Kentucky Derby jockeys learn on the fly and the decisions they make during the most exciting two minutes in sports can change the course of history.
For a few of the Derby jockeys this year, the classic will be the biggest race they have ever been involved with and the moment can be overwhelming.
Enter Rajiv Maragh. The rider is the regular jockey for Irish War Cry and that hero of the Wood Memorial will be a major force in the Kentucky Derby.
This is not Maragh’s first trip to the rodeo. Maragh is a son of a jockey and the pilot won his first race in 2004. He has won some major races in his career including the Apple Blossom, Florida Oaks, King’s Bishop and the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2011. This will be his fifth attempt at winning the Kentucky Derby and he knows as well as anybody that Derby jockeys need to be perfect. Maragh was ninth with Mission Impazible in 2010. The next year he was third with Mucho Macho Man. In 2012 his mount Alpha ran twelfth and in 2014 Wicked Strong completed the superfecta when fourth.
Maragh is motivated as he was sidelined for over a year after a spill and you have to wonder if that will come into play if the pilot is caught in a tight spot. One of the hardest things for any rider to overcome is to try to get over the helpless feeling when something goes wrong. Make no doubt about, being a jockey is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
Brian Hernandez Jr. is another Derby jockey that will be learning on the fly. He made his first appearance in the Kentucky Derby last year and he ran twelfth with Tom’s Ready. He is one of a number of up and coming Derby jockeys but he is young and will have to mature in a hurry. His mount McCraken is coming off a fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes.
Hernandez, a Rajun Cajun at heart, won the 2004 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey. His biggest win came when he guided Fort Larned to a win in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic. Things have really gone Hernandez’ way this season. He has been riding two talented 3-year-olds, McCraken and Girvin, and he and his agent decided to roll with McCraken into the Kentucky Derby.
Hernandez is no silver spoon type. He grew up around horses and his father still is a jockey at Evangeline Downs. One thing Hernandez has in his favor is his knowledge of Churchill Downs. In the Churchill meeting that was held last fall, Hernandez did his job great. He won with 24 of 148 mounts to finish second to Corey Lanerie but more importantly, his mounts earned the most money of any rider. The horses he rode earned over $1.2 million and that is a handful for only 24 wins.
For Derby jockeys, pace is crucial to understand and to master. There are just so many ways things can go awry. A horse can draw the rail, which is considered a major disadvantage. A runner can become involved in a speed duel and that will not only hurt that runner but those that are also gunning into very hot fractions. Because of the big field, being blocked is always a concern. If a horse is stuck down inside in the Kentucky Derby, the rider has to be extremely patient and bide his time and save ground. If he moves too early and tries to chase those in front of him, he will not likely have enough left when the real running begins.
The fact there will be likely 20 horses in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby speaks volumes. It will be the most subscribed field any of these runners will encounter in their careers and how they adapt is pivotal.
Often times, winning Derby jockeys are not on the best horse, but the luckiest. And to make the point about luck, there are some major names that have had a chance to win the Kentucky Derby and have failed. Corey Nakatani is 0 for 18 in the big race. Robby Albarado and Shane Sellers each lost the Derby umpteen times. Star riders like Rafael Bejarano, David Flores and Javier Castellano have also blanked in the Run for the Roses.
Pace is the game, believe it or not and it gets lost sometimes in the hype of the day, whether it is the Kentucky Derby or Breeders’ Cup Day.
The distance limitations going into the Derby make the guessing game a lot tougher and the pace of the Derby is always crazy because of the grand stage it is on.
The importance of how a race sets up, who is going to the front, who is going to be far back, and who figures to be mid-pack is something Derby jockeys have to know a head of times.
For those that are wagering, fans need to know that often times in big races, the betting public overlooks the pace.
There is the media hype of big events. There is the talk of workouts and all the subplots that can come to the surface when speaking of a major event.
Just like the Derby jockeys, bettors must be aware of each entrant’s chances of being close to the lead. Of course, this is easier said than done. No race comes with its own crystal ball.
But when beginning the handicapping process on a single race, players need to be able to figure out whom, how fast, and how cluttered the early portions of the race figure to be.
Once that becomes clear, the race starts to come into focus.
Finally, with the Kentucky Derby around the corner, bettors need to keep an open mind. Things can change in a New York minute and the importance of post position cannot be underestimated. If a runner with contending speed is surrounded by other runners that have designs on the lead, that is not a good situation.
On the other hand, if a speed horse draws a post toward the outside, but several runners directly inside of him are speed challenged, that could propel the runner toward the outside to get a much easier shot at getting a good position early.
Again, pay attention to the local works at Churchill and stay focused.
