History and Past Results for Jockeys and Trainers in 2022 Kentucky Derby – John Velazquez, Mike Smith, Todd Pletcher & More
- The best jockeys and trainers in the USA come to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby
- While only three-year-old horses can Run for the Roses, humans try over and over again
- Can historical jockey and trainer data help us choose the Derby winner?
For a long while, it seemed as though trainer Bob Baffert had won his record seventh Kentucky Derby last year. When John Velazquez guided Medina Spirit to the winner’s circle, it appeared as though he had ridden his fourth Derby winner. However, after months of litigation, Medina Spirit was disqualified, Baffert was banned from Churchill Downs, and Mandoloun was declared the winner.
Mandoloun gave the reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox his first Derby victory. It was the first Triple Crown victory for jockey Florent Geroux.
Once you study this information, consider getting a Kentucky Derby betting app. The key to good handicapping is having a lot of information handy and using it strategically. You should also review the people behind the scenes and on the horses when considering your Kentucky Derby best bets.
Below you’ll find charts full of key information for each of the Kentucky Derby jockeys and Kentucky Derby trainers who are participating after Monday’s post position draw.
2022 Kentucky Derby Jockeys
| Jockey | Kentucky Derby Assignment | Number of Kentucky Derby Mounts | Top Kentucky Derby Finish | Biggest Career Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Rosario | Epicenter | 10 | 1st | Won 2013 Kentucky Derby on Orb. Six Top 5 finishes in Run for the Roses. Reigning Eclipse Award winner |
| Mike Smith | Taiba | 27 | 1st | 56-year-old Hall of Famer has won the Derby twice (2005 – Giacomo, 2018 – Justify) |
| Flavien Prat | Zandon | 4 | 1st | Awarded 2019 Kentucky Derby win on Country House after Maximum Security was disqualified |
| Irad Ortiz | Mo Donegal | 5 | 4th | Won Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey in the US three of last four years |
| John Velazquez | Messier | 23 | 1st | 50-year-old Hall of Famer has won the Kentucky Derby three times (2011 – Animal Kingdom, 2017 – Always Dreaming, 2020 – Authentic) |
| Tyler Gaffalione | White Abarrio | 4 | 7th | 27-year-old won the 2019 Preakness Stakes on War of Will |
| Corey Lanerie | Smile Happy | 5 | 2nd | Leading rider at Churchill Downs 10 times |
| Luis Saez | Charge It | 7 | 3rd | Finished first in 2019 Kentucky Derby but Maximum Security was disqualified |
| Florent Geroux | Cyberknife | 5 | 1st | Rode Mandaloun to a runner-up performance last year and was awarded victory when Medina Spirit was DQ’ed |
| Jose Ortiz | Simplification | 6 | 2nd | 28-year-old has won an Eclipse Award, led the country in earnings and wins, and captured the Belmont Stakes plus three Breeders Cup events |
| Luis Contreras | Ethereal Road | 2 | 6th | 36-year-old native of Mexico was the top rider in Canada a decade ago. Has hit the board at the Preakness Stakes and twice at the Breeders Cup |
| Brian Hernandez | Tiz The Bomb | 2 | 8th | Won 2012 Breeders Cup Classic on Fort Larned |
| Ricardo Santana | Tawny Port | 7 | 5th | Two-time Breeders Cup winner, was the leading rider at Oaklawn Park six times |
| Manny Franco | Zozos | 4 | 2nd | Placed second on Tiz The Law in 2020 Derby and went on to win the Belmont Stakes |
| Joe Bravo | Pioneer Of Medina | 3 | 3rd | Jersey Joe is now 50 years old and recently moved from Monmouth Park to Southern California. Won 2019 Breeders Cup Distaff on Blue Prize |
| Christophe Lemaire | Crown Pride | 0 | n/a | French rider based in Japan has won two Breeders Cup races |
| Julien Leparoux | Classic Causeway | 13 | 4th | 2009 Eclipse Award winner has won seven Breeders Cup races |
| Reylu Gutierrez | Barber Road | 0 | n/a | 26 year old has won two career graded stakes races |
| Rafael Bejarano | Happy Jack | 11 | 4th | 49-year-old led the country in wins in 2004 and has captured four Breeders Cup races |
| Mickael Barzalona | Summer Is Tomorrow | 0 | n/a | French rider based across the pond has won the Dubai World Cup, Epsom Derby, and Breeders Cup Turf |
A big piece of online Kentucky Derby betting is getting a feel for the pace and style of how the race will be run. Jockeys play a large role in that.
