Espinoza to ride Whitmore in Kentucky Derby; Rosario to ride Shagaf

Victor Espinoza will ride Whitmore in the May 7 Kentucky Derby, Shagaf will have the comebacking Joel Rosario aboard, and Irad Ortiz Jr. moves to My Man Sam, the trainers of those runners said Wednesday.

Ortiz had ridden Whitmore to a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby last Saturday. His main client is trainer Chad Brown, so he is sticking with that camp. Ron Moquett, the trainer and co-owner of Whitmore, said Espinoza had the mount.

Espinoza has won five of the last six Triple Crown races aboard California Chrome and American Pharoah.

Ortiz has ridden both My Man Sam and Shagaf in the past. My Man Sam was ridden by Julien Leparoux in the Blue Grass Stakes on the same day that Ortiz rode Shagaf in the Wood Memorial. Now, Ortiz moves to My Man Sam, with Rosario – who won the Derby in 2013 on Orb – picking up Shagaf, Brown said.