Garden City-based jockey Javier Castellano completes career Triple Crown by winning Belmont Stakes
Jockey Javier Castellano, riding Archangelo, wins the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont on Saturday, June 10, 2023. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
As soon as Arcangelo crossed the finish line to win the 155th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday, jockey Javier Castellano pumped his fist several times.
The joy carried into the post-race press conference when he walked in and let out a long “hey” as his family walked in behind him.
After three second-place finishes at the Belmont, the Garden City resident was glad to finally break through and celebrate a Triple Crown race win close to home.
“A lot of emotions go through my mind. I’m going to win the race. I’m going to win the race,” Castellano said of his thoughts as Arcangelo pulled away down the stretch. “Truly happy of everything that is unfolding this year. To win the Kentucky Derby, now I win the Belmont, those two biggest Triple Crown races have been missing in my career. Not anymore, thank God.”
The victory was part of a historic day for trainer Jena Antonucci, who became the first woman to train a Belmont Stakes winner.
For Castellano, it completed a career Triple Crown after winning his first Derby riding Mage last month. It was also another notch on his Hall of Fame career.
He won four consecutive Eclipse Awards from 2013-2016 as the highest earning jockey in North America and also rode two Preakness winners in 2006 and 2017.
Although Castellano won the Derby in May, his most recent runner-up finish in the Belmont came in 2016 riding Destin. With Mage finishing third in the Preakness, it served as a reminder on how difficult it is to win two Triple Crown races in a single season.
But for Castellano to do it with two different horses, it made it more special. He rode Arcangelo to two consecutive victories earlier this year and with Mage not entered at the Belmont, it was a natural fit to return to Arcangelo.
Now the pair are on a three-race winning streak after the biggest win of Arcangelo’s career.
“Javier did such a great job,” Antonucci said. “There were a lot of horses taking up in the first turn and he sorted that out and got it tighter and on the backside, made his way up the rail.”
Castellano moved to New York in 2001 after being born in Venezuela and spending four years racing in Florida. Despite winning over 5,600 races, winning the Belmont Stakes remained an elusive goal.
After Saturday, he let out an audible sigh of relief that it was finally off his list.
“I said to myself, this is the time, I got to win this [race] this year,” he said. "Everything worked out for a reason and I’m proud of myself and my family. Now I can go to my house and check in with my neighbor to say, we did it.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
