The Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve is where lifelong dreams are made for anyone who has ever aspired to a career in racing. For the jockeys, making it to the Derby starting gate just once is considered a major accomplishment.

This year at Churchill Downs for the 150^th running of the Kentucky Derby, the jockeys entering the starting gate will represent nine separate nations and three continents, from Europe to Asia to North America. The riders also range in age from 25 to 53. For some of the jockeys, it’ll be their first time in America’s greatest race. For others, it’ll likely be a final opportunity to etch their names into racing history.

Let’s take a closer look at the jockeys for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, presented in alphabetical order.

Eclipse Sportswire

Junior Alvarado

Age: 37

Originally from: Venezuela

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 4

Best finish: 4^th in 2016 (Mohaymen)

2024 Derby horse: Resilience

Junior Alvarado’s career in the U.S. started back in 2007. While he’s often been near the top of the national jockey leaderboard, he’s taken his game to new heights the last two years. Alvarado rode fan favorite Cody’s Wish to back-to-back wins in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2022-2023. He also won the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last year (aboard Just F Y I) en route to a career-best annual earnings total of nearly $13.4 million. He’ll try to add to his rapidly-growing résumé when he rides impressive Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino winner Resilience in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Eclipse Sportswire

Keith Asmussen

Age: 25

Originally from: Texas

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

2024 Derby horse: Just Steel

He might be the youngest rider in this year’s Kentucky Derby field, but Keith Asmussen’s racing roots go back generations. The 25-year-old is the son of the all-time winningest trainer in North American racing history, Steve Asmussen. Keith’s uncle, Cash Asmussen, was a riding champion in Europe and racked up more than 3,000 total wins as a jockey. It was just four years ago that Keith got his first win and less than two years since he committed to riding full time (he was in school during that span and graduated from the University of Texas in 2022). Not only will Asmussen ride the Derby this year for the first time (he’s on Arkansas Derby runner-up Just Steel), he’s also set to ride Lemon Muffin in his first Longines Kentucky Oaks (the Derby for female horses) on May 3. Both mounts will be for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Coady Media

Adam Beschizza

Age: 32

Originally from: England

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 1

Best finish: 7^th in 2020 (Enforceable)

2024 Derby horse: Epic Ride (also-eligible)

Time flies when you’re having fun – and winning races. It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that Adam Beschizza arrived in the U.S. from his native England in an attempt to relaunch his riding career at the Fair Grounds. Beschizza was an immediate success, finishing just one win shy of the jockey title in 2017-18. Since then, he’s won 10 graded stakes races at tracks in Louisiana, Kentucky, Florida, Texas and even Canada. Now, he’ll get his second shot in the Kentucky Derby. Beschizza will be aboard Epic Ride in Derby 150 after the colt drew into the main field off of the also-eligble list. The colt projects to be a longshot following a third-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in his most recent start.

Coady Media

Jesus Castanon

Age: 51

Originally from: Mexico

Previous rides in the Derby: 1

Best finish: 4^th in 2011 (Shackleford)

2024 Derby horse: West Saratoga

It’s been more than a decade since Jesus Castanon has had a shot at Kentucky Derby glory. The journeyman, originally from Mexico, is from a family of trainers and jockeys. Castanon’s wife, Roly, is a trainer and used to ride too. In 35 years as a jockey, Castanon has won more than 2,700 races. His biggest victory was aboard Shackleford in the 2011 Preakness Stakes, which came one race after Castanon rode him to a fourth-place finish in the Derby. Castanon’s opportunities in major national races have been limited since then. That’ll change on Derby day when he rides West Saratoga, runner-up to Endlessly in his most recent start, the Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Eclipse Sportswire

Ben Curtis

Age: 34

Originally from: Ireland

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

His 2024 Derby horse: Honor Marie

Another first-time Derby rider, Ben Curtis probably never expected to be in the position he’s in when he first arrived in the U.S. last year. After having success riding in Europe, he made the move to Louisiana last year to ride at Fair Grounds. Between then and now, he’s racked up nearly 45 wins but his big break came when he got a late shot at riding Honor Marie in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. He ended up guiding the horse to an impressive second-place finish in the race, securing the points needed for Honor Marie to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

