A Day in the Life of a Kentucky Derby Horse
Meet the Jockeys of the 2025 Kentucky Derby
Racing
From left to right: Jockeys Brian Hernandez Jr., winner of the 2024 Kentucky Derby aboard Mystik Dan, Umberto Rispoli, and Junior Alvarado all have mounts on leading candidates for the 2025 Kentucky Derby May 3 at Churchill Downs. (Eclipse Sportswire)
Winning the Kentucky Derby is the goal of any Thoroughbred jockey due to several factors. First, it’s the most famous and prestigious race in the world, and that’s enough for most riders. Second, it presents a challenge unlike any other race, requiring a jockey to navigate his horse 1 ¼ miles among a field with up to 19 opponents and in front of about 150,000 screaming fans. And, oh yeah, third: the victorious Kentucky Derby jockey will receive approximately 10% of the winner’s share of the purse, or $310,000 out of $3.1 million (from the total purse of $5 million this year).
The roster of accomplished jockeys for the 151st Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve May 3 at Churchill Downs includes six riders that have already won this race and five who are competing in the first leg of the Triple Crown for the first time. Let’s meet them.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 38
Originally from: Venezuela
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 5
Best finish: 4th in 2016 (Mohaymen)
2025 Derby horse: Sovereignty
One of the leading jockeys in New York and Florida, Junior Alvarado has perhaps his best shot at winning the Kentucky Derby with what will be his sixth starter in the race. He has been aboard Sovereignty for each of his starts save the last, a runner-up finish in the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa. Alvarado missed that race due to a minor injury, but he’s back now and will pilot the Bill Mott-trained colt in the Derby. Alvarado is the first-call rider for Mott and has been aboard several of the Hall of Fame trainer’s best runners in recent years, such as 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 47
Originally from: Venezuela
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 16
Best finish: 1st in 2023 (Mage)
2025 Derby horse: Owen Almighty
Hall of Famer Javier Castellano entered the 2023 Kentucky Derby having appeared 15 prior times without a win, a record that was mentioned often during the buildup to the race. By the evening of May 6, Castellano had put that discussion to bed after giving Mage a perfect ride to win the 149th Derby. What’s more, five weeks later he nabbed his first victory in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets aboard Arcangelo. This year, Castellano will ride Owen Almighty, winner of the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby and a colt who prefers to race on or near the early lead.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 30
Originally from: Puerto Rico
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 5
Best finish: 2nd in 2020 (Tiz the Law)
2025 Derby horse: East Avenue
Manny Franco has established himself as a perennial leading jockey in the most competitive circuit in North America – the NYRA circuit of Saratoga Race Course, Aqueduct, and Belmont Park. Based on that success, he’s become a fairly regular presence in the Kentucky Derby over the past several years, finishing second in the rescheduled September 2020 run for the roses aboard post-time favorite Tiz the Law. Franco will ride East Avenue in this year’s Derby and will most likely use that colt’s biggest weapon – speed – to vie for the early lead.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 40
Originally from: Mexico
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 4
Best finish: 3rd in 2015 (Dortmund)
2025 Derby horse: Citizen Bull
Martin Garcia has piled up accomplishments in his 20-plus-year career riding in North America, and he’s earned a reputation as one of the best pace jockeys in the business. Garcia is adept at getting his horse off to a fast start and then settling it down and reserving energy while racing on the lead, and he used that skill perfectly aboard Citizen Bull last fall when the colt won the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA. The Bob Baffert trainee figures to be vying for front-runner status again in the Kentucky Derby, and he’ll have to bounce back from a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby to have a shot at the upset.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 39
Originally from: Lafayette, La.
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 5
Best finish: 1st in 2024 (Mystik Dan)
2025 Derby horse: Burnham Square
It did not take long for Brian Hernandez Jr. to make an impact on horse racing, as he was honored with an Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey in 2004, his second year in the saddle. Twenty years later, the highly respected Kentucky-based jockey enjoyed a weekend for the ages as he piloted eventual Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna to a dominant win in the 2024 Longines Kentucky Oaks and the next day gave Mystik Dan a perfect ground-saving ride in the Kentucky Derby to post a thrilling nose victory. Hernandez became the eighth jockey to win both of those races in the same year, and he’ll now have a chance to become the seventh to win back-to-back Kentucky Derbys aboard Toyota Blue Grass Stakes victor Burnham Square.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 31
Originally from: Westminster, Md.
