HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Jockey Miguel Vasquez notched his 1000th victory in the United States Thursday at Gulfstream Park, rallying late aboard The Blue Dragon in Race 4 to reach the career milestone.

“I’m very happy. Thank you to the trainers. Thank you to the owners,” Vasquez said. “I thank them for helping me.”

Vasquez, who attended the Laffit Pincay Jr. Technical Jockey Training Academy and rode about 350 winners in Panama, notched his first victory in the U.S. at Gulfstream Park West aboard Antonio Sano-trained KB Biorhythms Nov. 15, 2014.

The 27-year-old Chorrera, Panama native has won more than 120 races in each of the past five years, including a career-high 195 in 2020 and 177 in 2021. He rode six winners at Gulfstream on Aug. 15, 2020, one shy of the record for most wins in a day.

The unassuming Vasquez ranked seventh with 45 wins during the recently concluded 2021-2022 Championship Meet.

Vasquez’s No. 1000 did not come easy. After setting an uncontested pace into the stretch, The Blue Dragon ($5.20) received an outside challenge Momza, the even-money favorite who edged past him in mid-stretch. The Blue Dragon responded to Vasquez’s urging and fought back to prevail by a neck. The winner also had to fight off an objection and a brief stewards’ inquiry for a slight brushing incident turning into the stretch.