Eclipse Sportswire

Frankie Dettori

Age: 53

Originally from: Italy

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 1

Best finish: 6^th in 2000 (China Visit)

2024 Derby horse: Society Man

Just when we thought the long and legendary career of Frankie Dettori might be winding down, the 53-year-old champion jockey will this year make his first Kentucky Derby start since 2000. Dettori had announced his retirement last year and spent most of 2023 on an international racing farewell tour. Dettori had already racked up more than 3,300 wins in Europe and 15 victories in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. But he ultimately decided to keep riding into 2024, and rather than going back to Europe – where he’s enjoyed much of his success – he opted to stay in California. Not only is Dettori winning at a solid 20-percent clip this year (he even won six races in one day in April), he’s also landed his second career Kentucky Derby starter in Society Man. The horse recently finished second to Resilience in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino at odds of 106.75-1.

Eclipse Sportswire

Antonio Fresu

Age: 32

Originally from: Italy

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

2024 Derby horse: Stronghold

It hasn’t taken long for Antonio Fresu to take to American racing. A native of Italy, Fresu has spent most of his career riding overseas, most recently in Dubai. But since landing in Southern California last year, Fresu has racked up win after win and he’s scored 10 victories in graded stakes races. The two most recent of those came aboard Stronghold in the Sunland Park Derby and the Santa Anita Derby. The latter was Fresu’s biggest win to date and it also put Stronghold into the conversation of serious contenders for the Kentucky Derby.

Eclipse Sportswire

Tyler Gaffalione

Age: 29

Originally from: Florida

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 6

Best finish: 7^th in 2019 (War of Will)

2024 Derby horse: Sierra Leone

Tyler Gaffalione just keeps getting better – and he has the stats to back it up. His purse earnings total has gone up every single year of his 10-year-career, topping out at nearly $30 million in 2023. A native of South Florida, Gaffalione cut his teeth riding in the Sunshine State but he’s won just about everywhere he’s been. At the recently completed Keeneland meet, Gaffalione was again near the top of the jockey standings, aided in part by winning the featured Toyota Blue Grass Stakes aboard Sierra Leone. That victory also cemented Sierra Leone’s status as one of the favorites to win this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Eclipse Sportswire

Florent Geroux

Age: 37

Originally from: France

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 7

Best finish: Won in 2021 (Mandaloun)

2024 Derby horse: Just a Touch

It’s not often that a jockey wins the Kentucky Derby nine months after the race is run but that’s exactly what happened to Florent Geroux. His 2021 mount, Mandaloun, crossed the finish line second to Medina Spirit. It wasn’t until months later that Medina Spirit was disqualified and Geroux’s horse, Mandaloun, was declared the winner. Geroux’s other career highlights include eight victories at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. His Derby hope this year is a horse named Just a Touch. While lightly raced, Just a Touch has shown flashes of real ability in his three starts. In his final prep race for the Derby he finished second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes to the highly-regarded Sierra Leone.

Eclipse Sportswire

Brian Hernandez Jr.

Age: 38

Originally from: Louisiana

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 4

Best finish: 8^th in 2017 (McCraken)

2024 Derby horse: Mystik Dan

A native of Louisiana, Brian Hernandez Jr. has left several marks on racing throughout his two-decades long career. He won the 2004 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey and in the years since has tallied more than 2,500 victories. His career highlight was winning the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic aboard Fort Larned. So far, Kentucky Derby success has eluded Hernandez but he’s scheduled to ride an interesting contender in this year’s race. He’ll be aboard Southwest Stakes winner Mystik Dan for trainer Kenny McPeek. Hernandez and McPeek have teamed up for multiple significant wins over the years.

Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photo

Emisael Jaramillo

Age: 47

Originally from: Venezuela

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 1

Best finish: 18^th in 2016 (Majesto)

2024 Derby horse: Grand Mo the First

Now in his tenth year riding in America, Emisael Jaramillo has firmly entrenched himself as one of the top riders in South Florida. A native of Venezuela, Jaramillo was a leading rider in his home country before moving to the U.S. where he has now won more than 1,600 races. He has also captured 17 graded stakes victories. Much of his success has come at his home track of Gulfstream Park where his Kentucky Derby mount Grand Mo the First last raced in the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm at Xalapa. The colt finished third in that race behind returning Kentucky Derby opponents Fierceness and Catalytic. 

Eclipse Sportswire

Kazushi Kimura

Age: 24

Originally from: Japan

Previous rides in the Derby: 1

Best finish: 12^th in 2023 (Mandarin Hero)

2024 Derby horse: T O Password

The label of “sensation” absolutely applies to Kazushi Kimura. He’s hardly known the feeling of failure since emigrating to Canada in 2018. Kimura has been amongst the leaders in wins at Woodbine Racetrack every season since he’s arrived and in 2023 he wrapped up his third consecutive riding title at Woodbine. Kimura’s ascent continued last May when he landed his first Kentucky Derby mount on Mandarin Hero. Kimura will hope to use that experience to earn a better placing in this year’s Derby when he rides Japanese-bred T O Password. T O Password is undefeated, but history suggests he’ll be a longshot since he’s only raced twice (and at lower levels of competition) so far.

Eclipse Sportswire

Irad Ortiz Jr.

Age: 31

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 7

Best finish: 4^th in 2019 (Improbable)

2024 Derby horse: Domestic Product

Irad Ortiz Jr. is statistically the best all-around jockey in America and he’s been “that guy” for a while now. In January, he scored his fifth Eclipse Award (in six years) as the nation’s top rider. His three wins at the 2023 Breeders’ Cup gave Ortiz a total of 20 victories for his career at the World Championships (just seven fewer than all-time leader Mike Smith). The only glaring soft spot on the résumé for Ortiz is his lack of success in the Kentucky Derby. He’s ridden in the race seven times and has never finished in the top three – and that’s not like Irad Ortiz. He’ll look to change the trend when he rides Domestic Product in this year’s Derby. The horse comes off a win in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby in March.

Eclipse Sportswire

Jose Ortiz

Age: 30

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Derby: 8

Best finish: Second in 2018 (Good Magic)

2024 Derby horse: Catalytic

The younger brother of jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz has a slight edge over Irad in Kentucky Derby starts and overall success in the race. In his eight previous starts in the Derby, Jose has four times finished among the top five finishers. In 2019, he finished third in the race aboard Tacitus; a year earlier he finished second with Good Magic. Last year, he was a distant 14^th on well-regarded Kingsbarns. He’ll look for an improved performance on May 4 when he rides the lightly-raced Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa runner-up Catalytic.

Eclipse Sportswire

Flavien Prat

Age: 31

Originally from: France

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 6

Best finish: Won in 2019 (Country House)

2024 Derby horse: Catching Freedom

A native of France who also started his riding career there, Flavien Prat has proven to be as much of a force in America’s premier races as any jockey in recent years. Remarkably, since 2017, Prat has ridden in the Kentucky Derby six times and in five of those races he’s finished in the top three. In 2019, Prat was the beneficiary of a disqualification that moved his horse Country House into the winner’s circle at longshot odds of 65.20-1. Last year, he finished third in the Derby aboard Angel of Empire, who was trained by Brad Cox and owned by Albaugh Family Stables. Prat will reunite with that same owner/trainer combo this year when he rides Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom.

