John Velazquez
photo by Adam Coglianese

Jockey John Velazquez rolled through the first four races on Friday’s card at Saratoga Race Course, racking up a quartet of wins in a stellar afternoon at the Spa.

In race 1, a 1 1/16-mile maiden contest on the turf, Velazquez swung four wide into the stretch aboard St Pancras ($6.80) before drawing clear to win by two lengths. In the day’s second race, the Proud Spell overnight stakes, he set the pace aboard Love and Pride ($5.80), who romped by 6 ¾ lengths. Race 3 was another front-running score aboard Bwana Babe ($12.80), while Moshe Diane ($10) prevailed in a stretch duel to take race 4.

Velazquez, 39, sits comfortably atop the 2011 Spa jockey standings with 41 victories at the meet through Friday. Javier Castellano, his nearest rival, has ridden 31 winners.

The four wins Velazquez picked up on Friday bring his lifetime total at Saratoga to 642, seven behind his agent and mentor Angel Cordero, Jr. for second all-time in Spa wins.

Cordero finished his Hall of Fame career with 649 victories at Saratoga, while fellow Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey sits atop the leaderboard with 693 visits to the storied Spa winner’s circle.

Velazquez is the career leader in purses earned at Saratoga, with more than $39 million and counting. Bailey is second all-time in purses at the Spa with $38 million.

Feel What’s Real’s 23-1 upset victory in Friday’s finale triggered a $219,041 double Pick 6 carryover into Saturday’s TVG Alabama card, set to begin with the sixth race at 3:35 p.m. NBC will carry live coverage of the Alabama from 5 – 6 p.m.

Saturday’s card also features the weekly $500,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4 beginning in race eight at 4:39 p.m.