This is how the 123rd running of the Kentucky Derby might look if we were laying odds on the jockey rather than the horse:
| Odds | Jockey | Horse/trainer |
| 2-1 | Jerry Bailey | Phantom On Tour/Whiting |
| This gritty two-time Derby winner (Sea Hero '93, Grindstone '96) will be making his 10th Derby start since '82. His last four Derby trips have been in the money, including one second-place finish (Tejano Run '95) and one third (Blumin' Affair '94). |
| 5-2 | Pat Day | Crypto Star/Catalano |
| Wildly popular, especially at Churchill Downs where he is the track's all-time winningest jockey, the 43-year-old Hall of Famer will be making his 15th Derby start since '82. Six of his last nine Derby tries have been in the money, including one winner (Lil E. Tee '92) after a frustrating string of three consecutive seconds (Forty Niner '88, Easy Goer '89 and Summer Squall '90). |
| 4-1 | Gary Stevens | Silver Charm/Baffert |
| 8-1 | Craig Perret | Jack Flash/Zito |
| This 46-year-old veteran will be making his ninth Derby start since '84. He has one Derby victory (Unbridled '90); however, he since has finished out of the money in each of his last four Derby mounts, including '92 Arkansas Derby winner Pine Bluff who finished a disappointing fifth here. |
| 10-1 | Shane Sellers | Pulpit/Brothers |
| The "hot jockey" in town after beating out Day for top-jock honors last fall at Churchill Downs. The 30-year-old Cajun will be making his eight Derby start since '90. But he's still looking for his first Derby win. His best run for the roses came in '93 aboard Wild Gale, who finished third. Last year here, Sellers brought home Skip Away a disappointing 12th. |
| 12-1 | Mike Smith | Hello/McAnally |
| No one has squandered more chances recently than Smith, who will be making his eighth Derby start since '84. He has ridden three of the last four Derby favorites (Prairie Bayou '93, Holy Bull '94 and Unbridled's Song '96) ... and still no trip to the winner's circle. Those beaten favorites finished second, 12th and fifth, respectively. |
| 20-1 | Corey Nakatani | Deeds Not Words/Lukas |
| Young man of Japanese decent is a much better jock than his Derby record shows. Making his fifth Derby start since '91, he has yet to finish in the money. Best Derby start: a fourth-place finish aboard Green Alligator in '91. But since then, he has been a Derby Day disappointment, finishing 16th (Serena's Song '95) and eighth (Alyrob '96) on good mounts. |
| 25-1 | Alex Solis | Captain Bodgit/Capuano |
| This will be his seventh Derby start since '83. No Derby wins. His best Derby finish was a third in '91 aboard Mane Minister, who went on to show in all three Triple Crown races. |
| 50-1 | David Flores | Gonzalez/Free House |
| Best of the first-timers to the Kentucky Derby. Of Mexican decent, Flores works out of Santa Anita and has a reputation -- albeit regional -- for being a gutsy rider and a winner. |
| 50-1 | Willie Martinez | Shammy Davis/Zito |
| This 26-year-old native of Puerto Rico will be making his second Derby start since '94. He had a big fall meet at Churchill Downs -- fourth in total earnings behind Sellers, Day and Calvin Borel -- but his only previous Derby try was an underwhelming ninth (Mahogany Hall '94). |
| 100-1 | Carlos Marquez Jr. | Concerto/Tammaro |
| It's been 14 years between Derby starts -- and why? Maybe because the last time this guy made a run for the roses, he finished 19th (Law Talk '83) in a field of 20. This will be only his third Derby start since '72. |
| 1000-1 | Francisco Torres | Celtic Warrior/Hutt |
| Derby first-timer who gets this mount because of local ties. |
| 1000-1 | Robby Albarado | Crimson Classic/Kaelin |
| Another Derby first-timer who has seen his name spelled three or four different ways this week. |
Ray Buck is CBS SportsLine's national columnist.
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