Jockey Mike Smith celebrates aboard Pinehurst after winning the Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 6, 2021. The veteran jockey will be aboard Taiba during the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
(Kelley Carlson / Associated Press)
It’s not as big as it used to be. When Secretariat won in 1973, it was his 10th race. When Affirmed won in 1978, it was his 14th. In Saturday’s Derby, of the horses currently projected to start, two (Tiz the Bomb and Barber Road) have eight starts, three have seven, five have six, three have five, four have four, three have two. Then there is Taiba, who has only started two times.
Leonatus is a name being bandied about lately as he is the only horse to win the Derby after only two starts. He did it in 1883. It was four years ago when another racing curse was smashed by Justify, who was the first horse to win the Derby after not having raced as a 2-year-old since Apollo in 1882.
Both Justify and Taiba have another thing in common, jockey Mike Smith. As the most experienced jockey in the race riding the least experienced horse, Smith says you never know.
“It’s a crazy day, some of them handle it well, others who have three, four, five, six, seven, eight starts don’t handle it at all,” Smith said. “We just have to wait and see.”
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