updated birth_place |name race birth_date horses honours article_title occupation
july 14 , 2007 santurce , puerto rico jose velez , jr. . endine cliff hanger handicap -lrb- 2000 -rrb- maryland million classic -lrb- stakes 2000 -rrb- monmouth breeders ' cup oaks -lrb- 2000 -rrb- -lrb- meadowlands cup -lrb- 2000 -rrb- canadian turf handicap -lrb- 2002 1996 -rrb- philip h. iselin breeders ' cup handicap -lrb- 2002 , , 2005 -rrb- salvator mile handicap -lrb- 2003 -rrb- united 1997 nations handicap -lrb- 2003 -rrb- arlington classic -lrb- 2008 -rrb- , 2009 -rrb- march 23 , 1963 spain calder race course hall of fame -lrb- 1997 -rrb- jose a. velez , jr. .
 jockey
jose a. velez , jr. .

`` to be distinguished from josé vélez spanish singer '' josé antonio vélez , jr. -lrb- born march 23 , 1963 in santurce , puerto rico -rrb- is a jockey who competes in american thoroughbred horse races .
the son of jockey josé vélez , sr. , he began his riding career at atlantic city race course in 1980 and won his first race later that year at the meadowlands .
he was the leading apprentice at hialeah park in 1982 , leading rider at gulfstream park that year and top jockey at calder race course in 1983 and 1985 .
velez was inducted into the calder race course hall of fame in 1997 .
in 1998 , velez won the meadowlands riding title .
in 2000 , he captured the maryland million classic , the monmouth breeders ' cup oaks , and the meadowlands cup .
he rode sei me to a runnerup performance in the $ 6 million dubai world cup in 2002 .
that year he won 10 stakes races at monmouth park , including the philip h. iselin breeders ' cup handicap , a race he won again in 2005 .
in 2003 , velez won the grade 1 united nations handicap aboard balto star and the grade 3 salvator mile handicap atop vinemeister .
