It's already been a bountiful year for Javier Castellano. In addition to winning his first Kentucky Derby (G1) aboard Mage , he was honored in March with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award on the heels of a nationwide vote by his fellow riders. This prestigious and once-in-a-lifetime honor recognizes an individual whose career and personal character exemplify excellence.
Castellano, 45, now stares down what he hopes is another first—a win in the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1). If successful aboard Arcangelo , the four-time Eclipse Award winner and Hall of Famer can complete a personal sweep of the Triple Crown races. He won the Preakness Stakes (G1) aboard Bernardini in 2006 and then again with Cloud Computing in 2017.
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The jockey is in a very similar situation with Arcangelo as he was with Mage in the Derby, a zero in the win column next to his name. When Castellano ended his Derby drought in May, it was aboard his 16th mount in the Run for the Roses. He has ridden in 14 previous Belmont Stakes without a win, but has come tantalizingly close with a trio of runner-up finishes: Stay Thirsty (2011), Commissioner (2014), and Destin (2016).
Castellano said the feeling that came from seeing the graphic, on NBC's pre-coverage of the Derby, that he was 0 for 15 in the big dance on the first Saturday in May lurks in the back of his mind as the Belmont approaches.
"Seeing that was kind of embarrassing, but at the same time, motivating and encouraging," he remarked. "It was like, 'Well, Javier, this is the year, and you have a good opportunity, and you've got to get it done.'
"And it's crazy that I haven't won the Belmont," he added. "I had a tough beat with Destin when Creator beat me, right on the wire (by a nose). I thought I won the race, but when I came back to the finish line and saw the (tote) board, I was disappointed and sad."
For the Venezuelan-born Castellano, the Belmont would be a crowning jewel on his already glittery resume, particularly given his binding ties to New York and the fostering sense of community he and his wife, Abby, and their three children, enjoy while living in the Long Island suburb of Garden City, which is near Belmont Park.
"(The Belmont) is the type of race you want to win. I've been in New York since 2001. I was married here; my kids grew up here. We live in Garden City, a beautiful town that (celebrates) the Belmont," he said. "Everybody knows about racing in Garden City. My neighbors all have high expectations, hoping that I win. Then you don't win and you're kind of like 'ooh.' I tell them, 'trust me, it's not easy.'"
Castellano will look to get the job accomplished on Peter Pan Stakes (G3) winner Arcangelo, a ridgling son of the late sire Arrogate. A winner of two races from four starts, the May foal is owned by Jon Ebbert's Blue Rose Farm and is trained by Jena Antonucci. Arcangelo, who is 8-1 on the Belmont Stakes morning line as the fifth choice in the nine-horse field, showed moxie in his stakes debut to win the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan by a head while bravely fighting off a challenge from the race's post-time favorite, Bishops Bay.
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"He's a young horse who is developing himself. He's going in the right direction. Nice, cool horse," Castellano said. "He won the Peter Pan in a good way; he beat good horses.
"Of course, now he is challenging the best horses in the country. But I'm very satisfied with my horse. He's well-bred, by Arrogate—and we know that Arrogate liked to go a distance. (Arcangelo) has a long, beautiful stride. I've fallen in love with him.
"When he broke his maiden at Gulfstream, he came from way back because the pace was fast. (In the Peter Pan) the pace was slow, but he was right there, he pulled me into a good spot and made a nice, beautiful run. I think he is the kind of horse that at a mile and a half, he can be right there, galloping along. He likes to run all day. And that's what I'm looking for in a race like this. That's the type of horse you need."
