Cornelio Velasquez Birthdate: Sept. 28, 1968 Birthplace: Panama City, Panama  Residence: Pembroke Pines, Fla. Family: wife, Roxanna; daughters, Stephanie, Connie and Katherine. 2008 Gulfstream Record Mounts 1st 2nd 3rd Winning % Earnings 329 39 45 49 12% $1,271,955 Career:

• Slipped a tiny bit in 2008, but only in comparison to his previous campaign that featured titles at Gulfstream and Saratoga and two more Breeders’ Cup victories. He won the Hal's Hope Handicap here last year aboard Chatain and rode Kip Deville to a Grade 1 win in the Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland
• He charged late in the 2006 season to finish second in the Gulfstream standings behind John Velazquez 
• He won two major 3-year-old stakes on the same card in 2007 aboard Adore the Gold in the Swale and Nobiz Like Shobiz in the Holy Bull Stakes ...
• He has won four Breeders’ Cup races, doubling his career tallies with Kip Deville in the Mile and War Pass in the Juvenile. His previous wins came with Pleasant Home in the 2005 Distaff and Cajun Beat in 2003 Sprint. He registered first Grade 1 stakes on Feb. 16, 2002, aboard Cetewayo in Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes.
• He won his first riding title at Calder and Calder’s Tropical meet in 2001 then repeated in 2002 with 169 wins, a number that included a track record dozen stakes. That was part of a breakout year when his 332 victories ranked second nationally behind only Russell Baze. Moved tack to Kentucky in 2003 and promptly became leading rider at Churchill’s 2003 spring meet. Some of his top horses besides his Breeders’ Cup winners have included Closing Argument, Trust ‘n Luck, Native Heir, Band Is Passing, Best of the Rest, Cellars Shiraz, Showing Up and The Judge Sez Who.

Other: At age 15, was taken to racetrack by sister, who thought he had the talent to become a jockey. He had previously ridden horses on a farm. After that trip, he enrolled in Panamanian national jockey school which produced such legends as Braulio Baeza, Laffit Pincay Jr. and Jorge Velasquez. His first winner came in 1985 in Panama aboard Ri Quy. He won three riding titles in Panama (top apprentice in 1985, leading rider in 1994, 1995) during 14-year stint there before coming to U.S. in 1993.