LI jockey Junior Alvarado rode Sovereignty to star status
From left, jockeys John Velasquez, Javier Castellano and Junior Alvarado at Casa Ora in Brooklyn on Tuesday. Credit: Morgan Campbell
A little more than five weeks ago, imagining himself seated at a table at a fine Venezuelan restaurant in Brooklyn that was doubling as a television studio discussing his craft with Hall of Fame jockeys Javier Castellano and John Velazquez while the camera rolled would have seemed farfetched, at best, to Garden City resident Junior Alvarado.
But a little more than five weeks ago was before Alvarado rode Sovereignty to victory in the Kentucky Derby on May 3 for his first-ever Triple Crown title. He followed that with another win in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, again outdueling Journalism — which won the Preakness Stakes that Sovereignty skipped — down the stretch.
So there was Alvarado on Tuesday at Casa Ora, an equal participant with Castellano and Velazquez shooting The Gotham Sports App’s “Home Plate: New York,” hosted by chef and author Marcus Samuelsson, which will be available for streaming on June 26.
“You know, it’s funny, this morning I was telling my wife, ‘Wow, I’m going to go with Johnny and Javier, they’re both Hall of Famers,’” Alvarado told Newsday before the episode was filmed. “I’m not even close to that. But I feel now that even though I’m not a Hall of Famer, I’m in that group, hanging with those guys. I feel like I’m on the same level right now. It’s something that I never thought I could probably get to that point. It makes you feel like everything I’ve been working for is paying off.”
Castellano, 47, whose father rode against Alvarado’s father when both were jockeys in Venezuela, is a four-time Eclipse Award winner as the top rider and has won four Triple Crown races. Velazquez, 54, has won the Eclipse Award twice and six Triple Crown races.
Alvarado, 38, who moved his family to Garden City permanently in 2012 hoping to bolster his career, had ridden in the Kentucky Derby five previous times before winning aboard Sovereignty. He garnered subsequent local attention on Long Island because he was sponsored by Hildebrandt’s in Williston Park.
“It’s been a whirlwind but it’s so amazing,” said Kelly Alvarado, who grew up in Chicago and met her future husband while he was based at Arlington Park. “First and foremost, I’m so proud of him. He’s been through so much in his career, so many spills, so many broken bones. He’s had concussions. Finally, people are getting to see what he’s capable of. The past five weeks have just been fun.”
Perhaps Junior Alvarado had an inkling things were about to go his way. Because he insisted to his wife that she bring their three children to Louisville, Kentucky for the Derby.
“Our two youngest kids, they never go to the races,” Kelly Alvarado told Newsday of Adrian, 12, Adalyn, 8, and Axel 4. “They’d rather stay home. But before the Derby, Junior was like, ‘Please make sure all three kids are there.’ So I started looking at tickets and airplane fees and hotels. I was like, ‘Junior, this is very expensive. Are you sure? Can’t we just wait for the Belmont?’”
Driving home from Churchill Downs that night, Alvarado turned to his wife and said, “See, this would have not been the same.”
Asked if his children now realize he’s “a star,” Junior Alvarado laughed but agreed.
“Yes, exactly,” Alvarado said. “I don’t think the two little ones, I don’t think they had a very good idea my position as a jockey and how important you can become if you win those big races. But now I think they’re realizing it. Yesterday, when they were going to school, I had never seen them so excited to go to school, probably because they were going to be congratulated.
“Those are the memories that last forever.”
Both Castellano and Velazquez said they believe Alvarado is just starting to tap into his full potential as a jockey.
“I’m so proud of him because he became such a great rider,” Castellano said. “He’s traveled little by little and now, look at this. He’s a great guy, good person, good family man. A lot of heart. He deserves all the success and he became a really good jockey.”
Velazquez said he was impressed with how Alvarado positioned Sovereignty in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont to overtake Journalism.
“There’s no doubt that the potential from here is that the sky is the limit,” Velazquez said. “He’s gotten much better and gotten more opportunities the last five years. He’s mastered his riding skills much better now.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
