From race debutants to others with decades of Derby experience, the jockeys in this year’s race run the spectrum.
Mike Smith, 59, is the undisputed elder statesman with 28 previous rides in the Derby, including wins in 2005 on Giacomo and 2018 on Justify. He’ll try to make it three wins while riding So Happy on Saturday in his record 29th Derby ride.
Jockey Mike Smith at Churchill Downs in 2022. Jamie Squire / Getty Images file
On Further Ado is 54-year-old John Velazquez in his 27th Derby ride. He has won in 2011 with Animal Kingdom, 2017 with Always Dreaming and 2020 with Authentic.
Then there are riders marking their first Derby races including Juan Hernandez, 34, on Potente, and 43-year-old Edwin Maldonado on Pavlovian. The race was about to feature 20-year-old Christopher Elliott in his first Derby, but his horse, Right to Party, was later scratched.
Flavien Prat, the jockey of Emerging Market, has earned the award for top jockey two years running, but Irad Ortiz, riding Derby favorite Renegade, has won the same award five times in the last eight years.