Castanon gets second shot at Kentucky Derby with West Saratoga

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It has been more than a decade since Jesus Castanon had his first, and thus far only, Kentucky Derby mount. The veteran rider is preparing to take a leg up in the classic again as he is set to ride West Saratoga for first-time Derby trainer Larry Demeritte.

“You know what, you have to just never give up in this business,” Castanon said after piloting West Saratoga through what will be his penultimate breeze for the Kentucky Derby, going six furlongs in 1:16.20 on Friday morning at Keeneland. “You’ve got to keep trying.”

Castanon, 51, has ridden more than 2,700 winners. He had his first Kentucky Derby mount in 2011, riding Shackleford to finish fourth. That colt came back to win the Preakness Stakes, Castanon’s first Grade 1 win.

:: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more.

Castanon picked up the mount on West Saratoga over the winter at Tampa Bay, when Demeritte brought the colt south to prepare for his spring campaign.

“He got on the horse and worked him, and never even asked me to ride him” in the races, Demeritte said. “That’s the kind of gentleman he is.”

Castanon and West Saratoga finished third in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis on Feb. 10 at Tampa, then second in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on March 23 at Turfway Park. Along the way, Castanon has been riding the colt in his breezes, even after he shipped back to Demeritte’s Thoroughbred Training Center base in Lexington.

“He came all the way from Tampa one afternoon to breeze him the next morning, and then flew back that morning to ride the races that day,” Demeritte said. “It tells me how professional he is, and he takes this horse as seriously as we do.”

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2024: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

Demeritte said Friday’s work at Keeneland was designed to continue building stamina for West Saratoga, who has been going for long gallops. West Saratoga will ship to Churchill Downs next Friday and will have his final serious pre-race move on April 27, with Demeritte planning a three-furlong breeze to sharpen his charge with Castanon in the irons.

“Just blow him out, let him know where we want him to run from” Derby Day, the trainer said. “That’s where the race is either won or lost – at the three-eighths pole.”

As he returns to the Derby, Castanon is pleased to be playing a role in bringing one of this year’s first-timers to the stage.

“This is what we all dream about, and I’m very excited for him,” Castanon said of Demeritte.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.