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0
Best finish: n/a
2025 Derby horse: American Promise
This will be a year to remember for Nik Juarez as he gets an opportunity to ride in the Kentucky Derby for the first time. He’s still relatively early in his career and has already held his own competing in major circuits in New York and Florida. Recently, Juarez has settled at Oaklawn Park, where he’s become one of the main jockeys for legendary Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. In March, Lukas gave Juarez the mount on American Promise, a strapping son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, after the colt had already made eight starts. Horse and rider paired up to win the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs in convincing fashion, and now they’re off to Louisville.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 37
Originally from: Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 1
Best finish: 2nd in 2023 (Two Phil’s)
2025 Derby horse: Chunk of Gold
Will the second Kentucky Derby be the charm for Jareth Loveberry? After building a successful career riding in the Midwest and Southeast circuits, the veteran jockey secured the mount on Two Phil’s in 2022-23 and was aboard for a series of strong efforts in Kentucky Derby preps, topped off by a win in the Jeff Ruby Steaks. In the Derby itself, Loveberry and Two Phil’s opened up a lead in the stretch but were overtaken late by Mage and settled for second. Now, Loveberry is back for another try aboard longshot Chunk of Gold, a colt he piloted to two runner-up finishes in Derby prep races at Fair Grounds.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 45
Originally from: France
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 2
Best finish: 6th in 2023 (Derma Sotogake)
2025 Derby horse: Admire Daytona
Christophe Lemaire has won some of the most prestigious races in the world since beginning his riding career in the late 1990s – the English Two Thousand Guineas, the French Derby, the Melbourne Cup in Australia, and a slew of stakes races in Japan, where he’s spent much of the last decade. He’s competed twice before in the Kentucky Derby, both aboard Japan-based runners, and will do the same again this year on Admire Daytona. That colt earned his spot in this year’s Derby by winning the United Arab Emirates Derby Sponsored by Jumeirah in gate-to-wire fashion. He figures to be one of several horses contesting the early pace on May 3.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 30
Originally from: Brazil
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0
Best finish: n/a
2025 Derby horse: Final Gambit
Riding horses is a family occupation for first-time Kentucky Derby jockey Luan Machado. His father, Ronaldo, was a jockey in Machado’s home country of Brazil and helped him develop his skills as a preteen before Luan attended professional jockey school. Since coming to the U.S. to ride full-time in 2018, Machado has won five meet titles at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky. That’s where he and Final Gambit scored a last-to-first victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks. They’ll look to attempt a similar rally in a Kentucky Derby that could produce a fast pace.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 41
Originally from: Brazil
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0
Best finish: n/a
2025 Derby horse: Luxor Café
Nicknamed the “Magic Man,” João Moreira began his riding career in South America before transitioning very successfully to Asia in the late 2000s. Since 2013, he’s been a leading jockey in Hong Kong, where horse racing is followed passionately by large crowds on a regular basis. That experience should help him conjure up a winning ride as he makes his first start in the Kentucky Derby in front of 150,000-plus revelers. Moreira will be aboard a legitimate contender, Japan-based Luxor Café, in the Derby after piloting the American Pharoah colt to a dominant win in the Fukuryu Stakes.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 32
Originally from: Puerto Rico
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 8
Best finish: 4th in 2019 (Improbable)
2025 Derby horse: Publisher
Generally considered to be one of the two or three best jockeys in North America, Irad Ortiz is still in search of his first Kentucky Derby victory. Surprisingly, none of his eight prior mounts has finished in the top three on the first Saturday in May. It’s probably only a matter of time before Ortiz fills out his impressive résumé with a Kentucky Derby win, but this year he has his work cut out for him as he’s set to ride Publisher on May 3. The colt is still a maiden (a winless horse) and comes into the Derby off of a runner-up finish in the Arkansas Derby. A maiden has not won the Kentucky Derby since 1933.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 31
Originally from: Puerto Rico
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 9
Best finish: 2nd in 2018 (Good Magic)
2025 Derby horse: Sandman
Like his older brother Irad, Jose Ortiz sits among the top echelon of North American jockeys. He’s had more success in the Kentucky Derby than Irad, finishing second aboard Good Magic in 2018 behind eventual Triple Crown winner Justify. This year he is competing at an elite level, having finished as the runaway wins and earnings leader at Fair Grounds during his first season riding full-time at the track. Ortiz has also done very well at Churchill Downs since relocating to Kentucky a year ago, and that could benefit him as he pilots Arkansas Derby winner Sandman, a come-from-behind runner, in the Kentucky Derby.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 32
Originally from: France
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 7
Best finish: 1st on Country House (2019)
2025 Derby horse: named on both Neoequos and Baeza
Flavien Prat’s 2024 was one for the record books, as he established new records for a North America-based jockey with 82 stakes wins and 56 graded stakes wins in a season. He also led all jockeys with 2024 purse earnings of more than $37.2 million and those accomplishments were more than enough to secure his first Eclipse Award. Prat has done very well in the Kentucky Derby with five top-three finishes in seven prior appearances, although his win in 2019 came after first-place finisher Maximum Security was disqualified and his longshot mount Country House was moved up. Prat is the assigned rider to Neoequos, who drew into the Kentucky Derby field April 25, and also on Baeza, who sits first on the also-eligible list and still has a chance to get in. He has first preference to ride Baeza should he join the field, and that California-based colt is this year’s “buzz” horse leading up to the race.
