Veteran Jockey Seeks Third Derby Win
The famous race is due off at 11.57pm (UK/Irish time) on Saturday May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
At the age of 59, the remarkable Mike Smith will ride So Happy in the Derby, a colt that gave Mike his fifth Santa Anita Derby win on April 5th when staying on powerfully to beat another of this year’s Derby rivals, Potente, by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
So Happy’s sire is Runhappy, a son of 2010 Kentucky Derby victor Super Saver.
Mike has won the Derby twice: on Giacomo (2005) and the Triple Crown winner Justify (2018).
Baffert versus Pletcher
Potente’s trainer Bob Baffert is a six-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, those victories including the Triple Crown hero American Pharoah in 2015.
However, the Todd Pletcher-trainer Renegade has been all the rage in America following his very impressive win in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 28th, coming from last place around the turn to blast up the outside off a moderate pace and win by four lengths.
Has a serious engine and his rider Irad Ortiz jnr will be very hopeful of gaining his first victory in the great race. Renegade is by the same sire, Into Mischief, as last year’s Derby hero Sovereignty.
Todd Pletcher has won the race with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017).
Commandment Aims to Keep Up his Hot Streak
Commandment, who is also by Into Mischief, will arrive at Churchill Downs on the back of four-successive wins. Trained by Brad Cox, who won the Derby in 2021 with Mandaloun, he won the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28th on his latest start and holds plenty of scope for further improvement.
Sure, you can crib the Florida form, but he is tough and will be hoping to give powerful owners Wathnan Racing a first Derby success. Talented rider Luis Saez will also be looking for a first Derby success.
At bigger odds, The Puma has not gone unnoticed. He won a Grade 3 contest at Tampa Bay before losing out to Commandment by a short head in the Florida Derby. He’s on an upward curve of improvement and he’ll be staying on when others are running on fumes.
Javier Castellano, who won the Derby in 2023 on Mage, trained by The Puma’s handler Gustavo Delgado, takes the mount and his hopes are not forlorn ones.
Selection – Renegade
Famous Race Facts
- The author John Steinbeck once said of the Kentucky Derby experience: “It is a race, an emotion, a turbulence…one of the most beautiful and satisfying things I have ever experienced.”
- It is the longest running sports event in the history of the USA, dating back to May 17, 1875
- There were 10,000 people at the first running of the race; there will be over 150,000 people in attendance this year. The record is 170,513 in 2015.
- It is run at Churchill Downs; this name was first used in 1883
- In 1896, the distance of the race was changed from 12 furlongs to 10 furlongs
- The red rose became the official flower of the Kentucky Derby in 1904
- In 1931, it was permanently scheduled for the first Saturday in May each year
- In 1952, it received its first live national-TV coverage
- In 1970, Diane Crump became the first woman to ride in the race
- In 1986, Churchill Downs was placed on the register of National Historic Landmarks
- The rose garland was first awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner in 1896, hence the race being called ‘The Run for the Roses’
- The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of American racing’s ‘Triple Crown’. The other legs are the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes
- There have been 13 Triple Crown winners, the last six being Justify (2018), American Pharoah (2015), Affirmed (1978), Seattle Slew (1977), Secretariat (1973) and Citation (1948)
- No horse trained in Europe has ever won the race; the closest it has come to success is when Bold Arrangement, trained in England by Clive Brittain, finished second to Ferdinand, ridden by the late, great Willie Shoemaker, in 1986
- Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has had six runners in the Kentucky Derby, including the unplaced Mendelssohn, who won a Kentucky Derby qualifier at Dundalk in 2018 before then breaking the track record in the UAE Derby. The closest he has come to victory is when Master Of Hounds finished fifth to Animal Kingdom in 2011
- This year’s race will be the 151st running of the contest.
