Meet the Jockeys of the 2019 Belmont Stakes

A rundown of the jockeys expected to compete in the June 8 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at Belmont Park:

Mike Smith, Bourbon War

Age: 53

Originally from: New Mexico

Previous rides in the Belmont: 20

Best finish: Won in 2010 (Drosselmeyer), 2013 (Palace Malice ) and 2018 (Justify )

When it comes to recent success in the Belmont, there's been no one better in the past decade than Mike Smith. The Hall of Famer, fresh off of a Triple Crown-clinching victory last year aboard Justify, has won three Belmont Stakes from his past eight rides in the race. This year, he got the call on late-entering Bourbon War for trainer Mark Hennig and the partners of Bourbon Lane and Lake Star Stables. The horse had previously been ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. when Bourbon War finished second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, fourth in the Florida Derby, and then a disappointing eighth in the Preakness Stakes (G1). 

Luis Saez, Everfast

Age: 26

Originally from: Panama

Previous rides in the Belmont: 3

Best finish: Sixth in 2016 (Brody's Cause ) and 2018 (Bravazo)

Whether you're a racing newbie or you've been following the sport for years, just about everyone knows Luis Saez as the jockey of Maximum Security—the horse who crossed the wire first in this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) before being disqualified to 17th. Despite being denied the first leg of the 2019 Triple Crown, Saez has an opportunity to capture the final leg of the series when he rides Preakness runner-up Everfast in the Belmont Stakes. He picked up the mount on the horse after jockey Joel Rosario (who rode Everfast in the Preakness) opted to ride Sir Winston in the Belmont Stakes.

John Velazquez, Intrepid Heart

Age: 47

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Belmont: 22

Best finish: Won in 2007 (Rags to Riches) and 2012 (Union Rags )

There's little question who the most experienced rider in this year's Belmont Stakes is—it's John Velazquez. The Hall of Fame rider has won the Test of the Champion twice before in extremely tight finishes, most memorably aboard Rags to Riches in 2007 when she became the first filly to win the race in over a century. Velazquez gets the call this year aboard Intrepid Heart, his 23rd Belmont mount. Intrepid Heart is a new face on the Triple Crown scene (he didn't run in the Derby or Preakness) and comes in as a bit of an outsider after a third-place finish in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3). On the plus side, he's a son of Tapit , who has sired three of the past five Belmont Stakes winners.

Jose Lezcano, Joevia

Age: 34

Originally from: Panama

Previous rides in the Belmont: 4

Best finish: Fourth in 2012 (Street Life)

A three-time Breeders' Cup winner, Jose Lezcano will be looking to add to his resume with a victory in a Triple Crown race. Winning the Belmont Stakes would carry extra meaning for Lezcano who has been a mainstay on the New York riding circuit. He leads all jockeys at Belmont Park with victories in 33% of his races during the current meet. On Saturday, he'll take over the riding duties on Joevia from Nik Juarez, who'd previously ridden the horse. Joevia is considered a longshot but since he's a speed horse, he could give those who bet him a run for their money—at least through the earlier stages of the race. If he doesn't face pace pressure, he could be an intriguing horse to consider for the Belmont Stakes exacta and trifecta.

Julien Leparoux, Master Fencer

Age: 35

Originally from: France

Previous rides in the Belmont: 4

Best finish: Third in 2008 (Anak Nakal) and 2012 (Atigun)

If you like to ride the hot hand, you aren't going to find a rider who's much hotter than Julien Leparoux. This time of year he's based at Churchill Downs in Kentucky where he's finished atop the jockey standings nine times. Just last week he won five races in one day and regained the lead in the rider standings for the current meet. In this year's Derby, he and Master Fencer defied their 58-to-1 odds to finish sixth in the race. If the horse can show the same stamina and late kick in the Belmont Stakes, he could be in position to leave an even greater mark on this year's Triple Crown trail.

