Who are jockeys for Kentucky Derby 2026? Irad Ortiz to John Velazquez
· Yahoo Sports
Twenty riders will soon saddle their horses and nestle into the starting gate at Churchill Downs, bracing for the "most exciting two minutes in sports."
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After 1 1/4 miles, one will guide his colt from the dirt to the turf track, where a rose garland and immortality await – each their prize for winning the 152nd Kentucky Derby. As the field stands, 14 jockeys are eyeing their first victory. Six others seek to join an elite group of repeat winners.
Here's a look at the confirmed riders for Derby 152:
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Kentucky Derby horse:Renegade
Irad Ortiz Jr. is making his 10th Derby start aboard Renegade. Ortiz most recently finished 14th with Publisher (2025), but his best finish came with Improbable in 2019 (fourth). The 33-year-old Puerto Rican jockey has 100 wins and 123 other top-three finishes across 398 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Luis Saez
Kentucky Derby horse:Commandment
Luis Saez will make his 13th Kentucky Derby start aboard Commandment. Saez's best finish came with Essential Quality (third) in 2021. He finished 13th aboard Neoequos in 2025. The 33-year-old Panamanian jockey has 65 wins and 104 other top-three finishes across 371 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
John Velazquez
Kentucky Derby horse:Further Ado
John Velazquez has already won the Kentucky Derby three times (2011, 2017, 2020). Should he ride Further Ado to another victory this year, Velazquez will become the fourth jockey to win this race at least four times. The 54-year-old Puerto Rican would be in contention for a record-tying fifth Derby triumph had Medina Spirit not been disqualified in 2021. Velazquez has 47 wins and 70 other top-three finishes across 265 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Javier Castellano
Kentucky Derby horse:The Puma
Javier Castellano is making his 18th Kentucky Derby start with The Puma. Castellano finished fifth last year with Owen Almighty and previously won this race with Mage in 2023. He comes from a racing family, as his father, uncle and brother Abel Jr. have all worked as jockeys. The 48-year-old Venezuelan jockey has 46 wins and 74 other top-three finishes across 279 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Tyler Gaffalione
Kentucky Derby horse: Ocelli
Tyler Gaffalione is making his eighth Kentucky Derby start with Ocelli. Gaffalione’s best finish was second in 2024 aboard Sierra Leone. The 31-year-old jockey out of Kansas City, Kansas, has 69 wins and 140 other top-three finishes across 447 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Mike Smith
Kentucky Derby horse:So Happy
Mike Smith is looking for his third Derby win 21 years after his first victory in 2005 with Giacomo. Smith also won with Justify in 2018. Should Smith win with So Happy, he would replace then-54-year-old Bill Shoemaker, who rode Ferdinand to victory in 1986, as the oldest jockey to win the Derby. This year’s run for the Roses is Smith’s 29th. The 60-year-old has 10 wins and 16 other top-three finishes across 54 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Alex Achard
Kentucky Derby horse:Great White
Alex Achard will make his Derby debut Saturday aboard Great White after Silent Tactic scratched with a bruised foot. The 34-year-old French jockey began riding in the United States eight years ago and earned his first Grade 1 win at Keeneland in 2021. He has 19 wins and 30 other top-three finishes across 121 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Flavien Prat
Kentucky Derby horse:Emerging Market
Flavien Prat, winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby with Country House, will participate in his ninth Run for the Roses aboard Emerging Market. This is Prat’s sixth consecutive Derby. The 33-year-old French jockey has 82 wins and 103 other top-three finishes across 310 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Manny Franco
Kentucky Derby horse:Albus
Manny Franco is making his seventh Kentucky Derby start with Albus. Franco’s best finish came aboard Tiz the Law in 2020 (second), but Franco most recently finished eighth with East Avenue in 2025. The 31-year-old Puerto Rican jockey has 86 wins and 137 other top-three finishes across 355 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Juan Hernandez
Kentucky Derby horse:Potente
Juan Hernandez will make his Kentucky Derby debut this year after he was supposed to ride Skinner in 2023 until an elevated temperature ruled Skinner out the day before. The 34-year-old Mexican jockey has 48 wins and 87 other top-three finishes across 222 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Edwin Maldonado
Kentucky Derby horse:Pavlovian
Edwin Maldonado will ride in his first Kentucky Derby aboard Pavlovian. Maldonado was born in Ohio but spent most of his childhood in Puerto Rico, where his family is from. His career began in 2002, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle Manuel Alicea. The 43-year-old jockey has 20 wins and 40 other top-three finishes across 124 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Cristian Torres
Kentucky Derby horse:Robusta
Cristian Torres will continue an impressive season with his first Kentucky Derby start. Torres was the first rider to reach $5 million in earnings at the 2025-26 Oaklawn meeting in April. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican jockey has 51 wins and 100 other top-three finishes across 309 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Jaime Torres
Kentucky Derby horse:Incredibolt
Jaime Torres is making his Kentucky Derby debut six-and-a-half years after he started riding. The 27-year-old jockey from Puerto Rico won his first Triple Crown race in his first Preakness appearance two years ago. He has 14 wins and 32 other top-three finishes across 144 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Jose Ortiz
Kentucky Derby horse:Golden Tempo
Jose Ortiz is making his 11th Derby start and seeking his first win after placing second in 2018 with Good Magic and third in 2019 with Tacitus. The 32-year-old Puerto Rican jockey finished third in earnings and wins last year, according to his Equibase profile. He has 94 wins and 128 other top-three finishes across 368 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Ryusei Sakai
Kentucky Derby horse:Wonder Dean
Ryusei Sakai is back after finishing third aboard Forever Young in Derby 150. If Sakai can improve upon his first Run for the Roses performance, he could earn Japan its first victory on the first Saturday in May. The 28-year-old jockey has one win and three other top-three finishes across seven starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Atsuya Nishimura
Kentucky Derby horse:Danon Bourbon
Atsuya Nishimura is Japan’s second representative in this year’s Derby, which will be his first. The 26-year-old has won 18 graded stakes in Japan, according to TwinSpires.com.
Brian Hernandez Jr.
Kentucky Derby horse:Six Speed
Brian Hernandez Jr., the 2024 Kentucky Derby winner with Mystik Dan, will ride again with Six Speed in this year's race. Two years ago, Hernandez become the first jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks (with Thorpedo Anna) and Derby since fellow Louisiana rider Calvin Borel in 2009. The 39-year-old has 29 wins and 55 other top-three finishes across 200 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Junior Alvarado
Kentucky Derby horse:Chief Wallabee
Junior Alvarado, the reigning Kentucky Derby champion with Sovereignty, is back with another Bill Mott horse: Chief Wallabee. Alvarado aims to become the seventh jockey to win the race in back-to-back years. The 39-year-old Venezuelan jockey has 40 wins and 69 other top-three finishes across 251 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Hector Berrios
Kentucky Derby horse:Intrepido
Hector Berrios is making his Derby debut aboard Intrepido. Berrios and Intrepido have previously started five races together. The 39-year-old Chilean jockey has 24 wins and 56 other top-three finishes across 144 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
Martin Garcia
Kentucky Derby horse:Litmus Test
Martin Garcia is seeking his first victory in his sixth Derby start. His best finish was third with Dortmund in 2015. The 41-year-old Mexican jockey has nine wins and 24 other top-three finishes across 132 starts in 2026, according to Equibase.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2026 jockey list for Race 12 at Churchill Downs today