Kentucky Derby 2022: Meet the jockeys who will be riding in the 148th Run for the Roses
The 148th Kentucky Derby is around the corner and every jockey is vying for a signature win on their record.
For some like Mike Smith and John Velazquez, they are hoping to add to an already impressive win total. The brothers Irad Ortiz Jr., and Jose Ortiz are back and hoping to best each other once again in a field full of top talent.
Take a closer look at those in contention for the 2022 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Printable guide: Print or save this Kentucky Derby betting guide before you go to Churchill Downs
Derby week: Kentucky Derby post position draw, lineup, odds, full field. Zandon, Epicenter lead way
Joel Rosario
Kentucky Derby horse: Epicenter
The scoop: Back for his second straight Kentucky Derby, Rosario rode Rock Your World to a 16th place finish last year. He has had great success as a jockey, though. He won the 2013 Derby on Orb and will be racing in his 11th Derby. He also won the Belmont Stakes twice, once in 2014 on Tonalist and in 2019 on Sir Winston. One of the most experienced jockeys in the field, Rosario has made 17,894 starts and has won 48 races in 209 starts this year.
Flavien Prat
Kentucky Derby horse: Zandon
The scoop: Winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby onboard Country Horse after the disqualification of Maximum Security. That was Prat's first Derby win, but he's not new to the race. He rode Hot Rod Charlie to a second-place finish last year as well after winning the Louisiana Derby last year. Prat has 6,017 starts with 273 of those coming this year resulting in 79 first-place finishes. He won the Grade 1 Blue Grass with Zandon on April 9 at Keeneland.
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Tyler Gaffalione
Kentucky Derby horse: White Abarrio
The scoop: Gaffalione is a third-generation jockey as his father Steve Gaffalione and grandfather Bobby Gaffalione were both jockeys, as well. Gaffalione has made a good career for himself and is returning to the Kentucky Derby for the fourth time. He ran Patch to a 14th-place finish in 2017, War of Will to seventh in 2019 and South Bend to 15th in 2020. He has 10,391 starts in his career with 1,816 career wins. He recently rode White Abarrio to a win at the Florida Derby on April 2, at Gulfstream.
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Kentucky Derby horse: Mo Donegal
The scoop: Currently the No. 1-ranked jockey, Irad finally beat his brother, Jose Ortiz, in Derby placing last year finishing eighth with Known Agenda. The three-time Eclipse Award winner Ortiz Jr., returns to the Derby this year riding Mo Donegal and hoping for his first Derby win. Ortiz Jr., finished fourth in the 2019 Kentucky Derby with Improbable but also has placings of seventh, 11th and 14th in his Derby career. Will he outlast his brother again and get his first Derby win?
Brian Hernandez Jr.
Kentucky Derby horse: Tiz The Bomb
The scoop: A last-minute scratch from King Fury kept Hernandez Jr., from competing in last year's Kentucky Derby. Now, he's back riding Tiz The Bomb and is coming off a Grade 3 win at the Jeff Ruby Steaks on April 2 at Turfway. The 2004 Eclipse Award winner for outstanding apprentice jockey is still looking for his first Derby win. His best finish in the prestigious race was eighth in 2017, riding McCraken, along with a 12th place finish in 2016 with Tom's Ready. He has 16,669 starts in his career with his most notable win being the 2012 Breeder's Cup atop Fort Larned.
Florent Geroux
Kentucky Derby horse: Cyberknife
The scoop: The winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby atop Mandaloun, Geroux is back riding a Brad Cox-trained horse in Cyberknife. Geroux is on the cusp of his sixth Derby and has a third place finish in 2016 with Gun Runner, an 11th place finish in 2017 with Hence, a 17th place finish in 2018 with Noble Indy and a 15th play finish in 2019. He rode Cyberknife to a first-place finish in the Arkansas Derby on April 2 and is looking to build on that with back-to-back Kentucky Derby wins.
Christophe Lemaire
Kentucky Derby horse: Crown Pride
The scoop: Lemaire only has 10 starts in 2022 according to Equibase but has four graded stakes wins this season, all with different horses. He wasn't the jockey for Crown Pride's last victory in the UAE Derby on March 26, but he brings a success jockey pedigree from overseas. He is a five-time Japan Racing Association's champion jockey and will be paired with trainer Koichi Shintani. Can that success translate into his first Kentucky Derby win?
Jose Ortiz
Kentucky Derby horse: Simplification
The scoop: The brother of Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose is ranked fifth in the Equibase jockey rankings with 83 wins this season. Coming from a family of jockeys, Jose has made a good career for himself with six Kentucky Derby races since 2014. His highest finish was second in 2018 aboard Good Magic, but is coming off a 17th place finish on Dynamic One last year. He was sixth in 2017 with Tapwrit, 18th in 2015 atop Upstart and fifth in 2014 with Samraat.
Mike Smith
Kentucky Derby horse: Taiba
The scoop: A two-time Kentucky Derby winner, Smith has all the experience needed to ride Taiba to a Kentucky Derby win. The Kentucky Derby will be just Taiba's third race but Smith won the San Anita Derby atop Taiba in April. He's hoping this can be his third Derby win after victories in 2005 with Giacomo and in 2018 with Justify. He rode Midnight Bourbon to a fifth-place finish in last year's Kentucky Derby. This will be the eighth straight Kentucky Derby appearance for the Hall of Fame jockey.