Joel Rosario, Sir Winston

Age: 34

Originally from: Dominican Republic

Previous rides in the Belmont: 7

Best finish: Won in 2014 (Tonalist )

Joel Rosario is no stranger to the Belmont Stakes or Belmont Park where he's been a perennial leader in the jockey colony for several years, following a stint in California where he was a dominant force earlier in his career. Rosario's greatest achievement at Belmont came in 2014 when he piloted Tonalist to victory in the Belmont Stakes by just a head over Commissioner . His mount this year will be Sir Winston, a late-closing horse who should finish strongly. The question is whether he'll have too much work to do in the final stages of the race. Either way, he's a horse to consider with a rider who knows how to ride at Belmont.

Javier Castellano, Spinoff

Age: 41

Originally from: Venezuela

Previous rides in the Belmont: 12

Best finish: Finished second in 2011 (Stay Thirsty ), 2014 (Commissioner) and 2016 (Destin ). 

A nose, a head, and three-quarters of a length—that's what separates Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano from three potential wins in the Belmont Stakes. The native of Venezuela has been one of the most prominent riders in New York for the past decade, which included a span of four consecutive years in which he won the Eclipse Award for being the nation's top jockey. Castellano has more than 5,100 career wins, including 10 Breeders' Cup victories, but is still in search of that elusive first Belmont Stakes score. If he does it this year aboard Spinoff, the horse trained by Todd Pletcher will have to improve off an 18th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher has indicated that Spinoff didn't enjoy running over a wet track that day and expects a better effort from his horse at Belmont.

Jose Ortiz, Tacitus

Age: 25

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Belmont: 4

Best finish: Won in 2017 (Tapwrit )

If you believe in history repeating itself, perhaps Jose Ortiz in the Belmont is the angle for you. Two years ago, he won the Belmont Stakes aboard a horse who'd won the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2), ran well in the Kentucky Derby, and who was a son of Tapit. This year, Ortiz rides a horse who won the Tampa Bay Derby, finished third in the Kentucky Derby, and who is a son of Tapit. Tacitus will try to repeat the feat accomplished by Tapwrit in 2017. If he were to win the Belmont Stakes, he would also give trainer Bill Mott his second victory of this year's Triple Crown after the trainer won the Derby with Country House.

Irad Ortiz Jr., Tax

Age: 26

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Belmont: 5

Best finish: Won in 2016 (Creator)

Though he's one of the youngest jockeys in the field, Irad Ortiz Jr. (like his brother Jose) has already tasted Belmont Stakes glory. He scored a surprise victory in the 2016 running of the race aboard Creator at odds of 16-1. Ortiz has won a number of racing honors including the Shoemaker Award, an ESPY for being the best jockey in America, and, most recently, he won an Eclipse Award as last year's outstanding jockey. He currently leads all U.S. jockeys in 2019 wins (153 victories) and purse earnings (more than $12 million). On Saturday, Ortiz picks up the mount on Tax, who'd been previously ridden by Junior Alvarado. Tax drew a less-than-ideal inside post in the Kentucky and he ultimately finished 14th in the race. But there's reason for optimism considering he finished second in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2) behind one of the expected favorites in the Belmont Stakes, Tacitus.

Tyler Gaffalione, War of Will

Age: 24

Originally from: Florida

Previous rides in the Belmont: 0

Best finish: N/A

It has been a roller coaster Triple Crown trail for Tyler Gaffalione. Through much of the winter and early spring, he and War of Will were considered leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby. After a disappointing finish in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), they were all but written off heading into Louisville. But they showed up and were in contention until being interfered with in the now infamous incident that led to Maximum Security being disqualified in the Kentucky Derby. Gaffalione and War of Will brushed it off and returned to win the Preakness Stakes in spectacular drawing-away fashion a few weeks ago. They'll look to capture a second leg in this 2019 Triple Crown when they go off as the expected favorites in the Belmont Stakes.