Who can forget Edgar Prado's winning ride aboard Barbaro in the 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)? The experience seemed once-in-a-lifetime, but Prado is back this year aboard the H. Graham Motion-trained Adriano seeking a second Derby win.
Prado, 40, reached the top of the sport after years of hard work and dedication. He rode his first winner in Peru in 1983 and was a leading rider there before coming to the U.S. in 1986. After eking out a living on the Florida circuit, he moved to Maryland and led the nation in wins three consecutive years, from 1997-1999. After establishing a presence in Maryland, he moved his tack to the tougher New York circuit and became one of the nation's elite riders. His major victories, besides the Derby win, include two scores in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and three Breeders' Cup wins.
Prado, 40, reached the top of the sport after years of hard work and dedication. He rode his first winner in Peru in 1983 and was a leading rider there before coming to the U.S. in 1986. After eking out a living on the Florida circuit, he moved to Maryland and led the nation in wins three consecutive years, from 1997-1999. After establishing a presence in Maryland, he moved his tack to the tougher New York circuit and became one of the nation's elite riders. His major victories, besides the Derby win, include two scores in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and three Breeders' Cup wins.
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 114
Career wins: 6,050
Born: June 12, 1967, Lima, Peru
Residence: Miami, Fla.
Family: wife Liliana; children Patricia, Edgar Jr., and Luis. His father was a trainer in Peru; brother Jorge, a former jockey, is a trainer in Maryland, and another brother, Anibal, rides at Philadelphia Park.
Favorite sport: "Soccer, when I was in school I played."
Weight: 114
Career wins: 6,050
Born: June 12, 1967, Lima, Peru
Residence: Miami, Fla.
Family: wife Liliana; children Patricia, Edgar Jr., and Luis. His father was a trainer in Peru; brother Jorge, a former jockey, is a trainer in Maryland, and another brother, Anibal, rides at Philadelphia Park.
Favorite sport: "Soccer, when I was in school I played."
Favorite food: "Peruvian food, especially rolled fish cooked with lime."
Most hated chore: "I’m pretty neat, I don't mind helping with the things we do around the house."
Most hated chore: "I’m pretty neat, I don't mind helping with the things we do around the house."
I can't live without: "My cell phone, it's something you get used to having."
The fastest I've ever driven was: "The 80s. I don't drive that fast."
The fastest I've ever driven was: "The 80s. I don't drive that fast."
Another active rider I admire is: "Most of my idols have retired. But Cornelio Velasquez is a good guy."
If I could trade careers with one pro athlete, I would: "Decide not to trade. I wouldn't trade places with anybody, and that's a definite, 100% answer."
One thing I wish people knew about jockeys: "We’re not all the same. Everybody is reaching and trying to make a lot of money, but 80% of the riders don’t make good money; most people are just scraping by."
One thing I wish people knew about jockeys: "We’re not all the same. Everybody is reaching and trying to make a lot of money, but 80% of the riders don’t make good money; most people are just scraping by."
The best part about winning the Derby this year would be: "Experiencing all the great feelings that you go through at once; to relive the emotion that was involved. It gives you a chance to enjoy and savor everything you've accomplished. I don't think anything could be any more meaningful than that."
