Kentucky Derby: First-time participants have world of experience

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The four first-time trainers with a horse expected to start in this year's Kentucky Derby have sent out well over 20,000 starters combined in races around the globe, according to Equineline statistics. The three jockeys set to ride their first Derby have taken a leg up more than 21,000 times.

But despite all their experiences, there’s nothing quite like this.

"This is it," said trainer Larry Rivelli, who will saddle Two Phil's as his first Kentucky Derby starter. "This is what we do this for. It's a dream come true."

Rivelli, along with trainers Ben Colebrook, Terunobu Fujita, and Hidetaka Otonashi are all expected to saddle Derby runners, while riders Gerardo Corrales, Kazushi Kimura, and Jareth Loveberry are looking forward to riding their first edition of the race.

Illustrating the difficulty of simply making the Kentucky Derby field, and how quickly fortunes can turn, Continuar, who would have been the first Derby horse for trainer Yoshito Yahagi and jockey Ryusei Sakai, was scratched from the race on Thursday night, while Skinner, who would have been ridden by Juan Hernandez, was scratched Friday morning.

three defections on Thursday allowed first-timers Fujita and Kimura into the field off the also-eligible list. That's the scenario that sent Derby first-timers Eric Reed and Sonny Leon to the winner's circle last year with Rich Strike.

Here is a look at this year's debut class, in alphabetical order.

Ben Colebrook, trainer, Raise Cain

Born March 3, 1978 in Bristol, Tenn.; winner of 10 graded stakes; won his first Grade 1 with Knicks Go in the 2018 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland before the colt went on to finish second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; trained multiple graded stakes winner Limousine Liberal.

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Colebrook was a busy man on the first Saturday in March, tacking up Raise Cain in the Aqueduct paddock, watching him win the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes from an Uber on the way to the airport, and making it back to Kentucky in time to saddle Scoobie Quando for a second-place finish in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park.

Colebrook will have some breathing room Saturday. Scoobie Quando is an also-eligible for the Grade 2 American Turf, a few hours before Raise Cain heads to the paddock.

Gerardo Corrales, jockey, Raise Cain

Born Feb. 5, 1994 in Panama; a leading rider at Turfway Park and Ellis Park; won his first two graded stakes last September at Kentucky Downs aboard Red Knight in the Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup and Kitodan in the Grade 3 Dueling Grounds Derby.

Corrales picked up his Derby mount at the last minute, continuing a hot streak on the Kentucky circuit. He was the leading rider at Turfway’s holiday meet, which runs from November to December, was second at the winter-spring meet, which ran January to March, and rode four winners at Keeneland’s spring meet.

Terunobu Fujita, trainer, Mandarin Hero

Born June 1, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan; became the first trainer from Japan’s National Association of Racing circuit to start a horse in the U.S. when Mandarin Hero finished second in the Santa Anita Derby.

Fujita is based at Oi Racecourse on Japan’s NAR circuit. The NAR circuit, which mainly offers dirt racing, is less well-known than the Japan Racing Association circuit, which offers the races in Japan’s Road to the Kentucky Derby series. Fujita chose the road less traveled for his stable star, bringing him to the U.S. for a traditional prep race in the Santa Anita Derby. That paid off with a close runner-up effort.

Kazushi Kimura, jockey, Mandarin Hero

Born Sept. 6, 1999 in Hokkaido, Japan; 2018 Sovereign Award outstanding apprentice jockey and 2019 Eclipse Award outstanding apprentice jockey; 2021 and 2022 Sovereign Award outstanding jockey.

Kimura spent the winter at Santa Anita before returning to Woodbine, where he was the leading rider in 2021 and 2022. The California sojourn was productive; his 11 winners included Gold Phoenix in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile, and he picked up his first Derby mount with Santa Anita Derby runner-up Mandarin Hero.

Jareth Loveberry, jockey, Two Phil’s

Born 1987 in Mount Pleasant, Mich.; leading jockey at Arlington Park in 2020 and 2021; four-time graded stakes winner.

Loveberry plied his trade at Midwest tracks, including the now-defunct Great Lakes Downs, Canterbury Park, Mountaineer, and Oaklawn Park before hitting his stride at Arlington and Fair Grounds. He made a fast turnaround from injury to reach his first Derby. Loveberry sustained a hairline fracture to his left fibula, the smaller of two bones in the lower leg, in a starting gate accident on March 1. He was back in the entries on March 16, and nine days after that rode Two Phil’s to win the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks.

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Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer, Derma Sotogake

Born June 10, 1954 in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan; trainer of Group 1 winners Chrysoberyl, Company, Mikki Isle, Mikki Rocket, Mozu Superflare, Orewa Matteruze, Pixie Knight, and Sunrise Bacchus.

This will be the first U.S. runner for Otonashi, a former jockey who has been training since 1995. That’s OK. Derma Sotogake was his first runner at Meydan, and came through to win the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby.

Larry Rivelli, trainer, Two Phil’s

Born Jan. 15, 1971 in Crystal Lake, Ill.; won his first graded stakes with Strait of Mewsina in the 2008 Hawthorne Derby; led all trainers at Arlington Park by wins during an eight-year stretch, from 2014 until the track’s final meet in 2021.

“I’ve been to four or five Breeders’ Cups, but this is it,” Rivelli said. “For me, it’s what I do it for. It’s why we wake up in the morning. And I’m so happy for the owners – those guys, they stand behind me 100 percent.”

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