Coady Media
Age: 25
Originally from: Puerto Rico
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0
Best finish: n/a
2025 Derby horse: Flying Mohawk
In his seventh year as a professional jockey, Joe Ramos has reached the big time with his first mount in the Kentucky Derby. He had spent the early 2020s building a successful career riding primarily at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Turfway Park, but that momentum came to a swift halt a little over a year ago when he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in his native Puerto Rico. After recuperating, Ramos returned to the saddle late last summer and he just finished the competitive Turfway winter-spring meet ranked third by wins and purse earnings. One of Ramos’s highlights of the meet was riding Flying Mohawk to a runner-up finish in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, a result that now sends the young jockey to his debut Kentucky Derby.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 36
Originally from: Italy
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 2
Best finish: 9th in 2024 (Endlessly)
2025 Derby horse: Journalism
Umberto Rispoli has situated himself among the top tier of jockeys based in Southern California since moving to the U.S. to ride full time in 2020. That came after years of success competing first in his native Italy and then mainly in France. This year, Rispoli will wear the favorite’s hat in the Kentucky Derby as he’ll be aboard West Coast invader Journalism. He’s ridden that Curlin colt to three consecutive stakes wins in California, each coming in visually impressive fashion. Those victories are highlights of a very productive partnership between Rispoli and trainer Michael McCarthy – they’ve combined to win nearly 30% of their starts over the past year.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 40
Originally from: Dominican Republic
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 13
Best finish: 1st in 2013 (Orb)
2025 Derby horse: Tiztastic
Last summer, Joel Rosario was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. That act was in recognition of a career full of superlatives, including a Kentucky Derby win 12 years ago where he swept post-time favorite Orb from 17th of 20 horses to score impressively on a rainy day at Churchill Downs. Rosario is known for his finishing ability, and he’ll put that strength to the test this year aboard deep closer Tiztastic. Tiztastic won the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby with Rosario riding for the first time, and both horse and rider should relish some added distance in the Kentucky Derby.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 32
Originally from: Panama
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 11
Best finish: 3rd in 2021 (Essential Quality)
2025 Derby horse: Tappan Street
It’s hard to believe that Luis Saez is just 32 years old, as he’s been among the top jockeys in North America for well over a decade and has already amassed over 3,700 wins. Saez experienced the thrill of winning the Kentucky Derby back in 2019 … but only for about 22 minutes. The horse he rode to finish 1 ¾ lengths in front, Maximum Security, was subsequently disqualified for interfering with rivals on the far turn of the Derby. Saez has a good chance to extend that 2019 feeling for a lifetime this year as he pilots Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa winner Tappan Street, a colt that has only made three career starts but has improved in each of them and still has more potential to fulfill.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 59
Originally from: Dexter, N.M.
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 28
Best finish: 1st in 2005 (Giacomo) and 2018 (Justify)
2025 Derby horse: Rodriguez
A true ambassador of horse racing, Mike Smith returns to the Kentucky Derby for the first time since 2022. His nickname of “Big Money Mike” is deserved as Smith has collected trophies from just about every marquee race you can think of. In addition to his two Kentucky Derby wins, he has also tallied four seconds and one third, and Smith has a good chance to add to his in-the-money ledger this year with Rodriguez. He took the reins on that talented colt for the first time in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino, and steered him to a front-running victory that earned one of the best speed figures in this year’s Kentucky Derby field.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 43
Originally from: Peru
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: none
Best finish: n/a
2025 Derby horse: Coal Battle
Juan Vargas personifies the phrase “persistence pays off.” He began his riding career in his native Peru and came to the U.S. in 2008. Vargas found work as an exercise rider while gaining a foothold on the Midwest circuit, enjoying modest success in the mid-2010s before a dry patch late in the decade. In recent years, he’s been a fixture in Louisiana, and that’s where he met up with Coal Battle and trainer Lonnie Briley. Now, that trio is carrying the “little guy” banner into Kentucky Derby 151, and the Rebel Stakes winner is a live longshot in the race.
Eclipse Sportswire
Age: 54
Originally from: Puerto Rico
Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 26
Best finish: 1st in 2011 (Animal Kingdom), 2017 (Always Dreaming), and 2020 (Authentic)
2025 Derby horse: Grande
Over a career in North America spanning 35 years, John Velazquez has reached every professional pinnacle imaginable for a jockey while also serving as a dedicated advocate for his profession. The Hall of Famer is riding as well as ever, and he’ll regain the mount aboard Grande in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher, continuing their lengthy and productive partnership that includes a Derby win with Always Dreaming. Due to a commitment in Dubai, Velazquez missed riding the lightly-raced Curlin colt in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino, where he finished an encouraging second.
Related News
most popular
