Oldest jockeys to win Kentucky Derby: How So Happy's Mike Smith can make Churchill Downs history in 2026
Here's a look at the oldest jockeys to win The Run for the Roses and where Smith stands.
Oldest jockeys to win Kentucky Derby: How So Happy's Mike Smith can make Churchill Downs history in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Good things come to those who wait.
This saying has been seen in action quite recently at Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby. It's no secret that being small and light can help a jockey find more success at the most prestigious horse race in the U. S.
, but being older with more experience has its own benefits, too. Three of the five oldest jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby have come within the last eight years. This year, So Happy (15-1 odds) jockey Mike Smith has a chance to become the oldest jockey to win at Churchill Downs.
Smith already is the second-oldest jockey to win the race when he was victorious on Triple Crown-winner Justify in 2018. Now, he can pass Bill Shoemaker as the oldest jockey to win a Kentucky Derby. Here's a look at the oldest jockeys to win The Run for the Roses and where Smith stands with a win on Saturday.