Corey Lanerie
Kentucky Derby horse: Smile Happy
The scoop: Lanerie will stick with Smile Happy after riding to a second-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in April. It was bested by fellow-Derby horse Zandon. Lanerie, though, has a history in the Kentucky Derby and will be making his sixth Kentucky Derby appearance. He finished second in 2017 aboard Lookin At Lee and finished 10th last year atop Sainthood. He also finished eighth in 2016 with Mo Tom, 15th in 2018 with Promises Fulfilled and 16th in 2014 with Harry's Holiday.
Reylu Gutierrez
Kentucky Derby horse: Barber Road
The scoop: Gutierrez will be making his first Kentucky Derby appearance, but comes in with experience riding Barber Road. He road Barber Road to a second-place finish in the Arkansas Derby and a third-place finish in the Rebel Stakes this year. Gutierrez has 3,339 starts in his career with 440 first-place finishes. The New York native will hope he can add the Kentucky Derby to his winnings on his first try.
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Sonny Leon
Kentucky Derby horse: Rich Strike
The scoop: In the Kentucky Derby field after a Friday morning scratch from Ethereal Road, Sonny Leon will ride Rich Strike in Saturday's Kentucky Derby. It will be his first Derby appearance as well. Leon enters the Derby with experience on Rich Strike having rode the horse to a third place finish the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on April 2 at Turfway Park. Though this will be his first Kentucky Derby and hasn't won a graded stakes race, yet, Leon has over 5,000 starts in his career with 393 coming this year. He's won 70 races in the 2022 season and now he's hoping to add his first graded stakes win in the biggest of them all, the Derby.
John Velazquez
Kentucky Derby horse: Messier
The scoop: The three-time Kentucky Derby winner is back for another run at the prestigious race. He won in 2020 with Authentic, 2017 with Always Dreaming and in 2011 with Animal Kingdom. This will be his 24th Derby appearance after riding Medina Spirit to what looked like his fourth Kentucky Derby win a year ago before the drama-filled disqualification. That would've been back-to-back wins for the jockey, but now he'll be looking for his fourth win again and second in three years.
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Mickael Barzalona
Kentucky Derby horse: Summer is Tomorrow
The scoop: This will be the first Derby for Barzalona, a French-born jockey. Barzalona has experience on Summer is Tomorrow, riding the horse to a 2nd-place finish in the Group 2 UAE Derby on March 26 at Meydan. He is mainly a French-based jockey, but can he leave his mark in his Derby debut?
Luis Saez
Kentucky Derby horse: Charge It
The scoop: Back for his ninth Kentucky Derby, Saez had his best finish a year ago coming in third with Essential Quality. While that was his best finish, he nearly won the 2019 Kentucky Derby atop Maximum Security before being disqualified. He served a 15-day suspension for careless riding in 2020 for the disqualification. Before last year's Kentucky Derby, Saez' best finish in the Kentucky Derby was a seventh in 2016 atop Brody's Cause.
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Rafael Bejarano
Kentucky Derby horse: Happy Jack
The scoop: This will be the 12th Kentucky Derby for the Peruvian-born jockey and his second straight appearance. He finished 13th on Hidden Stash last year. His best Kentucky Derby finish was in 2009 aboard Papa Clem when he placed fourth but has not reached the top 10 since that race. He has 21,599 starts in his career and has won 4,260 of those starts.
Manny Franco
Kentucky Derby horse: Zozos
The scoop: Franco was named Zozos jockey less than two weeks away from the Kentucky Derby. He'll ride in his fourth Kentucky Derby and his best finish was a second place ride with Tiz The Law in 2020. Franco has 11,757 starts in his career with 1,673 first-place finishes. Franco has not ridden Zozos in a race, yet, but will be hoping his first ride can also be his first Derby win.
Julien Leparoux
Kentucky Derby horse: Classic Causeway
The scoop: Leparoux enters the Derby with 13 appearances including a seventh-place finish last year with Helium as well as finishing sixth in 2020 aboard Storm the Court. His best finish in the Derby was in 2017 when he came in fourth aboard Classic Empire. He also rode Master Fencer to a sixth-place finish in the 2019 Derby, as well. The Frenchman has made 187 starts in 2022 with 187 wins.
Ricardo Santana Jr.
Kentucky Derby horse: Tawny Port
The scoop: Santana rode Super Stock to a 15th place finish in last year's Kentucky Derby. He's making his eighth appearance this year and will be riding Tawny Port. His best Kentucky Derby finish was in 2020, a fifth-place finish aboard Max Player. He also finished eight in 2019 on Plus Que Parfait, 18th in 2018 atop Combatant, 12 in 2017 on Untrapped, 13th with Creator in 2016 and 15th in his Derby debut in 2014 with Tapiture. This will be his sixth straight Kentucky Derby appearance, as well. He's hoping his eighth appearance can be his first Derbywin and add to the 48 winning starts he has in 2022.
Joe Bravo
Kentucky Derby horse: Pioneer of Medina
The scoop: Bravo is back for his fourth Kentucky Derby and first since he finished third in 2014 atop Danza. Bravo was announced as Pioneer Medina's jockey just before the draw on Monday afternoon but has not rode him in a graded stakes race this season. Bravo, though, has made 30,798 starts in his career with 114 coming this year. He's won 21 of his starts in 2022, but is without a graded stakes win this season. Pioneer of Medina entered the field Saturday after it was announced Early Voting wouldn't run in the race. Now Bravo has a chance to outdo his third-place finish in 2014.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Meet the jockeys of the 2022 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
