Johnny (don't call him John; we'll explain) Velazquez has been as solid a jockey who has ever called Saratoga Race Course his summer stage. He is the all-time leading rider at arguably the most competitive race meet in the world. The other day, he set a personal milestone with his 800th career graded stakes win. The TDN's Tim Wilkin sat down with the thoughtful, opinionated Velazquez outside the jockey's quarters. He picked his brain about various subjects, including his favorite sport other than horse racing, his favorite horse out of over 38,000 mounts and his fascination with the Marvel character Ironman. Here it is, the first TDN Saratoga Conversation of the season.TDN: Growing up, becoming a jockey was never something you thought about. True?Johnny Velazquez: Yes. I didn't watch races. I went to the races (in Puerto Rico) once when I was young. I had no clue.TDN: Did you want to play other sports? Baseball?JV: I played baseball. I played basketball a little bit. I was too small for both of them. When I was 13 years old, and I was playing with 13- to 15-year-olds. I have two older brothers, and they were playing baseball, too. I was playing second base, but then I was on the bench.TDN: Were you any good?JV: I was pretty good. I went from right field to shortstop to second base.TDN: Could you hit?JV: I could hit. Not powerful, but I was a good fielder. I did enjoy baseball.TDN: You are going to go down as one of the all-time greats in this game. Going back to when Angel (Cordero, Jr.) was your agent, you never got excited over winning championships like he did. He was a fierce competitor.JV: Angel dreamed about that all the time. He slept, eat, got up … that is all he would think about–racing and how many championships he could win. I didn't go that route. I was happy that I was learning my craft. Angel was like a teacher to me, like a father. I concentrated more on riding and learning to be competitive enough to do very well. I didn't know anything about racing when I came here (in 1990). I came here very green, other than going to jockey school in Puerto Rico. I came here, lived with him and it was through him that I learned the style of the jockeys, the trainers. You had to do your homework. It took time for me to figure out what I was supposed to do. Took 2 1/2 years. What made me happy was riding good.Angel Cordero with Johnny VelazquezTDN: Angel was more excited than you were when you won a big race or a championship.JV: (smiles) Angel was 'go, go, go!' I was like, 'calm down. I'm not like that!' I wanted to do well for myself and for everyone I was riding for. The rest of it is a gift, right? You do well, you get paid well, hopefully you stay healthy, and you get rewarded afterwards.TDN: The days of riding, nine, 10 races a day are gone for you, right?JV: I do it once in a while, but, no, I don't want to do that. I want to be content and happy riding. I don't want to feel like I am working. I am enjoying what I am doing.TDN: Is there one race that you haven't won that you would love to win? I can't find a big race that you haven't won.JV: To tell you the truth, the really important races, I have been very blessed. The Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont…Breeders' Cup races…all those big races, I have been very lucky to win them at least once. I am more about the competition and how can I win that race and how can I beat that horse? I am very competitive, and I want to have the opportunity to ride in those big races and win them. Not only win them, but learning how you get to win that race? Being competitive, that is what drives me.TDN: You are riding Nitrogen in next week's Whitney. Her trainer Mark Casse told me when you come into the paddock before the race, you will know everything about every horse in the race. True?JV: You have to. You have to know every horse in the race. I have to know who is coming from behind, who is in the middle, who has speed. All those things have to be in place when you get to the paddock, and be ready to talk to the trainer. Once the gates open, I have to be ready for everything.TDN: Favorite track.JV: Right here at Saratoga. When I first came here in 1990 and I was living with Angel, I don't know why, but we flew from LaGuardia to here and all I heard was Saratoga was such a special place and how special a place it was for him because of all he had done here: 11 riding titles in a row, 13 total. He told me all about Saratoga. I got here and I saw all the competition: Pat Day, Jerry Bailey, Angel Cordero, Chris Antley, Jorge Chavez…the best you could have. All those guys were fighting to be leading rider all the time. I think I won two races my first year here. I was excited just to win one! If you can do good at Saratoga, you are set for the rest of the year. Little by little, I got better and here we are. Thirty-six years later and I've done pretty good for myself.