José Antonio Vélez Jr. (born March 23, 1963, in Santurce, Puerto Rico) is a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

who competes in

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Thoroughbred horse races. The son of jockey José Vélez Sr., he began his riding career at Atlantic City Race Course in 1980 and won his first race later that year at the Meadowlands. He was the leading apprentice at

Hialeah Park The Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as the Hialeah Race Track or Hialeah Park) is a historic racetrack in Hialeah, Florida, Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenu ...

in 1982, leading rider at Gulfstream Park that year and top jockey at

Calder Race Course Calder Casino is a casino located in Miami Gardens, Florida. It includes slots, electronic table games, and bingo. The casino opened in 2010 and features a gaming floor with 1,100 slot machines, including video poker, as well as electronic r ...

in 1983 and 1985. Velez was inducted into the Calder Race Course Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1998, Velez won the Meadowlands riding title. In 2000, he captured the

Maryland Million Classic Maryland Million Classic is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Classic, a h ...

, the Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks, and the

Meadowlands Cup The Monmouth Cup Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles annually in early July at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event currently offers a purse of $400,000 ...

. He rode Sei Me to a runner-up performance in the $6 million Dubai World Cup in 2002. That year he won 10 stakes races at Monmouth Park, including the Philip H. Iselin Breeders' Cup Handicap, a race he won again in 2005. In 2003, Velez won the Grade 1

United Nations Handicap The United Nations Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event ...

aboard Balto Star and the Grade 3

Salvator Mile Handicap The Salvator Mile Stakes (formerly the Salvator Mile Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in June or July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt at ...

atop Vinemeister.

Year-end charts

References

Jose A. Velez Jr. at the NTRA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velez, Jose A. Jr. American jockeys Puerto Rican jockeys 1963 births Living people Sportspeople from Santurce, Puerto Rico