Javier Castellano: 2026 Kentucky Derby Jockey Profile

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano began riding in the United States in 1997 and has been a longtime presence at the top of the sport. He has won each of the three-year-old classics at least once, and goes for a second Kentucky Derby win in 2026 with The Puma.

Castellano is a four-time Eclipse Award winner for outstanding jockey: he won that award in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. He has 12 Breeders’ Cup wins to his name, including a Breeders’ Cup Classic win with Ghostzapper, a Breeders’ Cup Distaff win with Stopchargingmaria, and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile wins with Liam’s Map and City of Light. He also has a strong record in Breeders’ Cup races on the grass: Castellano won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with both New Money Honey and Rushing Fall, the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf sprint with Bulletin, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint with Belvoir Bay.

In addition to having an excellent record as a jockey, Castellano is a leader of his profession, and currently serves alongside Mike Smith as a co-chair of the Jockeys’ Guild.

Stay up-to-date on Kentucky Derby odds and contenders, and bet on which horse will win the Kentucky Derby with FanDuel Racing and FanDuel Sportsbook!

New FanDuel Racing users can get in on the excitement: place a $5 bet on any race at any track and get $25 back in Racing Bonus. Bet the Derby!

Learn more about how to bet the Kentucky Derby online at FanDuel!

Javier Castellano in the Kentucky Derby

Javier Castellano has ridden in the Run for the Roses 17 times, dating back to 2005. He earned his first Kentucky Derby win with Mage in 2023 – particularly worth noting because Mage was also trained by Gustavo Delgado, and shares some common ownership with The Puma as well.

Castellano’s only other top-three finisher in Churchill Downs’ signature race was Audible, who finished third behind Justify in 2018. Two other horses Castellano has ridden have finished in the top five: Normandy Invasion was fourth in 2013, and he kept long shot Owen Almighty together well enough to finish fifth in 2025 despite being right with a quick pace early.

Javier Castellano in the Triple Crown

The first Triple Crown race in which Javier Castellano saw success was the Preakness Stakes. He won the race on his very first try, with Bernardini in 2006. He won again 11 years later, with the lightly raced Cloud Computing in 2017. Across his 10 Preakness mounts, Castellano also has a pair of third-place finishes, with Divining Rod in 2015 and Mage in 2023.

Castellano won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 2023 with two separate horses. Mage skipped the final jewel of the Triple Crown that year, leaving Castellano open to ride the up-and-coming Arcangelo, who came through for Castellano’s first Belmont win, in his 15th try. Across those 15 rides in the Belmont, Castellano also rode a trio of runner-up finishers: Stay Thirsty in 2011, Commissioner in 2014, and Destin in 2016.

Javier Castellano and 2026 Kentucky Derby Contender The Puma

Javier Castellano has ridden The Puma for three of his four starts. They were together on debut January 10 in a seven-furlong maiden sprint at Gulfstream – a race that featured the debut of two heavyweight Derby contenders, The Puma and Chief Wallabee. The Puma broke slowly and rushed up to battle on the pace; Chief Wallabee ran him down to win by 1 ½ lengths. The Puma was still 9 ¼ lengths clear of everyone else in the field, suggesting the talent was there.

The only race Castellano didn’t ride with The Puma was the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs on February 6, in which he was third beaten six lengths by Renegade under Edwin Gonzalez. Castellano was at Gulfstream that day with mounts that included Moon Spun, winner of the Ladies’ Turf Sprint.

Castellano was back with The Puma on March 7 at Tampa Bay Downs, and he put it all together. The Puma settled at the rear of the relatively compact nine-horse field early, made an early run through the far turn, and battled down the lane to beat Further Ado by three-quarters of a length. In one fell swoop, The Puma had broken his maiden, earned his first graded-stakes win, and announced himself on the Derby trail.

Castellano was with The Puma again in the Florida Derby on April 4, a race where he lost nothing in defeat. The Puma made the same kind of move – last early in a compact field, then a relatively early rally – before being caught by a nose by late-running Commandment. It was a strong final prep that required a long look from the judges to sort out. Castellano and Delgado have also been down this path together before, heading to the Derby with a lightly-raced but talented Florida Derby runner-up.

New to FanDuel Racing? Place your first bet of $5 on any race at any track & get $25 back in Racing Bonus! Valid in participating states. See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Racing Promos.

Looking for more horse racing betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Racing to see all of today’s horse racing odds.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!