Javier Castellano, winner of the 2017 Bill Shoemaker Award © Eclipse Sportswire
DEL MAR, Calif. (Nov. 4, 2017) – Javier Castellano, who won the first race of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup with Rushing Fall in the Juvenile Fillies, parlayed that victory with a runner-up finish, three third-place finishes and a fourth to win the 15th Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the most outstanding jockey of the World Championships hosted by Del Mar racetrack.
The Shoemaker Award is based on a 10-5-3-1 scoring system on first- through fourth-place finishes in each of the 13 Breeders’ Cup World Championship races.
Castellano finished with 25 points to edge Jose Ortiz, Flavien Prat and John Velazquez, all with 23 points. Velasquez was the only rider to win two races in the 13-race showcase.
Castellano finished second in the TwinSpires Sprint on Imperial Hint and was third in the Juvenile Turf (Voting Control), Filly & Mare Sprint (Carina Mia) and West Coast (Classic) and fourth in the Sentient Jet Juvenile on Givemeaminit.
The Shoemaker Award is named in honor of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Shoemaker, who captured the Kentucky Derby four times, won more than 8,800 races in a career that spanned more than 40 years. In 1987, at age 56, Shoemaker won the Breeders’ Cup Classic aboard Ferdinand at Hollywood Park.
Bill Shoemaker Award winners:
| Year | Jockey |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Alex Solis |
| 2004 | John Velazquez |
| 2005 | Garrett Gomez |
| 2006 | Frankie Dettori |
| 2007 | Garrett Gomez |
| 2008 | Garrett Gomez |
| 2009 | Julien Leparoux |
| 2010 | Garrett Gomez |
| 2011 | John Velazquez |
| 2012 | Mike Smith |
| 2013 | Mike Smith |
| 2014 | John Velazquez |
| 2015 | Ryan Moore |
| 2016 | Mike Smith |
| 2017 | Javier Castellano |