Jockey Velasquez Hangs Up His Saddle

Hall of Fame jockey Jorge Velasquez, retiring reluctantly at age 51, finished his career Wednesday after riding three horses at Calder Race Course in Miami.

“I’m not sure what I’ll do now,” he said. “I thought about becoming a trainer but that’s very tough. You start at the bottom and I don’t want to go through that.”

The final three mounts of his career were not momentous. Byzantine Design finished fourth in the third race; Glitter River took the lead in the fourth but faded; and Dynamic Chase in the fifth race finished next to last.

One of the reasons Velasquez chose to make his final riding appearance in Florida was that 100-year-old breeder-owner Fred W. Hooper had been selected to present an award to him in the winner’s circle after Velasquez’s final ride.

Hooper brought Velasquez to the United States to ride for him in 1965.

“That’s the best,” Velasquez said. “The man who brought me here is the one to see me out.”

Velasquez became the sixth-most productive rider in North America, winning 6,795 races and earning purses of $125.2 million. Two of his most notable victories were the Kentucky Derby in 1981 on Pleasant Colony and the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1985 on Proud Truth. He finished in the top 10 in money won for 20 straight years beginning in 1966.

Former jockey Warren Mehrtens, 77, who captured the Triple Crown aboard Assault in 1946, has died in Sarasota, Fla.

Mehrtens rode his first winner in 1940 and went on to post 614 career victories and win $3.5 million in purses. After retiring as a jockey, Mehrtens became a racing official.