Gulfstream Park's 85-day Championship Meet kicks off Saturday in Hallandale with a record $11.61-million stakes schedule highlighted by the Apr. 2 GI Florida Derby.
Two-time Eclipse Award winning jockey Javier Castellano enters the meet seeking a record-extending fifth straight riding title at the track.
“It would be awesome,” Castellano said of the feat, which Gulfstream has already christened the 'drive for five.' “I always try to keep going, to make new goals, and mentally that helps me be motivated to be one of the best jockeys in the country. It is another chapter in my life. I would like to put another goal under my belt. I'm looking forward to it, big time.”
During the 2014/2015 Gulfstream meeting, Castellano led all jockeys with 114 wins and earnings of $4.7 million. Among his 11 graded stakes wins at the meet were Constitution (Tapit)'s victory in the GI Donn H. and Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro)'s triumph in the GI Gulfstream Park Turf H.
Castellano kept the momentum going after heading north at the conclusion of the Gulfstream meeting. The Venezuelan won Belmont's spring-summer meet and finished second in the Saratoga standings. Castellano leads all North American jockeys in wins, having topped 300 for the fourth straight year, and money earned, breaking his own single-season record initially set at Gulfstream Park in December 2013.
“I have to give credit to my agent, Matt Muzikar–he handles the business so well,” Castellano said. “We always want to ride the best horse in the race, of course, but you don't want to hurt any feelings. It's like being a father and having kids. You don't want to say this kid is better than another, because the bottom line is they're all your kids. Same thing with the horses. I love the horses, and we don't want to hurt any feelings because all the horses are competitive. Matt does a very good job with that and he deserves a lot of credit.”
Castellano admitted he will face stiff competition in his attempt to win a fifth Gulfstream riding title.
“I know it's not easy,” he said. “You're competing against the best jockeys in the country, and there are a lot of good local riders that have the business all year. To be competitive, you have to ride different levels of horses, all kinds of horses, to be number one. You have to come every day always ready, mentally and physically. I'm thankful to have so much support, especially the owners and trainers that give me the opportunity. South Florida has always been very good to me. I am very appreciative for that.”
The championship meet, which runs through Apr. 3, opens Saturday with the 17th renewal of the $1.1-million Claiming Crown.
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