Who is union rags jockey

But in the final furlong, Paynter drifted out just enough to leave a hole big enough for Union Rags to squeeze through.

It took Union Rags some convincing from Velazquez to go through the gap, but once he did, his massive strides ate up the length he had to cover and he won by a neck as the second choice. He was a brilliant racehorse with outstanding conformation, and he has an exceptional pedigree. Stay up-to-date with the best from America's Best Racing! Union Rags in March Related News. Related Stories. Follow Us on Social Media. Sign-up now! Pinned to the inside, it looked like Union Rags would once again fall victim to a bad position.

But thanks to a blunder by Mike Smith, who rode Paynter, Velazquez was given an opening to take Union Rags to the front of the pack and took it. As a result, Union Rags promptly blew by Paynter at the end of the race to win a photo finish. It was a race that, with a little help, Velazquez ran brilliantly. There's no question that Velazquez's winning of such a huge race will greatly help his career. That's not to say Velazquez wasn't a solid jockey before, but he will be much more well-known now.

This new, more widespread recognition should give Velazquez more opportunities to ride high-profile horses, namely those who run for the Triple Crown. Sure, Velazquez had already won the Belmont and the Kentucky Derby once, but that can be considered a fluke. Now, Velazquez has multiple Belmont victories under his belt, and that's nothing to shake a stick at. This isn't the last we've seen of Velazquez in the three biggest races in the sport.