Kentucky Derby 2019: Odds, Pedigree, Jockey Info for Favorites and More Horses

A good jockey could make the biggest difference in one of the most pressure-packed horse races of the year. 

The lineup of jockeys for the 2019 Kentucky Derby is headlined by a handful of winners in Triple Crown races, as well as victors in other top races across the globe, like the Breeders' Cup. 

The 20 horses in the field may look great in the buildup to the race, but it is the jockey's responsibility to steer the horses away from the noise and focus on the task at hand. 

There will no repeat winner in the jockey category Saturday, as 2018 winner Mike Smith was supposed to be aboard Omaha Beach before he was scratched from the race Wednesday. 

Kentucky Derby Odds

Kentucky Derby Field, Post Position and Jockeys

1. War of Will (Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione)

2. Tax (Junior Alvarado) 

3. By My Standards (Gabriel Saez) 

4. Gray Magician (Drayden Van Dyke) 

5. Improbable (Irad Ortiz Jr.) 

6. Vekoma (Javier Castellano) 

7. Maximum Security (Luis Saez) 

8. Tacitus (Jose Ortiz) 

9. Plus Que Parfait (Ricardo Santana Jr.) 

10. Cutting Humor (Corey Lanerie) 

11. Haikal (Rajiv Maragh) 

12. Code of Honor (John Velazquez) 

13. Win Win Win (Julien Pimental) 

14. Master Fencer (Julien Leparoux) 

15. Game Winner (Joel Rosario) 

16. Roadster (Florent Geroux) 

17. Long Range Toddy (Jon Court) 

18. Spinoff (Manny Franco) 

19. Country House (Flavien Prat) 

20. Bodexpress (Chris Landeros) 

Pair of Kentucky Derby Winning Jockeys In Field

Omaha Beach's withdrawal from the field cut the number of Kentucky Derby-winning jockeys from three to two. 

Since Mike Smith no longer has a mount for Saturday's race, John Velazquez and Joel Rosario are the only two jockeys in the field who have reached the winner's circle on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs. 

Velazquez, who will ride Code of Honor, won in 2011 with Animal Kingdom and took first in the 2017 race aboard Always Dreaming. 

Rosario, who will ride Game Winner Saturday, took Orb to the winner's circle at the 2013 Kentucky Derby. 

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The rest of the field is littered with accomplished jockeys, but none of the other 18 have had the opportunity to taste victory at the Kentucky Derby. 

Since 2010, six different jockeys have won the race, with Velazquez, Victor Espinoza and Mario Gutierrez all winning twice. 

Five Jockeys Have Victories In Triple Crown Races

In addition to Velazquez and Rosario, there are three other jockeys who have won Triple Crown races in their career in Saturday's field. 

Vekoma jockey Javier Castellano won the 2006 and 2017 Preakness Stakes with Bernardini and Cloud Computing, respectively. 

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Jose Ortiz, who is riding Tacitus Saturday, took Tapwrit to the winner's circle at the 2017 Belmont Stakes. 

Irad Ortiz Jr, who will mount Improbable, won the 2016 Belmont Stakes with Creator. 

Both Tacitus and Improbable have low odds to win Saturday's race, while Vekoma is seen as more of a long shot compared to the collection of favorites. 

Rosario and Velazquez also have wins at the Belmont Stakes on their resumes. Velazquez has two victories from 2007 and 2012, while Rosario took first in the final Triple Crown race in 2014. 

That means three of the five horses with odds of less than 10-1 have jockeys that have won at least one Triple Crown race. 

A new jockey could join the Derby-winning fraternity, but do not be surprised if an experienced hand makes a difference, especially at the back part of the race. 

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