Jockeys are some of the most highly honed athletes in any sport since horse racing is a fast-paced, high-stakes event. There is a lot of hard work, strict discipline, and careful planning that goes into every winning ride. The life of a jockey is anything but glamorous. They have to get up early, stick to strict diets, stay mentally focused, and have little free time, all to stay competitive on race day. Fans may only see a few minutes of activity on the track, but the truth is that it’s a full-time job.

The Early Hours: Discipline at Dawn
Most jockeys are already in the saddle as the sun rises. They need to do morning gallops every day to keep fresh and get to know each horse’s unique traits. Riding out at a training yard helps jockeys get to know the horses they’ll be riding in the future and keep in touch with their trainers. These early-morning activities are not only good for your body, but they are also very important for tactical observation.

Weight Watchers: It’s not only about being fit
One of the hardest things about becoming a jockey is keeping your weight down. A lot of people need to maintain their weight below 54 kg (119 lbs), and some need to ride even lighter. That includes keeping a close eye on your calories and using saunas or hot baths often to lose water weight before a weigh-in.
Meals are short, frequently high in protein, and water intake is carefully controlled, even on race day. It’s a way of life that is almost austere, but the physical pressure keeps on. Even relaxing needs to be thought out properly for people who like to treat themselves every now and then, whether it’s by going out to eat at nice restaurants or looking for casino signup bonuses in their free time.

Race Day Routine: Focus and Intensity
Everything is timed and focused once you get to the track. After they check in, the jockeys meet with their trainers to talk about how to ride each horse, taking into account the horse’s skill, the condition of the track, and the other horses. Next comes the weigh-in, where riders have to show that they are within the limits.
After putting on their silks and doing the last warm-up, they go to the parade ring. This is where the mind game starts. Before the gate opens, it’s important to picture success and soothe your anxiety.

After the Race: Time to Rest and Think
The day isn’t over yet, even after the last furlong. Jockeys have to weigh in again to make sure they are within the rules, talk to trainers, and often get back on the horse for another ride. After the last race, people start to focus on getting better.
The routine includes stretching, gentle exercise, and relaxing the mind. Some people watch video footage of their performance, while others use their limited free time to meet up with family or find lighter ways to have fun, always keeping an eye on the ride for the next day.

A life of giving up things, driven by passion
Being a jockey isn’t for the weak of heart. It requires physical discipline, mental strength, and the ability to handle stress, which often means making mistakes. But those that make it to the top can get a lot of rewards: respect, a lot of money, and a special position in sports history.
Jockeys live in the moment, always one gallop away from greatness, whether they are trying to win championships or just trying to get to work on time.

Regardless of the horse racing discipline, the quality of the race, and the location, we all know that the best jockeys can make a difference to a race outcome. While some aspects of strategy may differ depending on where the jockey rides, the qualities that the best jockeys have – tactical genius, patience, fearlessness – tend to be universal.

In the US, that’s certainly no different. There’s some massive money out there on the US circuit, so it’s no surprise to see some of the biggest names in the world head out there to try their luck.

Below, we will list six of the best riders in the US right now. The kind of names that have popped up on horse betting cards across 2025 and delivered for trainers, owners, and bettors alike. To clarify, we have compiled this list based on jockeys who have achieved success, as measured by earnings and strike rates, in 2025, using data up to July 2025. So, apologies to any big names missing from the list.

1. Flavien Prat

Flavien Prat is very much a Frenchman, but he has been such a consistent fixture on the US racing scene since moving out full-time that he’s close to becoming an all-American sports hero. Prat currently ranks first in North America for earnings, with over $19 million in 2025, and boasts a strong 25% win rate from 625 starts. He has handled elite mounts in all three Triple Crown races, winning the Kentucky Derby in 2019 and the Preakness Stakes in 2021. He’s also earned a coveted Eclipse Award (for Outstanding Jockey in 2024), marking the high-water point of a decorated and ascending career.

