Tom Pedulla is interviewing prominent owners, trainers and jockeys as they travel the Road to the $5 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The final installment of the annual series features Umberto Rispoli, who will get a leg up from trainer Michael McCarthy on Santa Anita Derby winner and expected Derby favorite Journalism. The Curlin colt, out of the Uncle Mo mare Mopotism, owns two victories in as many starts this year and is 4-for-5 lifetime with $638,880 in earnings.

Rispoli, 36, whose family hails from Napoli, has won more than 2,000 races worldwide. The son of a jockey moved his tack to Southern California in 2020. He will be making his third Kentucky Derby start and has described Journalism as “the best dirt horse I’ve ever ridden.”

Rispoli discussed his international success, Journalism’s Derby prospects, and what it would mean to win his first Derby during a question-and-answer session conducted by America’s Best Racing.

PEDULLA: Your father was a jockey. Was he a big influence on you?

RISPOLI: I would say yes. He rode in the 60s and then he became a trainer in the 80s. That was my beginning in horse racing and I thank him for that.

PEDULLA: Why did you decide to come to Southern California?

Rispoli guiding Journalism to victory in Santa Anita Derby. (Eclipse Sportswire)

RISPOLI: A friend of mine put me in contact with [agent] Ron Anderson. Ron called me and said, ‘I’m 100% sure you can be one of the top riders in this country. You should come to America.’ I was in Florida and then he took me to California.

PEDULLA: Journalism made three starts at 2. How important were those to his development?

RISPOLI: I would say very important. Michael McCarthy was very patient with him and he gained a lot of experience.

PEDULLA: If you could draw up the ideal trip for Journalism in the Derby, what would that look like?

RISPOLI: I want to get him into a good spot going into the first turn, but I don’t want him to be too much in a hurry. It’s going to depend on the pace in front of him. He can be a horse near the front. If the pace is crazy fast, he can be toward the back. He has nice gate speed, which you don’t see too often for a big horse like him.

PEDULLA: He faced a small field in the Santa Anita Derby. Do you worry about going against a very large field in the Kentucky Derby and how he is going to react to the big crowd?

RISPOLI: When you face a small field, it becomes a jockey’s race. There are going to be 19 other horses in the Derby and at Churchill Downs that day there are going to be 150,000 people. I don’t think it’s going to be an issue.

Celebrating Journalism winning Santa Anita Derby. (BENOIT photo)

PEDULLA: Are you confident he can he get the mile and a quarter?

RISPOLI: One-hundred-percent confident. No doubt about it.

PEDULLA: How does it feel to be riding the Derby favorite?

RISPOLI: It’s great. I just love it. It’s a good field, but I have the confidence I can win the Kentucky Derby definitely.

PEDULLA: Are you feeling pressure yet? Do you anticipate being nervous?

RISPOLI: I feel positive. I feel confident. But, of course, I’m going to be nervous. Even the jockeys with the most experience are going to be nervous. You have to just go over there and do what you do every day.

PEDULLA: Do you feel that you will win the Derby with Journalism?

RISPOLI: I’m a positive person. I know it’s going to be tough. You have to be positive every day with everything in life. Even if I am on a 100-1 shot, I’m going to think I can win the Derby.

PEDULLA: What would it mean to you to win the Derby?

RISPOLI: It would be the best moment of my life because these are the things you want as a jockey.