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 152^nd Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve May 2 at Churchill Downs includes five riders that have already won this race and six who are competing in the first leg of the Triple Crown for the first time. Let’s meet them.

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Junior Alvarado

Age: 39

Originally from: Venezuela

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 6

Best finish: 1^st in 2025 (Sovereignty)

2026 Derby horse: Chief Wallabee

Junior Alvarado won his first Kentucky Derby last year aboard eventual Horse of the Year Sovereignty, giving the come-from-behind runner a perfect ride. He’s got a solid chance to go back-to-back with Chief Wallabee, who joined the 2026 Derby field last week off of the also-eligible list. That Florida-based colt has only raced three times but has shown tantalizing potential. Both Chief Wallabee and Sovereignty are trained by Bill Mott, and Alvarado is Mott’s first-call rider – meaning he is option #1 for Mott when choosing a jockey.

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Javier Castellano

Age: 48

Originally from: Venezuela

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 17

Best finish: 1^st in 2023 (Mage)

2026 Derby horse: The Puma

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano filled a gap on his résumé three years ago when he swung Mage wide into the stretch and rallied from off the pace to win his first Kentucky Derby. Now, he’s back in Louisville riding The Puma, who has the same trainer (Gustavo Delgado) and some of the same owners as Mage. The Puma has been one of the more consistent 3-year-olds on the Derby trail, boasting a win in the ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby and a close runner-up finish in the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa.

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Christopher Elliott

Age: 20

Originally from: New Jersey

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

2026 Derby horse: Right to Party

Having just turned 20 on April 21, Christopher Elliott is getting ready for a major steppingstone in his career – his first ride in the Kentucky Derby. For advice on how to handle the hullaballoo of Derby day, he’s need look no further than his first cell-phone contact, as his father, Stewart, won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2004 aboard superstar Smarty Jones. That was Stewart Elliott’s first Derby mount, and in order to match his father’s mark Christopher Elliott will need to pilot longshot runner Right to Party to a momentous upset. The young Elliott was a finalist for champion apprentice jockey last year based on success riding in New York.

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Manny Franco

Age: 31

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 6

Best finish: 2^nd in 2020 (Tiz the Law)

2026 Derby horse: Albus

New York-based Manny Franco has been a fairly regular presence in the Kentucky Derby since 2019, missing only the 2021 and 2024 races. He rode the 2020 Derby post-time favorite, Tiz the Law, to a runner-up finish behind Authentic, which came after Tiz the Law and Franco won the Belmont Stakes in June. In a truly bizarro-world scenario, the Kentucky Derby was held in September that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was the second leg of the Triple Crown followed by the Preakness. Franco will pilot Albus in the 2026 Derby; that improving colt made the field with a sharp win in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino.

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Tyler Gaffalione

Age: 31

Originally from: Florida

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 7

Best finish: 2^nd in 2024 (Sierra Leone)

2026 Derby horse: Fulleffort

Tyler Gaffalione has established himself as a leading rider in Kentucky with multiple meet titles at the commonwealth’s two most prestigious tracks, Churchill Downs and Keeneland. He nearly scored his first Derby win two years ago in arguably the most exciting edition of the race this decade, when he urged Sierra Leone through the stretch only to fall a nose short behind Mystik Dan (and finishing a nose in front of Forever Young). Gaffalione takes the reins on Fulleffort for the first time in Derby 152. The gray or roan colt comes off of an impressive win in the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park and will be making his debut on a dirt track in the Derby.

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Juan Hernandez

Age: 34

Originally from: Mexico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

2026 Derby horse: Potente

It’s a bit of a surprise, but 2026 will mark the Kentucky Derby debut for Juan Hernandez, who has been a leading jockey on the Southern California circuit the past several years. He has established a particularly productive relationship with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, a six-time Kentucky Derby winner, and will ride Baffert’s Potente on May 2. That lightly raced and talented colt won the San Felipe Stakes Presented by DK Horse and then finished second in the Santa Anita Derby for Baffert, with Hernandez in the irons for both races.

