Jockeys Ready for Derby Day 5K

A full contingent of Santa Anita-based jockeys will be without mounts as they themselves will do the running in Santa Anita’s annual Derby Day 5K Walk and Run on Saturday, April 4.  A traditional prelude to the 78^th running of the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby later in the day, the Derby Day 5K will start at 8 a.m.

“We’re going to have more jockeys participating than ever before,” said jockey Aaron Gryder, who was born in nearby West Covina and has more than 3,600 career wins in a career dating back to 1987.  “We’re all out here to have fun, but I think the number of jocks participating is a pretty good indicator that we all are living healthier and are much more committed to fitness than maybe we were 20 or 30 years ago.”

The list of committed jockeys, with their probability of winning provided by Santa Anita morning line maker, Jon White, follows:

Saul Arias  15-1                  Cheryl Charlton       15-1 Victor Espinoza      12-1  Omar Figueroa  6-1     

Martin Garcia  12-1          S. Gonzalez  15-1   Aaron Gryder  10-1          Modesto Linares  12-1           

E. Maldonado  12-1          Brayan Pena  15-1 Tiago Pereira  12-1           Iggy Puglisi  15-1                                      

Alex Solis  10-1                  Joe Steiner  12-1   Kayla Stra  15-1                  Elvis Trujillo  8-1   

Drayden Van Dyke  8-1

All runners will begin their 5K journey in Santa Anita’s parking lot area that adjoins the Westfield Santa Anita Mall.  After running north on Baldwin Ave., the course angles west into the Los Angeles County Arboretum for a scenic loop.  The runners will then head east across Baldwin Ave. for a short tour of Santa Anita’s Stable Area en route to the track’s Infield tunnel which takes them to a quarter mile finish on Santa Anita’s inner training track.

Adults and children of all ages are encouraged to participate and may register online at www.kinaneevents.com.  Derby Day 5K walk-up registration will be available from March 20 through April 2 at Run With Us, located at 235 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena.

Those wishing to register the day before the event can do so on April 3, at the Promenade at Westfield Santa Anita from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Race day registration will be available in the Santa Anita parking lot, next to the 5K starting line beginning at 6:30 a.m.

For more information on the Santa Anita Derby Day 5k Run and Walk, please visit santaanita.com/events or call (626) 574-RACE.