2. Irad Ortiz Jr.

Second in earnings on the leaderboard with over $17.7 million in 2025, Irad Ortiz Jr. logs a win percentage of around 21％ from more than 820 rides. A perennial power in NYRA circuits (Belmont, Saratoga, Aqueduct), he’s regularly seen aboard graded stakes contenders and is a familiar face in Triple Crown entries. He’s won the Belmont Stakes twice, the Breeders’ Cup Classic twice, and far too many Grade 1s to list here.

3. José Ortiz

José Ortiz, Irad’s younger brother, is also riding high this season, with $16 million+ in purse earnings and a sharp 24 % win rate across 750+ starts. Since joining the U.S. scene in 2012, he’s collected major race wins, notably the 2017 Belmont and 2022 Preakness, and an Eclipse Award (2017). His hot streak continues into 2025, and he and his older brother look like they have plenty more years left at the top of US racing.

4. Luis Saez

Luis Saez is fourth on the earnings board in 2025 with $15.4 million and an 18 % win rate from nearly 860 mounts. A veteran of high-stakes companies, Saez combines consistency and poise under pressure, frequently partnering with top horses in the biggest graded races across the country. Saez has over 3500 winners and counting.

5. Manuel “Manny” Franco

Manny Franco, fifth in the standings with over $10.3 million and a solid 19% win rate from 659 starts, is a familiar figure on NYRA tracks. A regular at the Kentucky Derby, Franco’s tactical speed, especially in early pace-making, makes him a trusted choice for trainers and owners in big graded races. He has yet to taste glory in the Kentucky Derby, though. He will be a popular figure at Churchill Downs if he can capture a Derby win before he retires.

6. Brian Hernandez Jr.

Though slightly off the earnings leaderboard, Brian Hernandez Jr. remains a top-tier rider. He has firmly established himself among the elite with 2,500+ career wins, including a historic 2024 season when winning both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby on successive days. His aggressive riding style, especially in classic and major stakes events, makes him always worth watching.

In July, 2023, jockey Adrian Heskin announced that he would be returning to his native Ireland to continue his riding career. Born in Kilworth, Co. Cork on April 22, 1992, Heskin rode his first winner, Mystical Breeze, trained by Michael Hourigan, at Naas in March, 2009. He rode his first winner on British soil, Turf War, also trained by Hourigan, at Ffos Las three months later and, towards the end of the 2009/10 season, completed a notable double for the Co. Limerick handler on New Story in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and Church Island in the bet365 Gold Cup Chase at Sandown Park.

More recently, Heskin was appointed stable jockey to Gloucestershire trainer Tom George in September, 2016 and, the following year, was contracted to ride for leading National Hunt owner Max McNeil. Indeed, he enjoyed his most successful season in Britain, numerically and financially, in 2016/17, with 54 winners and over £800,000 in prize money. Victory for The Worlds End, in the familiar colours of the McNeill family – blue and white hoops, burgundy sleeves – in the Grade 1 Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April, 2017 was his seasonal highlight.

In his next five seasons, Heskin rode 38, 16, 39, 32 and 32 winners in Britain, but in 2022/23 his seasonal tally fell to 20 and, in 2023/24, so far, thios tally fell further. In May, 2023, McNeill announced that he would reducing the number of horses he owned and, consequently, would no longer be retaining Heskin. Reflecting on his decision to return home, Heskin said, ‘The plan for me and my wife Danielle was always to come back to Ireland and, without the certainty of a secure job in England for the coming campaign, it just brought that forward.’

In May 2024 Heskin called time on his riding career. A career that saw him become the youngest winner at the Cheltenham Festival (ages 17 at the time) and left little unanswered in terms of ability and achievement.

“I’m very proud of my career and achieved far more than I could have imagined as a kid. I rode for the best of trainers on both sides of the Irish Sea and some fantastic owners along the way. Of course, some amazing horses too.

Horse racing is a sport that attracts masses of fans worldwide and has a truly global appeal. People from a range of countries not only take time to watch the latest races but to bet on them as well.

One of the most obvious examples is the UK. This country loves to back their favourite jockeys at sportsbooks online. Other locations which are hotbeds for horse racing betting include countries in mainland Europe, the US and the rest of the Americas and Africa. For a detailed breakdown of the top places to place bets on horse racing around the world, check out this list available on AskGamblers today.

