BeatTheChalk
05-05-2007, 10:44 AM
The decision by Eclipse Award-winning jockey John Velazquez says plenty about Angel Cordero’s opinion on which Thoroughbred is the best of Todd Pletcher’s five Kentucky Derby (G1) presented by Yum! Brands starters.
A retired Racing Hall of Fame jockey, Cordero serves a dual role of exercise rider for three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Pletcher and jockey agent for Velazquez.
While Velazquez is typically the first-call rider for Pletcher, the trainer said riding Circular Quay in the Derby was Velazquez’s call. After meeting together, Cordero and Velazquez liked the way Circular Quay has run at Churchill Downs.
“He’s won two out of three starts at Churchill and has never run a bad race here,” Cordero said while taking a break on the busy Churchill backstretch Thursday morning.
Circular Quay won the first two starts of his career at Churchill, including the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3), with jockey Rafael Bejarano in the irons. He finished second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile (G1) with Garrett Gomez up.
Velazquez guided Circular Quay to victory in the Louisiana Derby (G2) but the Thunder Gulch colt has not started since that effort. Cordero, who has been Circular Quay’s regular exercise rider during this layoff, is not worried about the extended break from racing.
“I think it’s going to help him,” Cordero said. “Todd is a great trainer and he’s ready. I have had to stop doing the exercise work on him here because he is too strong for me He’s ready to run.”
Frank Angst is a Thoroughbred Times senior writer
A retired Racing Hall of Fame jockey, Cordero serves a dual role of exercise rider for three-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Pletcher and jockey agent for Velazquez.
While Velazquez is typically the first-call rider for Pletcher, the trainer said riding Circular Quay in the Derby was Velazquez’s call. After meeting together, Cordero and Velazquez liked the way Circular Quay has run at Churchill Downs.
“He’s won two out of three starts at Churchill and has never run a bad race here,” Cordero said while taking a break on the busy Churchill backstretch Thursday morning.
Circular Quay won the first two starts of his career at Churchill, including the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3), with jockey Rafael Bejarano in the irons. He finished second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile (G1) with Garrett Gomez up.
Velazquez guided Circular Quay to victory in the Louisiana Derby (G2) but the Thunder Gulch colt has not started since that effort. Cordero, who has been Circular Quay’s regular exercise rider during this layoff, is not worried about the extended break from racing.
“I think it’s going to help him,” Cordero said. “Todd is a great trainer and he’s ready. I have had to stop doing the exercise work on him here because he is too strong for me He’s ready to run.”
Frank Angst is a Thoroughbred Times senior writer