Sonny Leon, jockey who won Kentucky Derby with Rich Strike, raced Friday at Belterra Park
Part of the improbable story of 80-1 long shot Rich Strike winning Saturday's 148th running of the Kentucky Derby was that his jockey, Sonny Leon, rode several races on Friday at Belterra Park in Anderson Township.
The horse also had a recent Cincinnati-area connection: In his last race, Rich Strike finished third at Turfway Park in Florence - in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on April 2.
Social media reactions from Belterra Park (before and after the win, congratulating Leon and trainer Eric Reed) and others:
Belterra Park would like to congratulate the winner of the Kentucky Derby - Rich Strike - Trained by Eric Reed and ridden by Sonny Leon. He is the 2nd longest shot to ever win the "Run for the Roses."
$163.60 to win and finished in 2:02.61
EM pic.twitter.com/imF0vYaxMn— BelterraPark (@BelterraPark) May 7, 2022
Best of luck to Eric Reed with #21 Rich Strike from your fans and friends at Belterra Park!
EM pic.twitter.com/jwQP3UAiXW— BelterraPark (@BelterraPark) May 7, 2022
Kentucky Derby 148 has a special rooting interest for fans and friends from Belterra Park
Trainer and owner of Mercury Equine Center Eric Reed who races at Belterra Park with his go-to-rider Sonny Leon are in the Derby with #21 - Rich Strike
Best of luck from Belterra Park!
EM pic.twitter.com/AqgJCqye33— BelterraPark (@BelterraPark) May 7, 2022
Sonny Leon had never won a graded stake, hadn't ridden Churchill since 6/28/20, & had 4 wins in 50 starts (& a 2nd on FinnickTheFierce in KYJockeyClub) under the Spires.
His last win was on a 5k claimer for Reed on 5/3 & was 11-0-4-4 since. At Belterra.
He had 1 mount today.— MollyJoRosen (@MollyJoRosen) May 8, 2022
The biggest day for Sonny Leon today, but it’s only a matter of time before some goober at Belterra or Thistledown yells at him about how much he sucks. I love horse racing.
— Jeremy Balan (@jeremybalan) May 8, 2022
For Sonny Leon:
Today >> Yesterday#RichStrike #KentuckyDerby #ChurchillDowns #Belterra pic.twitter.com/vozOAzhkVp— NotSoDailyRacingForm (@NotSoDRF) May 8, 2022
Jockey Sonny Leon finished third in purse earnings at last year's Belterra Park meet at just under $1.19 million. His one mount Saturday earned $1.86 million.
— Frank Angst (@BH_FAngst) May 8, 2022
Congrats to jockey Sonny Leon. He went 0-for-5 on Friday at Belterra Park Cincinnati and won the Kentucky Derby in his only mount on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/TuX5CPiqKE
— Jody Demling (@jdemling) May 8, 2022
That horse winning the Kentucky Derby today, is good example of why an expanded college football playoff is needed. That horse hadn’t won all the races leading up, but it got its chance and that’s what happened.
— Mike Leach (@Coach_Leach) May 8, 2022
DRF.com's Marty McGee wrote in April about Reed's connections to Turfway and Belterra.
Reed, 57, has racked up 1,441 wins since he began training in 1985, with only one of those coming in a graded stakes. His stable is geared more toward Turfway, Belterra Park, Mahoning Valley, Horseshoe Indianapolis, and Mountaineer, but he does run occasionally at Keeneland and Churchill. Running in the Derby would realize a lifelong dream.
More from Louisville Courier Journal's Jason Frakes:
Rich Strike, who was on the also-eligible list until Friday morning, made a stunning move along the rail to win the Kentucky Derby on a cool and cloudy first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs.
Rich Strike finished third in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on April 2 at Turfway Park and stood No. 21 on the final points list for the Derby, which is limited to 20 runners. He was entered Monday as an also eligible and earned a spot in the race Friday morning when trainer D. Wayne Lukas chose to scratch Ethereal Road.
He finished 5¾ lengths behind Tiz the Bomb in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, earning the 20 points he needed to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.
Now the chestnut colt will go down in history after earning the winner’s share of $1.86 million for owner Richard Dawson of RED TR-Racing.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Sonny Leon rode Friday at Belterra Park, won Kentucky Derby Saturday