So, what is it about the sport which attracts so much interest from fans and punters? One key factor is the range of famous festivals to keep track of every year. These bring the world’s top jockeys to compete and provide lots of races to wager on.

Here are some of the most iconic horse race festivals that fans around the globe love:

Royal Ascot – UK

Racing at Ascot in the UK dates back to the 1700s, which makes Royal Ascot one of the most famous horse race meets for fans worldwide. This is not just a horse racing festival — it’s a key part of the sports culture and has links to the UK’s royal family.

It’s held every June at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire and attracts a diverse crowd from around the planet. Globally, plenty more race fans tune in to watch it, making it one of the most famous festivals around.

As well as its strict dress code, Royal Ascot is known for elite-level flat races such as The Gold Cup and St James’ Palace Stakes. It has played host to some of the world’s best jockeys, such as Lestor Piggott, Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori.

The Grand National Festival – UK

Staying in the UK, we move on to the Grand National Festival at Aintree in Liverpool. This festival is traditionally held each April and makes headlines all over the world. As well as a cosmopolitan crowd each day it runs, this festival is one people outside of the UK love to keep track of.

The premier race at this festival is The Grand National itself, which involves a large field of runners making their bid to come home first. As you would expect, this race and the festival in general are a magnet for the sport’s top jockeys. Other iconic races at this festival include the Foxhunters Chase, the Melling Chase and the Topham Chase.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – France

The status horse racing has is clear when you consider the famous global festivals for fans to watch. France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe might technically be just one race on one day, but it’s famous enough to make our list. It also shows that there’s a lot more to France than the Eiffel Tower or Tour de France!

This race brings together the world’s best jockeys, most successful trainers and top horses. It’s usually run in October each year and takes place at Longchamps racecourse in Paris. Also known simply as The Arc, it’s Europe’s oldest horse race event and was first run in 1920.

Bluestocking took home the plaudits in 2024 and fans around the world are already looking forward to what this race will bring in 2025.

The Kentucky Derby Festival – USA

The Kentucky Derby is one of horse racing’s most legendary events and is so famous that a whole festival has sprung up around it! The festival itself typically starts in late April and includes a range of races and activities leading up to the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. This makes it a racing event that fans worldwide love to experience and stay in touch with.

The race itself takes place at Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville and is run over roughly two minutes. It’s the first part of the prized ‘Triple Crown’ in US racing and precedes the Preakness Stakes. If you plan to travel here for the Derby, get ready for mint juleps and rich tradition.

Dubai World Cup Night – UAE

Although the festivals we’ve looked at so far go way back in history, UAE’s Dubai World Cup Night is more of a newcomer. This event was set up in the late 1990s and is known for not only having the best jockeys competing to win but also huge prize purses.

The festival takes place at Meydan racecourse in Dubai and includes exciting races such as the Dubai Gold Cup and Dubai Sheema Classic. The Dubai World Cup Race is the most famous individual event at this meet and the last race of the night. Tadgh O’Shea is a standout jockey for this race and won it in 2024.

Melbourne Cup Carnival – Australia

Australia’s Melbourne Cup Carnival is easily one of horse racing’s top events and builds up to the iconic Melbourne Cup race. The festival is held each November at Flemington racecourse in Victoria. Notable races include the VRC Oaks which helps get the lively crowd ready for the Melbourne Cup itself.

This race not only gets major attention from viewers in Australia but is widely viewed around the world. With millions on offer in prize money, each runner and jockey are keen to make it past the post first. 2024’s Melbourne Cup result saw 90-1 outsider Knight’s Choice win by a photo finish to shock watching punters!

Top horse race festivals for global fans

Horse racing has a lot going for it as a sport and plenty of things which attract fans on a global scale. The sheer number of awesome festivals around the world is a great example and our list details many of these events. From the royal connections of Royal Ascot to the rich traditions of the Kentucky Derby and more, the best festivals in horse racing really do bring something special for people all over the world to enjoy.