Leon Strikes With First Graded Stakes Win in KY Derby

Sonny Leon's first graded stakes victory was simply unimaginable. Coming from the back of the pack with the odds stacked 80-1 against him, Leon nimbly cut Rich Strike through a field of 19 proven horses, eyes studying the rail and told the horse: Go. "I know this horse; I know the horse can be in the race," Leon said. "I don't know if I think he can win the race but I have the feeling with him... He didn't want to stop." Leon, a 32-year-old Venezuelan jockey who has ridden for trainer Eric Reed for the past two years and has only been riding in the U.S. for seven, had full confidence in the power under him. "I was excited; a lot of people asked, 'Are you nervous?' and I said, 'I'm not nervous, I'm excited; I'm riding in the Kentucky Derby.' I've got the longshot horse; nobody knows my horse like I know that horse," Leon said. Describing how he rode the race, Leon said he saw an opportunity and went for it with no hesitation. "I know my horse likes the rail. When I turned for home, the door opened for me but I had a horse in front of mine on the rail. I come through, or I avoid the horse. I didn't want to take a chance... I'm going to avoid the horse. That's what I did... I did the right thing." When owner Richard Dawson found out his horse was in the field, he did not falter in keeping Leon on the job. "I would never, ever change at this point... I've watched Sonny ride a bunch. His courage, his smartness on the track, his athleticism. He's our kind of guy," Dawson said. Reed echoed these sentiments, explaining how Leon helped to put the essential miles under the 3-year-old Keen Ice colt, teaching him how to "calm down and how to get aggressive when the time came." Gratitude for Leon was palpable as the team reflected on the astonishing success. "Everybody was Sonny Leon at some point in their career, they just needed the big stable and the good horses to take them to the top. He could've gone, he's a family man, he's the leading rider where he is. He was good enough to get me here," Reed said. "The difference between the Sonny Leons and the guys that everybody sees every day is that they ride those horses all the time, and he doesn't get a chance. But where he rides, he rides those horses everywhere and he wins all the races. He's a great rider, with a lot of courage but he has a very smart head and a good sense of pace. He's ridden for me for two years; he's my number one rider." As the dust settles, Rich Strike's connections will feel out the horse and let him tell them where he will go next. For Leon, he is fulfilled. Sitting calmly, Leon responded to the question: "How do you think this will change your career?" He said, "I want to enjoy this moment and we'll see what happens tomorrow."