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When should you make your move and how should you go about doing so? Veteran riders with experience in Louisville have an advantage and can impact the Kentucky Derby odds.
2022 Kentucky Derby Trainers
| Trainer | Kentucky Derby Assignment | Number of Kentucky Derby Runners | Top Kentucky Derby Finish | Biggest Career Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Asmussen | Epicenter | 23 | 2nd | 56-year-old Hall of Famer has won more races than any other trainer in history. Has six Breeders Cup victories, two Preakness Stakes wins, and one Belmont title |
| Tim Yakteen | Taiba | 0 | n/a | Former Bob Baffert assistant who has won 10 graded stakes races. Took over conditioning Baffert’s top three year old’s after it was clear the six-time Derby winner would not be allowed on the grounds. |
| Chad Brown | Zandon | 6 | 2nd | Four-time Eclipse Award winner has captured 15 Breeders Cup races and the 2017 Preakness Stakes with Cloud Computing |
| Todd Pletcher | Mo Donegal | 59 | 1st | Seven-time Eclipse Award winner won the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver in 2010, and Always Dreaming in 2017 |
| Tim Yakteen | Messier | 23 | 1st | Former Bob Baffert assistant who has won 10 graded stakes races. Took over conditioning Baffert’s top three year old’s after it was clear the six-time Derby winner would not be allowed on the grounds. |
| Saffie Joseph | White Abarrio | 1 | 8th | 35-year-old native of Barbados has won more than 20% of his races each of the last six years primarily in Florida |
| Ken McPeek | Smile Happy | 6 | 2nd | Won the 2020 Preakness Stakes with Swiss Skydiver, and the 2002 Belmont Stakes with Sarava |
| Todd Pletcher | Charge It | 7 | 3rd | Seven-time Eclipse Award winner won the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver in 2010, and Always Dreaming in 2017 |
| Brad Cox | Cyberknife | 2 | 1st | In first Kentucky Derby last year had the winner via disqualification Mandaloun, and Belmont victor Essential Quality |
| Antonio Sano | Simplification | 1 | 7th | 59-year-old Venezuelan native has won seven career graded stakes races |
| D. Wayne Lukas | Ethereal Road | 49 | 1st | 86-year-old has won 14 Triple Crown races and four Derbys but none since 2013 |
| Ken McPeek | Tiz The Bomb | 6 | 2nd | Won the 2020 Preakness Stakes with Swiss Skydiver, and the 2002 Belmont Stakes with Sarava |
| Brad Cox | Tawny Port | 2 | 1st | In first Kentucky Derby last year had the winner via disqualification Mandaloun, and Belmont victor Essential Quality |
| Brad Cox | Zozos | 2 | 1st | In first Kentucky Derby last year had the winner via disqualification Mandaloun, and Belmont victor Essential Quality |
| Todd Pletcher | Pioneer Of Medina | 7 | 3rd | Seven-time Eclipse Award winner won the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver in 2010, and Always Dreaming in 2017 |
| Koichi Shintani | Crown Pride | 0 | n/a | Japanese based conditioner won his first international race with Crown Pride in Dubai |
| Brian Lynchx | Classic Causeway | 0 | n/a | Former rodeo rider, Australian trained Oscar Performance to the 2016 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf title |
| John Ortiz | Barber Road | 0 | n/a | 36-year-old Columbian has won three career graded stakes races |
| Doug O’Neill | Happy Jack | 7 | 1st | Won 2012 Kentucky Derby with I’ll Have Another and 2016 Run for the Roses with Nyquist |
| Bhupat Seemar | Summer Is Tomorrow | 0 | n/a | Longtime assistant trainer for strong Dubai based barn of Satish Seemar |
The 1,000-pound gorilla is Baffert. We know that Pletcher, Cox, Brown, and Asmussen are elite, but Baffert has dominated Triple Crown races. Yakteen is a wildcard.
Imagine if Jon Scheyer replaced Coach K, not at the start of next season, but before this year’s NCAA Tournament began.
- DRF RACEBOOK
DEPOSIT MATCH UP TO $250!
- FANDUEL RACEBOOK
$20 NO SWEAT FIRST BET (CO, IL, IN, LA, MD, MA, MI, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV, WY)
- TWINSPIRES RACEBOOK
$200 SIGNUP BONUS
- FANDUEL RACING
$20 NO SWEAT FIRST BET (AR, CA, DE, FL, KY, NH, NM, ND, OR, RI, SD, VT)
Dave Friedman has covered professional and college sports for two decades. From ESPN to the Associated Press, Regional Sports Networks, Metro Networks, and many local outlets, he has written about and broadcast major and minor events throughout the country.