(Note: When we talked, Johnny V had 1,066 wins at Saratoga, the most by anyone in history)TDN: What is the biggest thrill you have had with any one race?JV: That is really hard, you know? Obviously, the Kentucky Derby is the most known race in the world. I would have to say winning the (2007) Belmont with the filly (Rags to Riches). It was my first Classic. I was always very conflicted about the feeling of winning the Kentucky Derby (three times) or winning the Belmont for my first Classic. They are all very special and all give you a different feeling but winning my first Classic…and the Kentucky Derby (smiles).Velazquez aboard Rags to Riches | Sarah AndrewTDN: This is an unfair question, but here goes. Can you give me your favorite horse you have ridden?JV: I have been very blessed to ride so many good horses and I have been given so many opportunities. I think Wise Dan (two-time Horse of the Year 2012-13, Hall of Famer) was very special. Ran on Polytrack, ran on dirt, ran on grass, and he ran like he never wanted to lose. Definitely one of my favorite horses. He was consistent everywhere he went. East Coast to West Coast. North, South. He was special.TDN: Do you ever think about retiring?JV: I always think about it. I'm not saying I never think about it. I talk to myself about it. I talk to my wife (Leona) about it. I am happy. I am doing well. I have some nice horses to ride. The day I am not happy, and I feel I am not getting the horses, I can say bye.TDN: You are in great shape.JV: I am. I am very healthy and very consistent and disciplined in what I eat and what I do and what I don't do. If I'm not happy that I am competitive, if I don't see myself feeling great on the horses, or feeling that I am strong on the horses, I have to walk away. I am 54 years old, and I ride shorter now than I did 12 years ago. It's much harder to do, but I feel better that way. That's my pride. If I can't do it the way I want to do it, then why do it?TDN: Favorite sport other than horse racing.JV: I would have to say baseball. I am a Yankee fan, but I follow the Mets because I have friends who play for them. I've been a Yankee fan since I was young. Living in Puerto Rico, that's all you hear: 'Yankees, Yankees, Yankees!”TDN: If there is a movie made about your life and you can pick the actor to play you, who are you picking?JV: Wow. That's a good one. Tough. Robert Downey Jr. Ironman! He is so good at everything he does. I saw him live on stage in Brooklyn. This guy does it all.TDN: Maybe he can ride a horse.JV: I don't know about that.Johnny Velazquez and Todd Pletcher | Sarah AndrewTDN: If you have a day just to yourself, what are you doing?JV: I like fishing. Very relaxing.TDN: Is there a rider today that reminds you of a young you?JV: Good question. Irad (Ortiz Jr.) to Flavien (Prat) to Tyler (Gaffalione). They are all very competitive and they are very good at what they do and very personable. They all have good heads on their shoulders. They know their craft, and they know what they are doing. You have to appreciate what they do.TDN: Who is the best-dressed jockey?JV: Right now, everyone likes more jeans and shirts. Maybe Javier (Castellano). He dresses more than anyone else in here. Nice pants, nice shoes…cool shoes. Nice shirts.TDN: If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be?JV: Very interesting. One of my favorite people and singers–I have met him, but I don't know him very well–is Marc Anthony. I am going to go back to my roots. I never met him, but Roberto Clemente was one of my idols. That is why I wear the No. 21 (the number Clemente wore during his Hall of Fame baseball career and Johnny V has it on his riding helmet). I would have loved to have met him. And an actor. Robert Downey Jr.!TDN: Did you ever watch the Ironman movies?JV: I watched them all!TDN: I know where this is going, but if you were one of the Avengers, which one would you be?JV: Ironman! Heck yes!TDN: If you could have a superpower, what would it be?JV: That's a tough one. Superman could do everything, right? He could fly; he could do it all. X-ray vision, super hearing. That's why they call him Superman.TDN: Favorite holiday.JV: I am not big on holidays because we work on holidays. I will say Christmas. The only time when we get to spend time with the family. Thanksgiving is almost the same.TDN: Do you get a lot of people, here especially, when you are going to the paddock, they are yelling at you to give them a horse?JV: They don't ask for horses here. It's 'good luck, I hope you win.' Or, 'I am betting on you.' It's very strange. Sometimes it's, 'I am betting on you. You better win.' (smiles).TDN: It's probably a little different at places like, say, the old Aqueduct.JV: Oh yeah.TDN: Is Johnny Velazquez happy right now?JV: I am at a stage of my life where I am very happy where I am. We spend a lot of time with family and friends. Looking forward to what comes next. I don't know yet what is going to come next when I do decide to walk away. I could do nothing, but I can't do nothing.TDN: Will you try to stay in the game?JV: I think I will. I will never train; I will never be a jockey agent. I will have to see.TDN: How about TV?JV: I wouldn't mind doing that. Talking about racing.TDN: Does it seem that time has just flown by since you started riding?JV: There was a time when I thought time was not moving at all. Now, I really think the time has gone by very fast. With my two kids out of the house, it feels like it is going too fast now. You don't get to see them much, although Michael (23) works here (at Saratoga, in production) and I get to see him. Lerina (29) is in Brooklyn and works in the city. I worry less about them because they have their own lives, but you always worry. They are both doing well and, hopefully they make very few mistakes. I always tell them to do their best.TDN: People know you as Johnny V. Do you have another nickname?JV: JR. JRV. First of all, I don't have a middle name.TDN: Where did JRV come from?JV: Rodriguez is my mom's last name. When I came to New York, Jorge Velasquez was riding, too. They wanted to differentiate my name from his name, so they put JR on my name and that as the difference between me and Jorge. So, JRV. And John. That is not my name either. My name is Johnny. That is my legal name. That is on my birth certificate.TDN: I did not know that.JV: That's my name. My real name.The post The Saratoga Conversation: Johnny Velazquez appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.