Prado to ride Adriano in Derby

Jockey Edgar Prado on Wednesday chose to ride Adriano, the winner of the Lane's End Stakes, in the May 3 Kentucky Derby instead of Monba, on whom Prado won the Blue Grass Stakes last Saturday at Keeneland.

Prado also won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct earlier this month with Tale of Ekati, but on Tuesday gave up the mount on that colt and said he would decide between Adriano and Monba.

Adriano is trained by Graham Motion, Monba by Todd Pletcher.

Bob Frieze, Prado's agent, said it was "a tough decision."

"We went back and forth, back and forth," Frieze said from Keeneland, where Prado is currently riding. "We won on Adriano in the Lane's End before we rode the other two. We felt obligated toward Graham. We had told Graham to let Edgar work the horse first, then we'd make a decision."

Adriano worked a half-mile at Churchill Downs on Sunday morning, with Prado aboard.

"Obviously I'm thrilled, not only that Edgar's riding him, but that, in doing so, he's endorsing the horse," Motion said. "One of the reasons we took him over to Churchill Downs from Keeneland to work him on Sunday was for Edgar to see how he went and to help him make his decision."

Pletcher said no decision had yet been made on who would ride Monba.