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Edwin Maldonado

Age: 43

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

2026 Derby horse: Pavlovian

Veteran California jockey Edwin Maldonado makes his first Kentucky Derby appearance aboard longshot Pavlovian, who won one of his first eight starts before Maldonado took the reins for the first time in the Sunland Park Derby in February. Horse and rider hit it off, as Maldonado piloted Pavlovian to his first stakes win by a nose, and then the colt arguably ran even better in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, setting the pace and battling gamely before losing by a head. Maldonado is known for being a good pace jockey – i.e., skilled at getting his horses to run well while on the lead – and expect him to be aggressive riding Pavlovian in the Kentucky Derby.

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Atsuya Nishimura

Age: 26

Originally from: Japan

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

2026 Derby horse: Danon Bourbon

Atsuya Nishimura is an unknown to U.S. racing fans as he’s not only scheduled to make his Kentucky Derby debut, he’s about to make his first start in North America. The young rider, a graduate of the Japan Racing Association’s jockey academy, started his career in 2018 and this year is tied for fifth in wins on that circuit (the best one in Japan) through April 19. Nishimura has been aboard undefeated Danon Bourbon for the last two of his three career starts, including a 3 ½-length stakes victory in March at Nakayama Racecourse. Danon Bourbon is Japan-based but Kentucky-bred as a son of $2 million earner Maxfield, a five-time winner at Churchill Downs.

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Irad Ortiz Jr.

Age: 33

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 9

Best finish: 4^th in 2019 (Improbable)

2026 Derby horse: Renegade

Another year passes, and somehow Irad Ortiz, the leading jockey in North America, has yet to finish in the top three in the Kentucky Derby. This is no slight on Ortiz at all, more a reminder of how incredibly difficult it is to win the Derby. In his defense, Ortiz has only ridden the post-time Derby favorite once in nine appearances – and that resulted in his best result back in 2019 when 4-1 Improbable finished fifth and was moved up to fourth via disqualification. Ortiz has a good chance of riding the 2026 Derby post-time favorite as he’s on Renegade, a colt who has impressively won two prep races this spring with Ortiz in the saddle both times. 

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Jose Ortiz

Age: 32

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 10

Best finish: 2^nd in 2018 (Good Magic)

2026 Derby horse: Golden Tempo

Irad Ortiz Jr.’s younger brother, himself among the top jockeys in North America, has had more success in the Kentucky Derby. Jose Ortiz rode Good Magic to a runner-up Derby finish behind eventual Triple Crown winner Justify in 2018 and has finished third once and fourth once. Ortiz relocated from New York to Kentucky in 2024 and immediately joined the upper echelon of jockeys at Churchill Downs, while wintering at Fair Grounds in Louisiana and leading that track in wins by a large margin in both 2024-’25 and 2025-’26. Ortiz paired up with Golden Tempo at the New Orleans track and has rode him to two wins and two third-place finishes heading into the Kentucky Derby. Look for him to be rallying this deep-closing longshot from the back of the pack in Churchill Downs’ stretch.

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Flavien Prat

Age: 33

Originally from: France

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 8

Best finish: 1^st in 2019 (Country House)

2026 Derby horse: Emerging Market

He’s arguably one of the top two or three jockeys in North America, and one of the most successful Kentucky Derby riders in recent years as well. Flavien Prat has an overall Derby record of one win, one second, and four thirds in eight overall starts in the race, and last year he rallied Baeza to just miss finishing second by a neck. Prat’s Derby win came via disqualification as Country House was moved from second to first back in 2019 after Maximum Security was taken down for interference with several horses (but not Country House). Prat will ride Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market in this year’s Kentucky Derby. That colt comes into the race off of only two career starts, both wins with Prat aboard.

