Inside the pressure-packed confines of the Kentucky Derby jockeys' room

Josh Peter, USA TODAYSat, May 2, 2026 at 10:03 AM UTC

0

Inside the pressure-packed confines of the Kentucky Derby jockeys' room

The biggest horse race of the year involves one of the longest waits of the year.

On Saturday, the 152nd edition of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled to begin at 6:57 p.m. ET, about nine hours after the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville opens and about seven hours after the day’s first race.

For those who will be aboard the horses during the “Run for the Roses,’’ most of that time will be spent in the jockeys’ room.

It features two pool tables, a ping pong table and a lounge. Cards used to be a favorite way to pass the time.

“Nowadays, everyone's on their phone all the time,’’ jockey Mike Smith told USA TODAY Sports.

But the energy is different on the day of the Kentucky Derby, and Smith knows that firsthand. He has ridden in the race a record 28 times and is set to ride again on So Happy.

As usual, he’ll spend ample time in the jockeys’ room.

1 / 0Check out scenes as anticipation builds leading up to the Kentucky Derby

A horse is bathed after morning workouts during Dawn at the Downs on the backside at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 27, ahead of the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby contender: So Happy is the Kentucky Derby horse worth cheering for this year

“They're bringing all kinds of different stars up there, athletes, politicians,’’ said Smith, a two-time winner of the Kentucky Derby. “So you're visiting a whole lot and it's pretty cool.’’

Advertisement

The celebrities who visited last year included former NBA star Carmelo Anthony.

“And all the golfers come in all the time when they come up, they always come in,’’ Smith said. “Everyone comes in to say hi. And politicians, you might meet, who knows. A lot of different coaches and all kinds of stuff.’’

Manny Franco, a 31-year-old jockey from Puerto Rico, will be riding in the Kentucky for the seventh time. He said he watches the TV broadcast of the races on the day of the Derby. Unless he’s riding in those races, of course.

Regardless, there’s still time to fill before the Kentucky Derby starts.

“I get anxious, not nervous,’’ Franco told USA TODAY Sports. “But it's the best, man. It's the best feeling, because it's the biggest day of the year. Everybody's watching.’’

Whether it’s mingling or playing pool, ping pong or cards, the distractions can be helpful, according to Smith.

“Otherwise, you're just sitting there thinking about it too much,’’ he said. “So just get out of your head and start talking

“You learn not to get hyped up. You get so hyped up early and it's such a long wait. You wind up wearing yourself out mentally.’’

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kentucky Derby pressure seeps into jockeys' room on big day

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”