st October and Saturday 1st November.
After the Breeders’ Cup, Velazquez will travel to Australia where he is scheduled to ride PARCHMENT PARTY in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington, live on Sky Sports Racing.
Parchment Party, winless in two starts on turf, earned automatic entry into the Melbourne Cup because of his victory in the Belmont Gold Cup at Saratoga in June.
That race, originally scheduled for two miles on the turf, was rained off and run at 1 3-4 miles over a sloppy track. Despite the surface change it retained its status as an automatic qualifier for the Melbourne Cup.
Velazquez said he’s always wanted to ride that race.
“I’m excited to be there and be a part of it,” Velazquez said. “I’ve been watching the race for a long time. It’ll be a fun trip, hopefully he puts out a good effort.”