Eclipse Sportswire

Umberto Rispoli

Age: 35

Originally from: Italy

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 1

Best finish: 14^th in 2021 (Brooklyn Strong)

2024 Derby horse: Endlessly

In just his fifth year riding full-time in America, Umberto Rispoli will get his second shot at the Kentucky Derby. Rispoli has traveled the world as top-tier rider, beginning in his native Italy where he was a champion jockey. He then moved to France, Hong Kong and ultimately the United States. He’ll hope to improve upon his 14^th-place finish in his first Derby attempt back in 2021 when he rides Endlessly this year. Rispoli was aboard the horse for his back-to-back wins in the El Camino Real Derby and Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Eclipse Sportswire

Joel Rosario

Age: 39

Originally from: Dominican Republic

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 12

Best finish: Won in 2013 (Orb)

2024 Derby horse: Track Phantom

Just this past week, Joel Rosario was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. That’s quite the feat for a jockey who hasn’t yet turned 40. The highlight of his brilliant career thus far came at Churchill Downs in 2013 when Rosario won the Kentucky Derby aboard Orb. That same year he finished second in the country in overall earnings. He has been in the top six in that category every year since. Rosario was the nation’s leading money-earner in 2021 when he won an Eclipse Award. In this year’s Derby, Rosario will ride front-running Track Phantom.

Eclipse Sportswire

Luis Saez

Age: 31

Originally from: Panama

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 10

Best finish: 3^rd in 2021 (Essential Quality)

2024 Derby horse: Dornoch

One of the fiercest finishers on the back of a horse, Luis Saez has nearly 3,500 career wins and a Belmont Stakes victory to his name. You could say Saez has been “knocking on the door” at the Kentucky Derby too. It was five years ago when Saez crossed the wire first aboard Maximum Security in the run for the roses, only to be disqualified and placed 17^th for interference. In 2021, Saez had his best official finish in the Derby when he was third aboard Essential Quality. Could he break through this year with Dornoch (pronounced door-knock) in the Kentucky Derby? The horse is owned in part by former Major League Baseball All Star Jayson Werth. Dornoch won the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes in March and most recently finished fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.

Eclipse Sportswire

Ryusei Sakai

Age: 26

Originally from: Japan

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 0

Best finish: n/a

2024 Derby horse: Forever Young

Ryusei Sakai was supposed to make his first start in the Kentucky Derby last year, but two days before the race his horse Continuar was withdrawn. Originally from Japan, Sakai is already a household name on the international racing scene. At 18, as an apprentice jockey, he traveled to South Australia and rode in the prestigious Caulfield Cup. In 2022, Sakai scored his first Group 1 win in Japan’s Shuka Sho Stakes on a horse named Stunning Rose. And while Continuar never made the Derby gate last year, Sakai is hopeful about his mount this year, Forever Young. Bred in Japan, Forever Young is undefeated through five races won the UAE Derby Sponsored by Atlantis The Royal in Dubai in his most recent start.

Eclipse Sportswire

Joe Talamo

Age: 34

Originally from: Louisiana

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 3

Best finish: 14^th in 2020 (Attachment Rate)

2024 Derby horse: Mugatu

Joe Talamo is tabbed to ride also-eligible Mugatu, who will need two defections to draw into the Kentucky Derby field. If Mugatu does draw in, he’ll be one of the longest shots in the race. Talamo was the named rider on the morning-line favorite for the 2009 Derby, I Want Revenge, but that colt was withdrawn on the day of the race due to an ankle injury. Back then, Talamo was two years removed from winning the Eclipse Award as Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 2007. He’s won over 2,300 races in his career, including one Breeders’ Cup race, and is currently based in Kentucky.

Eclipse Sportswire

John Velazquez

Age: 52

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Kentucky Derby: 25

Best finish: Won in 2011 (Animal Kingdom), 2017 (Always Dreaming), and 2020 (Authentic)

2024 Derby horse: Fierceness

No jockey in this year’s field boasts a deeper Derby résumé than John Velazquez. One of the greatest riders of his generation, Velazquez has won the Kentucky Derby three times and, at age 52, is still scoring big wins like last year’s Preakness Stakes (aboard National Treasure). Having eclipsed the 6,500 career-win mark, the native of Puerto Rico comes to Louisville with a real shot at adding another Derby victory to his Hall of Fame inscription. Velazquez is slated to ride Fierceness, a champion last year who took another step forward in winning the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm at Xalapa in March. He’ll likely be one of the top two favorites in the Kentucky Derby.