Jockey who won 2023 Kentucky Derby was sponsored by Jeff Ruby

Update: Jeff Ruby contacted The Enquirer Tuesday to clarify his tweets about the winning jockey's pants. This story has been updated.

Riding atop of Mage, the winning horse at the 149th Kentucky Derby, was jockey Javier Castellano, who was sponsored by none other than Cincinnati restaurateur Jeff Ruby.

This was the first Kentucky Derby win for Castellano, who has been sponsored by Ruby for five years. He also wasn't the only jockey wearing the Jeff Ruby Steakhouse brand at the Derby.

Other Ruby-sponsored jockeys at this year's Kentucky Derby were Jareth Loveberry, who finished in second place on Two Phil's; Joel Rosario, the fourth-place finisher on Disarm; Irad Ortiz Jr. on Cyclone Mischief and John Velazquez on Reincarnate.

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But Castellano almost didn't wear the brand during the win, according to Ruby. The steakhouse owner tweeted that the owners of a different horse Castellano was originally meant to ride told the jockey he couldn't wear the pants "at the 11th hour," and Castellano was willing to forego the Derby if he could not wear the Jeff Ruby pants.

Castellano then ultimately switched to Mage.

The Courier Journal reported in a story originally published in April that Castellano switched from Raise Cain to Mage for the Kentucky Derby. Raise Cain is owned by Andrew Warren and Rania Warren.

Contact information could not immediately be found for Raise Cain's owners.

Castellano went to dinner at Ruby's Louisville steakhouse following his win. Ruby tweeted the jockey received a standing ovation, and he autographed a baseball cap.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky Derby: Jockey riding Mage sponsored by restaurateur Jeff Ruby