Junior Alvarado
Venezuelan jockey (born 1986)
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Junior Rafael Alvarado (born May 20, 1986) is a Venezuelan jockey who competes in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Among his major victories are the 2025 Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes aboard Sovereignty, the 2024 Saudi Cup aboard Senor Buscador, and four Breeders' Cup races. He has also won the Whitney Stakes three times, in 2014, 2024 and 2026.[2][3]
As of August 13, 2026, Equibase credited Alvarado with 2,380 North American victories and more than $171 million in purse earnings.[1]
Early life
Alvarado was born on May 20, 1986, in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. His father, Rafael Alvarado, was also a jockey in Venezuela. His father intended for his son to be registered as Rafael Alvarado Jr., but his name was mistakenly recorded as Junior Rafael Alvarado.[4]
Alvarado began riding professionally in Venezuela as a teenager. He recorded his first victory on December 30, 2005, aboard Esteivana at La Rinconada Hippodrome near Caracas.[4] Following advice from his father that greater opportunities were available in the United States, Alvarado moved to South Florida in 2007. His first American victory came aboard Satira at Gulfstream Park on February 17, 2007.[4][5]
Racing career
Early United States career
In 2008, Alvarado moved his tack to Arlington Park near Chicago. He became the track's leading jockey in 2009, winning 110 races during the meeting.[5] His success at Arlington included his first Grade I victory, aboard Éclair de Lune in the 2010 Beverly D. Stakes. Later that year he relocated to New York and became a regular on the New York Racing Association circuit.[4][2]
During the early 2010s, Alvarado established himself among the leading riders on the New York circuit. He won the 2012 Prioress Stakes aboard Emma's Encore and added Grade I victories in 2013 aboard Strapping Groom in the Forego Stakes and Flat Out in the Cigar Mile Handicap.[1] In 2014, he rode Moreno to victory in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, one of the most important wins of his career to that point.[4]
Alvarado recorded his 1,000th career victory aboard Sherkis at Saratoga on August 25, 2014.[5] His subsequent major victories included the 2015 Madison Stakes, the 2016 Just a Game Stakes and 2016 Del Mar Oaks. In the 2016 Kentucky Derby, he rode Mohaymen to a fourth-place finish.[5]
In 2020, Alvarado rode Gufo to victory in the Belmont Derby Invitational, his first ride aboard the colt.[6]
Cody's Wish and major success
A major period in Alvarado's career began in 2022 when he became the regular jockey of Cody's Wish, trained by Bill Mott. Their victories included the 2022 Forego Stakes and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The latter was Alvarado's first Breeders' Cup victory.[7] That year Alvarado also rode Olympiad to victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.[5]
On January 21, 2023, Alvarado recorded his 2,000th career victory aboard Broadway Force at Gulfstream Park.[8] A week later he rode Art Collector to a 4+1⁄2-length victory in the Pegasus World Cup, his first win in the race.[9]
Alvarado and Cody's Wish continued their success in 2023, winning the Churchill Downs Stakes, Metropolitan Handicap and a second consecutive Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.[10][11] At the same Breeders' Cup meeting, Alvarado won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies aboard Just F Y I. His other Grade I victories during the season included the Frizette Stakes with Just F Y I, the Hopeful Stakes with Nutella Fella and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes with War Like Goddess.[12]
In February 2024, Alvarado rode Senor Buscador to victory in the $20 million Saudi Cup, then the world's richest horse race.[12] In August he won his second Whitney Stakes, guiding Arthur's Ride to a front-running victory at Saratoga.[13]
Sovereignty and 2025–2026
Alvarado became the regular jockey of Godolphin homebred Sovereignty, also trained by Mott. His opportunity to ride the colt in the 2025 Triple Crown series was nearly lost when Alvarado was involved in a spill at Gulfstream Park on March 23, 2025. He suffered a fractured right scapula, and was initially told he could be sidelined for at least six weeks. He returned to race riding at Keeneland on April 16, 24 days after the accident.[2]
On May 3, Alvarado rode Sovereignty to victory over Journalism in the 2025 Kentucky Derby, giving Alvarado his first Derby victory in his nineteenth year of riding in the United States.[2] Sovereignty did not contest the Preakness Stakes, but reunited with Alvarado to defeat Journalism again in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.[14]
The pair subsequently won the Jim Dandy Stakes and entered the Travers Stakes as heavy favorites. Sovereignty won the Travers by ten lengths, giving both Alvarado and Mott their first victories in the race.[15]
Alvarado's 2025 season also included Grade I turf victories aboard World Beater in the Saratoga Derby Invitational and Fort Washington in the Arlington Million.[16][17] In November, he rode Scylla to a 5+1⁄2-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, his fourth Breeders' Cup victory.[18]
On August 8, 2026, Alvarado reunited with Sovereignty to win the Whitney Stakes, his third victory in the race after Moreno in 2014 and Arthur's Ride in 2024.[3]
Alvarado has also received penalties for violations of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority riding-crop rules. After the 2025 Kentucky Derby, he was suspended for two Kentucky racing days and fined $62,000 after HISA determined that he had used his crop eight times on Sovereignty, two above the permitted limit. The fine was increased because it was his second violation within 180 days.[19] In June 2026, he received a three-day suspension and a $3,000 fine after using his crop eight times aboard Chief Wallabee in the Belmont Stakes; the ruling was his third crop violation within the preceding 180 days.[20]
Awards
Alvarado was the leading jockey at Arlington Park in 2009.[5] In 2023, he received the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, which is presented to a jockey who demonstrates sportsmanship and citizenship.[10] The following year, his fellow jockeys selected him as the recipient of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.[5]