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Luis Saez

Age: 33

Originally from: Panama

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 12

Best finish: 3^rd in 2021 (Essential Quality)

2026 Derby horse: Commandment

Luis Saez experienced the thrill of riding a Kentucky Derby winner for around 18 minutes back in 2019, only to have Maximum Security taken down from first and placed 17^th in the field due to an incident in upper stretch where he interfered with several horses. Saez has been one of the most successful jockeys in North America for more than 10 years and on May 2 he’ll have arguably his best chance at grabbing that elusive Derby win since he rode post-time favorite and third-place finisher Essential Quality in 2021. Saez is scheduled to take the reins on Commandment for the first time in the Derby, and the colt comes into the run for the roses on a four-race winning streak, including game victories in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes and Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa.

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Ryusei Sakai

Age: 28

Originally from: Japan

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 1

Best finish: 3^rd in 2024 (Forever Young)

2026 Derby horse: Wonder Dean

Sakai, one of the leading riders in his home country, made a very good impression on U.S. racing fans in his Kentucky Derby debut two years ago. He rode Japan’s Forever Young to a thrilling third-place finish in the Derby, rallying the colt from off of the pace to finish a head behind winner Mystik Dan and a nose behind runner-up Sierra Leone. Sakai and Forever Young have since teamed up to win the $20 million Saudi Cup twice and also last year’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. The talented jockey now gets aboard another Japan-bred and -based runner, Wonder Dean, for the first time in the Kentucky Derby. Wonder Dean comes in off of a grinding win in the UAE Derby Sponsored by Jumeirah.

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Mike Smith

Age: 59

Originally from: New Mexico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 28

Best finish: 1^st in 2005 (Giacomo) and 2018 (Justify)

2026 Derby horse: So Happy

If Mike Smith wins his third Kentucky Derby on May 2, he’ll become the oldest jockey to do so, surpassing Bill Shoemaker. That legendary California-based rider won aboard Ferdinand in 1986 at age 54. Smith is already the second-oldest jockey to win the Derby, having done so at age 52 on eventual Triple Crown winner Justify back in 2018. “Big Money Mike” has not had a mount in the past three Derbys but is back this year with a live contender in Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy, a colt he has ridden in all four career starts.

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Cristian Torres

Age: 28

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

2026 Derby horse: Silent Tactic

Cristian Torres emerged as a successful young jockey a few years ago at Oaklawn Park, winning two consecutive riding titles at the Arkansas track in 2022-’23 and 2023-’24, He’s currently locked in a close battle for the wins lead at the current meet. Torres took the reins on Mark Casse-trained Silent Tactic in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn in February and guided the colt to an impressive off-the-pace win. He’s since stayed aboard for two runner-up finishes in Oaklawn Kentucky Derby preps and will make his debut in the run for the roses aboard a live longshot. 

Coady Media

Jaime Torres

Age: 27

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: n/a

Best finish: 0

2026 Derby horse: Incredibolt

Jaime Torres is no relation to Cristian but has in common with that colleague a rising career trajectory. He’s already captured a Triple Crown race, leading Seize the Grey to a gate-to-wire win in the 2024 Preakness Stakes for legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas. That victory was the 15^th and final Triple Crown race victory for Lukas, who died last June at age 89. Torres has paired up well with talented Incredibolt, steering him to wins last fall in the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs and the Virginia Derby Presented by New Kent County this March at Colonial Downs. Incredibolt and Albus are the first two Kentucky Derby horses for young trainer Riley Mott, son of Bill Mott.

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John Velazquez

Age: 54

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 26

Best finish: 1^st in 2011 (Animal Kingdom), 2017 (Always Dreaming), and 2020 (Authentic)

2026 Derby horse: Further Ado

At this point in his career, if Hall of Famer John Velazquez is assigned a Kentucky Derby contender, chances are good that it’s going to be among the morning-line favorites. In the past 10 years, he’s picked up his third and fourth Derby wins and also been aboard a first-place finisher in 2021’s Medina Spirit that was subsequently disqualified due to a medication violation. Velazquez did not ride in the 2025 Derby as his assigned mount was scratched, but he’s back in 2026 aboard “buzz horse” Further Ado. He’ll ride that colt for the first time in the Kentucky Derby and will seek to summon a performance similar to Further Ado’s blowout 11-length win in the recent Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.