John Velazquez will arrive at Churchill Downs with the most impressive credentials of any rider in the Kentucky Derby. So, if you’re looking for a rider who’s capable of winning aboard a longshot, Santana might be your guy.īest finish: 1 st in 2011 (Animal Kingdom), 2017 (Always Dreaming) and 2020 (Authentic) He’s become one of the top riders in America – leading the Oaklawn Park jockey standings in wins from 2013-18 and again from 2020-21 – and he picked up a second Breeders’ Cup win last year while riding Fire at Will in the Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America. He came to the United States to ride in 2009 at the age of 16. and Braulio Baeza, Santana is a native of Panama. He’ll likely be moving late in the race again this year with Super Stock, a horse who closed from off the pace to upset the Arkansas Derby at odds of 12.20-to-1. enjoyed his best Kentucky Derby result last year when he rode Max Player to a late-closing fifth-place finish. The horse has only raced twice in 2021 after finishing second to likely Derby favorite Essential Quality in last year’s TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. For those reasons, Prat was tapped to ride Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie. He also has three Breeders’ Cup victories. In the years since, he’s won multiple riding titles in California and has stamped himself one of the best riders in the country. Prat’s first full season in North America was 2015, and he finished second in the standings of the Del Mar summer meet. in 2009 and began riding periodically during the winter in Southern California. That victory, at odds of 65.20-to-1, was the first win in a Triple Crown race for Prat, who grew up in France as the son of a horse trainer. Speaking of the drama surrounding the 2019 Kentucky Derby, the biggest beneficiaries of the Maximum Security disqualification were the ultimate winner Country House and his jockey Flavien Prat. The horse won his first career race at Churchill Downs and went on to win four more races in which he defeated a number of the horses he’ll go up against on the first Saturday in May.īest finish: 1 st in 2019 (Country House) This year, he’ll again have a legitimate shot at being aboard the horse who storms home first in the Derby as he’s scheduled to ride undefeated Essential Quality. Last year, he ranked third among all riders in the country in both wins and earnings. The painful setback didn’t stop Saez from continuing his climb up the ranks of the nation’s best jockeys. Saez was memorably – and lamentably for him – the rider aboard Maximum Security in 2019 when the horse was disqualified from first and placed 17 th for interfering with other horses in the race. While his Kentucky Derby record doesn’t show any victories, Luis Saez has crossed the finish line first in America’s most famous race. The horse earned his spot in the Kentucky Derby with that victory and Kendrick hopes to make the most of the opportunity in his first chance to ride in America’s biggest race.īest finish: 7 th in 2016 (Brody’s Cause) Carmouche added a second career Grade 1 victory to his résumé in early April when he shocked the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino with 72.25-1 longshot Bourbonic. Not only did Carmouche win his first riding title in New York this past December, he also won his first Grade 1 race of his career at Aqueduct when he led True Timber to victory in the Cigar Mile Handicap. As a rider who enjoyed a lot of success for years on the smaller Pennsylvania circuit, Carmouche decided to relocate to New York a few years to test his talents against some of the best jockeys in the country. The past six months have represented the best stretch of racing in the two-decades long career of Kendrick Carmouche. Elias with other partners) to a win in the Kentucky Derby in 2017. Elias Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher, which is the same team that campaigned Always Dreaming (partially owned by St. The horse has dramatically improved from race-to-race this year. He will have a very good shot at landing in the money this year as he’s scheduled to ride Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa winner Known Agenda. Yet, despite Irad’s success on the big stage, he’s yet to hit the board (finish in the top three) in his four prior Kentucky Derby rides. Irad and his younger brother Jose (more below on him) have become regulars at riding on big race days. At just 28 years old, Ortiz already has 11 wins at the Breeders’ Cup and a Belmont Stakes victory (Creator, 2016). He’s won three consecutive Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Jockey and he leads all riders in wins in 2021 by a wide margin. is considered by many to be the best jockey in America right now.
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