Not everyone who bets on horse racing bets on the horse. For some, it all depends on who gets the mount. The jockey listed in the program can turn Kentucky sports betting handicappers toward – or against – a particular horse.
The Kentucky Derby serves as an all-star race of sorts for the nation’s top riders, as jocks from all across the country and world converge upon Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. This year’s race appears to be no exception. Based on BetKentucky’s current projections, 12 of the top 18 jockeys based on their North American purse winnings are expected to be part of the 150th running of the race on May 4.
Most Successful Jockeys In Kentucky Derby 150
The list above was prepared for BetKentucky, where you’ll find the best Kentucky sports betting promo codes. The list is based on published reports and is subject to change. Up to 20 horses race in the Kentucky Derby, which uses a point system through a series of prep races to determine the field. If a horse is scratched after the post position draw this Saturday evening, another eligible horse can be entered up until 9 a.m. on May 3.
Six Wins Among Top Derby Jocks
Combined, these dozen jockeys have raced 86 times in the Kentucky Derby with six wins, five places and six shows. The wins by Flavien Prat (Country House, 2019) and Florent Geroux (Mandaloun, 2021) came after the initial winner was disqualified. That took a win away from Luis Saez on Maximum Security in 2019, whom stewards ruled interfered with another horse in the final turn of the race. John R. Velazquez was riding Medina Spirit in 2021, when that colt failed a post-race drug test. See our list of most famous Kentucky Derby winning horses in the run-up to Kentucky Derby 150.
Velazquez is the most experienced of the expected jockeys, having had 25 mounts. Even after the DQ in 2021, he still has won the race three times – most recently with Authentic in 2020 – tied for fourth-most all-time. The other rider with a Derby win to his credit is Joel Rosario, who crossed first with Orb in 2013.
Keith J. Asmussen, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, and Antonio Fresu, who came to the States last year from Europe, are expected to make their Derby debuts this year. Lanfranco Dettori, a highly regarded jockey from Europe, is making his first Derby mount in 24 years and his second ever.
Check out our Kentucky Derby 2024 odds updates page.
Futures Bettors Like Fierceness
We won’t know who the morning-line favorite is until the draw on Saturday night, and we won’t know the betting favorite, for certain, until a week later when the horses reach the starting gate. That said, we have a good indication of where the public may put its money, thanks to the futures pools Churchill Downs offered during the lead-up to this year’s race.
In the most recent futures pool, which ended on April 6, Fierceness came out as the 5-2 favorite, with a $2 wager paying $7.64. Sierra Leone was the second choice at 7-1 ($17.62), and Forever Young ($18.88), a Japanese horse and winner of the UAE Derby, came in third at 8-1. Ryusei Sakai, a prominent rider in Japan, is expected to get the mount.
BetKentucky.com is your source for in-depth analysis leading up to this year’s Kentucky Derby and for Kentucky sportsbook apps reviews. Be sure to watch for Derby week updates here and on X at @BetKYdotcom.
USA Today photo by Gregory Fisher
