With the Kentucky Derby post position draw now less than a week away, I thought it would prove interesting to take a look at the current top twenty contenders by graded earnings and compile a list of their prospective riders. Here is that list, with the names of Derby-winning jockeys in bold.
Alpha - Unknown jockey
Bodemeister - Mike Smith
Creative Cause - Joel Rosario
Daddy Long Legs - Colm O'Donoghue
Daddy Nose Best - Garrett Gomez
Done Talking - Russell Sheldon
Dullahan - Kent Desormeaux
El Padrino - Rafael Bejarano
Gemologist - Javier Castellano
Hansen - Ramon Dominguez
I'll Have Another - Mario Gutirrez
Liaison - Martin Garcia
Mark Valeski - Rosie Napravnik
Prospective - Luis Contreras
Rousing Sermon - Unknown jockey
Sabercat - Corey Nakatani
Take Charge Indy - Calvin Borel
Trinniberg - Willie Martinez
Union Rags - Julien Leparoux
Went the Day Well - John Velazquez
Only two colts do not have a confirmed Derby jockey, those being Alpha and Rousing Sermon. If I were to take a guess on which riders will be selected, I would say that Alan Garcia will be chosen to ride Alpha, and Russell Baze or Robby Albarado will be assigned to Rousing Sermon. Of course, there are plenty of other top-notch riders out there without Derby mounts, and any one of them would make a good choice, but those are my best guesses.
Of the four jockeys in the race to have previously won the Derby, Calvin Borel and Kent Desormeaux have both won the race three times. Mike Smith and John Velazquez each have a single victory to their credit, with Velazquez's victory coming last year aboard Animal Kingdom.
As for Borel, he made himself a Derby legend when he won three Derbies in four years, and has an excellent chance of bringing that record to four wins in six years when he rides Take Charge Indy this year. Winner of the Florida Derby (gr. I) over Union Rags, Take Charge Indy has the speed to be a contender from the start, the pedigree to run a mile and a quarter or beyond, and as long as he draws a good post position, he should have every chance in the homestretch.
-Keelerman
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