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How Big Are Kentucky Derby Jockeys? (Height & Weight of 2023 Participants)
Jockeys are pretty unique as far as pro athletes go. While most sports favor size, strength and athleticism, horse racing actually favors smaller athletes. Jockeys are famously some of the smallest athletes around, and not just by the standard of pro sports -- they're also much smaller than the average population.
In fact, at the Kentucky Derby there's even a maximum weight for jockeys, as they must weigh a maximum of 126 pounds when including their gear.
Here's a full list of the Kentucky Derby 2023 jockeys, including their height and weight. (Note: not all jockeys have officially listed heights and weights, but those will be updated as they become available).
How Big Are the 2023 Kentucky Derby Jockeys? (Height and Weight)
Post Number | Horse | Jockey | Jockey Height | Jockey Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hit Show | Manny Franco | 5'1" | 112 lbs |
2 | Verifying | Tyler Gaffalione | 5'3" | 112 lbs |
3 | Two Phil's | Jareth Loveberry | - | - |
4 | Confidence Game | James Graham | 5'2" | 115 lbs |
5 | Tapit Trice | Luis Saez | 5'2" | 111 lbs |
6 | Kingsbarns | Jose Ortiz | 5'7" | 112 lbs |
7 | Reincarnate | John Velazquez | 5'6" | 112 lbs |
8 | Mage | Javier Castellano | 5'1" | 114 lbs |
9 | Skinner | Juan Hernandez | - | - |
10 | Practical Move | Ramon Vazquez | - | - |
11 | Disarm | Joel Rosario | 5'2" | 109 lbs |
12 | Jace's Road | Florent Geroux | - | - |
13 | Sun Thunder | Brian Hernandez Jr. | - | - |
14 | Angel of Empire | Flavien Prat | - | - |
15 | Forte | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 5'3" | 112 lbs |
16 | Raise Cain | Gerardo Corrales | - | - |
17 | Derma Sotogake | Christophe Lemaire | - | - |
18 | Rocket Can | Junior Alvarado | 5'6" | 113 lbs |
19 | Lord Miles | Paco Lopez | 5'0" | 113 lbs |
20 | Continuar | Ryusei Sakai | - | - |
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2023 Kentucky Derby Jockey FAQ
Who is the tallest jockey in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
The tallest jockey among those with official information listed for the 2023 Kentucky Derby is Jose Ortiz, who stands 5 feet 7 inches and weighs in at 112 lbs. He will be riding Kingsbarns.
Who is the shortest jockey in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
The shortest jockey in the 2023 Kentucky Derby (among those with officially listed heights) is Paco Lopez, who stands 5 feet 0 inches and weighs 113 pounds. He will be riding Lord Miles.
Who is the heaviest jockey in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
The heaviest jockey in the 2023 Kentucky Derby is James Graham, who weighs 115 pounds and stands 5 feet 2 inches. He will be riding Confidence Game. Note that the official height and weight are not available for all jockeys yet.
Who is the lightest jockey in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
The lightest jockey with an officially listed weight for the 2023 Kentucky Derby is Joel Rosario, who weighs 109 pounds and stands 5 feet 2 inches. He will be riding Disarm.
How much do jockeys weigh?
Different races have different weight requirements for jockeys. At the 2023 Kentucky Derby, male horses will be carrying 126 pounds and fillies will be carrying 112 pounds. This means that jockeys must weigh less than this limit, even with their gear (which weighs roughly 7 pounds). The average weight among 2023 Kentucky Derby jockeys is 112.3 pounds.
How tall are jockeys?
There are no height limits or restrictions on jockeys, but because of the very low weight limits most jockeys are quite short, typically falling in a range between 4-foot-10 and 5-foot-6. The average height of the jockeys in the 2023 Kentucky Derby is 5-foot-3.
How much does a jockey make?
As with any sport, jockey payouts are incredibly variable. Jockeys are independent contractors who ride many different horses, and they typically make a base "mounting fee" for each race they ride. On top of that, jockeys earn a percentage of the prize money if they finish in first, second or third place. This means that winning races not only earns the jockey more money, but can also help attract the interest of owners of more competitive horses, allowing the jockeys to race for bigger stakes and earn even more.
Below are a list of the top 10 jockeys in 2023 earnings.
Jockey | Earnings | Starts | Wins | Places | Shows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Irad Ortiz Jr. | $10,440,178 | 566 | 146 | 97 | 94 |
Luis Saez | $7,767,434 | 516 | 103 | 66 | 73 |
Flavien Prat | $7,310,540 | 233 | 49 | 46 | 38 |
Tyler Gaffalione | $5,961,226 | 470 | 86 | 64 | 59 |
Manuel Franco | $5,386,953 | 372 | 100 | 65 | 47 |
Jose L. Ortiz | $5,098,183 | 524 | 81 | 92 | 82 |
Joel Rosario | $5,052,569 | 286 | 34 | 42 | 38 |
Cristian A. Torres | $4,928,995 | 412 | 82 | 77 | 50 |
Juan J. Hernandez | $4,507,998 | 276 | 67 | 49 | 52 |
Francisco Arrieta | $4,282,478 | 321 | 74 | 54 | 40 |
How much does the jockey win in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
The winning jockey receives 10% of the winning payout for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, which will be $186,000 (10% of $1.86 million for the winning team).
Check out more Kentucky Derby coverage from The Duel:
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