Ben Curtis’s move to the US has paid off handsomely after he secured his first mount in the US’s biggest horse race.
Curtis rode more than 1,000 winners in Britain, passing the century for the fifth time in six years in 2023. In 2020 when he won the All Weather Jockeys Championship, he went on to ride more winners than any other jockey with 170 successes from more than 1,000 rides.
Late last year the 34-year-old changed his winter routine and flew to New Orleans to ride at Fair Grounds where he rode 43 winners to finish fourth in the jockeys standings when the meet closed.
Instead of returning to Britain for the start of the Flat Turf season, he announced he would stay to “follow my dreams”. He is set to fulfil one of those dreams in the Kentucky Derby, which has its 150th running on May 4, when he will partner Honor Marie at Churchill Downs.
Honor Marie finished runner-up in the Louisiana Derby in March when Curtis rode the horse for the first time. Trainer Whit Beckman confirmed on Monday that Curtis would keep the ride on the colt who has already won around Churchill Downs as a two-year-old.
“It was probably a personal best from Honor Marie and I found him very easy to ride,” said Curtis of the 25-1 shot’s last run in an interview with Thoroughbred Racing Commentary .
“He’s been training well since and when I flew to Churchill last week to breeze him he looked a million dollars. He did an easy half-mile breeze in 48.4s, well in his comfort zone, moving fantastic and finishing with his ears pricked. It was as near-perfect as you can get in a breeze.
“Some horses going into the race will have question marks over their stamina, but all Honor Marie has ever done in his races is finish strong and close late. He’s going to thrive over the trip and he’s already got winning form at Churchill.”