Sognare Il Derby: Umberto Rispoli Is Derby Dreaming with Journalism

If you are not already familiar with jockey Umbreto Rispoli via his years as one of California’s leading jockeys, Journalism may solve that problem for you on Saturday. Rispoli, a native of Napoli, Italy, is set to ride the 3-1 favorite for this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1), his third mount in the big race and his best shot at wearing roses thus far. 

Rispoli has already had an accomplished career, riding at racetracks around the world, from Italy to Hong Kong, and logging Group or Grade 1 victories in five countries, but a Kentucky Derby victory at Churchill Downs would take this world traveler’s career to the next level.

Humble Beginnings 

Rispoli’s talent in the saddle is built into his genes: his father Gaetano was a rider at Naples Racecourse and rode in street races like the Palio di Siena, a twice-yearly Italian race where jockeys ride bareback through the streets of Siena. He put young Umberto on the back of a horse before the future jockey could walk. By age seven, Umberto was riding horses; by age 10, he was doing trackwork. “My intent was to be a jockey from day one,” Rispoli told Asian Racing Report in 2022. 

Growing up in the tough Sciampa area of Napoli, notorious for its connections to the Camorra gang in the 1960s and 1970s, gave Rispoli the discipline he needed to emerge from those hard roots to realize his ambitions. He attended the Italian jockey school in Pisa and graduated with his jockey license in late 2004. He debuted at Varese the following February and logged 82 winners in his first season as an apprentice. By 2009, Rispoli was Italy’s Champion Jockey, and then repeated that feat in 2010. He then moved on to ride in France, where he logged Group 1 victories on Molly Malone in the 2012 Prix du Cadran and then on The Monarch in the 2015 Critérium International. 

Next came a stint in Hong Kong, where he stayed until 2019. Beset at times by injuries, his time in Hong Kong was a series of ups and downs: after returning from a knee injury, it took him 129 days and 78 starts to log the first win of his comeback. Frustrated with the cutthroat scene in Hong Kong, Rispoli moved his tack to southern California in 2020, bringing his wife Kimberly and son Hayden. After settling down in the area, the couple added son Aramis as Rispoli moved up through the ranks of the SoCal jockey colony.

Stateside Success

The native Italian’s time in the United States has been a fruitful endeavor. He has more than 50 graded stakes victories since his arrival, getting his first Grade 1 in 2021 with Going to Vegas in the Rodeo Drive S. He then added the Santa Anita Derby (G1) with Rock Your World the same year, and then got his first Derby mount on Brooklyn Strong in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. He added a second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) to his resume the same year, and has found more and more success at the highest level here in the United States since then. 

Now Rispoli has Journalism, his third mount in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and his best shot at winning the biggest race on the American stakes calendar. Together, the pair is 3-for-3, starting with the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) this past December and then adding the San Felipe (G2) and the Santa Anita Derby. The Italian is on the precipice of the biggest race of his career, but his childhood in Sciampa, his days in Hong Kong, and his comebacks from injury have given this jockey the right stuff to handle the pressure of being the favorite. 

Perhaps this time Saturday, Umberto Rispoli will be a household name, un fantino vittorioso wearing roses as his Derby dreams come true under the Twin Spires.

Join us for our upcoming LIVE blogs!

May 1-3 | LIVE coverage of Thurby, Oaks, and Kentucky Derby Day with exclusive up-to-date all-access trackside coverage. LIVE race odds, including Kentucky Derby odds, picks, entries for all the races, and so much more!

LIVE blog participants include:

Jason Beem | Thursday 12-3 p.m.
Vance Hanson | Friday 3-5 p.m. | Saturday 1-4 p.m.
Keeler Johnson | Thursday 12-3 p.m. | Friday 3-5 p.m. | Saturday 1-4 p.m.
Jennifer Kelly | Thursday 3-6:30 p.m. | Friday 12:30-3 p.m. | Saturday 4-6 p.m.
Dean Keppler | Friday 12:30-3 p.m. | Saturday 4-6 p.m.
John Mucciolo | Thursday 12-3 p.m. | Friday 3-5 p.m.
Kellie Reilly | Thursday 3-6:30 p.m. | Friday 12:30-3 p.m. | Saturday 12-4 p.m.
(all times ET)

Don't miss a minute of the fun with your backstage pass to everything Kentucky Derby!