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Kentucky Derby 2017: 5 people to know

By Aaron Halterman

Strongchargingmaria trainer Todd Pletcher, left, and jockey Javier Castellano watch the board for the inquiry, as Strongchargemaria, with Castellano up, won the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. (Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS via Getty Images)
Strongchargingmaria trainer Todd Pletcher, left, and jockey Javier Castellano watch the board for the inquiry, as Strongchargemaria, with Castellano up, won the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. (Mark Cornelison/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS via Getty Images) /
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With the Kentucky Derby quickly approaching, here are five people you need to know about as we head into the first Saturday in May.

When it comes to the Kentucky Derby, it’s the horses who take center stage, but the stories about their human connections can sometimes be just as interesting and entertaining. These connections can also help you when making your wagers, as the top trainers and jockeys in the game play a major factor in who wins the race. Here are the five people you need to know about heading into the 2017 Kentucky Derby:

1. Todd Pletcher

North America’s most successful trainer is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby, but he’s only been victorious once. This year, he’s taking dead aim at getting his second win in America’s most prestigious race, as he’ll saddle at least FIVE horses! As of now, he has a total of seven horses under consideration, and five of those have locked their spots into the starting gate. It will be a very busy day for Pletcher.

2. Antonio Sano

His story is so crazy, it’s almost unbelievable! Sano is the winningest trainer of all time in his home country of Venezuela, recording 3,338 career wins. However, he was kidnapped in 2009 and held for over a month before his wife paid the ransom. This was the SECOND TIME he had been kidnapped in Venezuela, so for both his safety and that of his family, he moved stateside to train horses in Florida. Now, Sano’s made the Kentucky Derby with Gunnevera. A truly inspiring story.

3. Rajiv Maragh

There’s no better jockey story than Rajiv Maragh at this year’s Kentucky Derby. In July 2015, Maragh was involved in a terrible spill that left him with compressed fractures of four vertebrae, a broken rib, and a collapsed lung. He spent weeks fighting for his life following the accident. He miraculously returned to the races after several months away and picked up the mount on Irish War Cry just days before the Wood Memorial. He rode him perfectly as Irish War Cry won impressively. The hard-nosed jock went from fighting for his life to riding in the Kentucky Derby!

4. Javier Castellano

He’s America’s most successful jockey, but he has one thing missing from his resume: a Kentucky Derby victory. He had several chances in years past when teaming up with trainer Todd Pletcher, but the duo never managed to get the job done. Incredibly, he’ll team up with fellow Venezuelan Sano in what might be his best Kentucky Derby chance yet. It would be amazing if he got his first Derby win with a small outfit like this one, and the two countrymen would give Venezuela its first Derby win since 1971.

5. Mark Casse

He’s the trainer for Classic Empire, most likely the favorite for the Kentucky Derby, which is a lot of pressure in and of itself. On top of that, Classic Empire is racing’s “bad boy,” displaying his attitude on a regular basis. All eyes will be on Casse, who will have his hands full trying to prevent his talented horse from causing chaos in the pre-race preparations. He’s done a solid job just getting his horse to this point.

For more coverage of the 2017 Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown, head over to racingdudes.com and follow us on Twitter @racing_dudes. We offer FREE picks for tracks across the country as well as premium handicapping products, which recently paid out $98,600.20 on April 27. 

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