Secretariat’s Descendant Yet to Get a Jockey for the Kentucky Derby Days Before the Horse Racing Extravaganza

Secretariat was arguably the greatest racehorse of all time. In fact, Secretariat proved his pedigree as the Kentucky Derby royalty by winning the 1973 race. In addition to this, “Big Red”, as he was popularly called due to his reddish brown color, broke several records in his 16-month racing career. He formed the standard against which every racehorse is measured, to this date.

Secretariat’s accolade-studded life came to a poignant end after he was euthanized at 19 years old, due to a painful condition called laminitis. But before this magnificent horse left this world, he sired around 660 offspring. In the upcoming 149th Kentucky Derby, 8 out of the 20 horses are Secretariat’s descendants. Raise Cain, the recent entrant, is also one of them.

Raise Cain gallops his way into the Kentucky Derby

April 8 was the date and Keeneland was the place when Raise Cain breezed through the finish line and entered the 149th Run for the Roses. His fifth-place win in the G1 Blue Grass ensured his place in the Derby. Recently, Raise Cain finished his final breeze ahead of the main race and completed the half-mile breeze in 00:49. Now, his connections are taking it easy on him before the race.

According to Blood Horse, Raise Cain’s trainer, Ben Colebrook, said, “Neither work was real strenuous for him. He’s had enough races that these works are just maintenance—just trying to keep the fitness that we have.” The horse’s connections seemed to have full confidence in him, after the seven starts he has under his belt ahead of the main race. Colebrook added, “We’re trying to have him healthy and happy on Derby day. So we’re happy to get through it.” While things have been going smoothly for Raise Cain, his connections have not yet finalized a jockey for him for the big day.

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Joel Rosario was the jockey who rode Raise Cain in Blue Grass. However, for the Kentucky Derby, Rosario has committed to Disarm. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who reached out to Raise Cain’s connections, has now been nabbed to ride Mage. Other jockeys who have ridden Raise Cain during his seven starts are Jose Lezcano and Luan Machado. According to Colebrook, Gerardo Corrales, who has been Cain’s jockey for his first three career starts in Kentucky, is also in the mix for which jockey finally gets to ride him. While this gets decided, Secretariat’s other descendants have their jockeys picked for them.

Secretariat’s descendants to enter the race

The current fan favorite and the topper of the list of Derby odds, Forte, shares a bloodline with Secretariat and has been sired from the same father as that of Raise Cain, Violence. Riding Forte will be the jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., and Forte just might get Ortiz Jr. his first Derby win. Jace’s Road, another of Secretariat’s bloodline, joined the race at the odds of 50-1 after coming in second at the Louisiana Derby.

Verifying, who came in second in the Grade 1 Blue Grass in Keeneland, has entered with the odds of 12-1. Tapit Trice has also become a popular entry in this year’s Kentucky Derby. The horse won the Blue Grass on April 8, confirming his spot in the Derby. He could become the first gray/roan horse to clinch the title after Giacomo in 2005. Other Secretariat descendants to compete in the Kentucky Derby will be Confidence Game, Lord Miles, and Skinner.

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