had been working horses at Churchill in the morning and I was trying to get to Keeneland for the first race. I didn’t want to be late.”

Another rider I admire is: “Edgar Prado. He was a good friend for me, he has a good personality, and he’s very humble with people. I try to follow his example. He was my mentor when I came here, and he’s always been my friend. I was very happy to hear he was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

If I could trade careers with another professional athlete, I would: “Keep riding. I love my job.”

One thing I wish people knew about jockeys: “We try to be humble. We work hard every day...a lot. If you want something, you have to work hard to get it. We understand that.”

The best part about winning the Derby this year would be: “Accomplishing something I really want to do. It’s my dream to win the Derby and someday I will. I would dedicate the win to my country, this race, one of the most prestigious races in the world. I would also dedicate it to my mom, and she would be very happy. She doesn’t understand too much about the races, but to me it is important, and when I really explain to her what it means to win, she’ll know.”

Rafael Bejarano (born June 23, 1982 in Arequipa, Peru) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He trained at the Peruvian national riding school before embarking on his professional career in 1999. Having met with success, including winning the apprentice riding title at Hipódromo de Monterrico in Lima, he emigrated to the United States in the spring of 2002 and settled in Louisville, Kentucky. He got his first win on July 10th that year at River Downs in Cincinnati, Ohio and went on to major race wins in Kentucky and on the New York Racing Association circuit.

In 2004, Rafael Bejarano was the United States Champion Jockey by wins with 455. As part of his 2004 success, on March 12th at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky he won seven races on a single race card and ended the meet with a track-record 196 wins. In the American Classic Races, he finished eighth aboard Andromeda's Hero in the 2005 Kentucky Derby then rode him to a second place finish in the Belmont Stakes. In the 2006 Derby he finished ninth on Point Determined. He first rode in the Preakness Stakes in 2004 and got his best result in 2005 with a fourth place finish on Sun King.

In the 2007 Blue Grass Stakes Bejarano scored a dramatic upset win with Dominican, defeating the 2006 U.S. Champion 2-year-old colt, Street Sense. Bejarano also won the 2008 Track Meet at Santa Anita. He had a grand total of 67 wins. Also, he won the Hollywood Park meet and Del Mar meet as well.

Bejarano is a finalist for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey for 2008.