Cleveland-area horse racing fans have a Buckeye State underdog to root for in this Saturday’s 152nd Kentucky Derby: veteran jockey Edwin Maldonado, born in Columbus, Ohio, will make his first-ever Run for the Roses appearance aboard the California-bred longshot Pavlovian. At 43 and in his 25th year riding, Maldonado calls the mount a “dream come true” after decades of grinding on the Southern California circuit. The gray colt, trained by two-time Derby winner Doug O’Neill and owned by J. Paul Reddam, enters as a tough, battle-tested 30-1 shot with a nose win in the Sunland Park Derby and a game runner-up finish in the Louisiana Derby.
Maldonado’s journey began far from the Derby spotlight. Born in Ohio before moving to Puerto Rico at age 5, he grew up in a racing family—his grandfather, father and uncle were all jockeys. He broke in at 19 in 2002 at Assiniboia Downs in Canada and spent years riding in Texas and Louisiana before settling in California around 2010. A reliable front-end rider with more than 1,600 career wins, he earned his first Grade 1 victory in 2022 and has become a fixture on the SoCal circuit. Now, fresh off breezing Pavlovian at Churchill Downs, the veteran says he’s “over the moon” and believes the horse has a “legitimate chance” in the 1¼-mile classic.
Pavlovian, a homebred by Reddam’s own Grade 1 winner Pavel out of Mandy’s Grace, embodies the resilient underdog story O’Neill and Reddam love. After early setbacks—including a lost rider in a stakes race—the colt has shown grit and versatility as a tactical speed type who refuses to let horses pass him in the stretch. With O’Neill already in the Derby winner’s circle twice (I’ll Have Another in 2012 and Nyquist in 2016), this modest Cal-bred is looking to deliver a third trophy for the powerful tandem. For Clevelanders tuning in to NBC/Peacock on May 2, it’s a feel-good chance to cheer an Ohio native living out a lifetime goal on racing’s biggest stage.
Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET. Whether you’re at a local watch party or watching from home, keep an eye on the Ohio-born rider and his determined gray colt—they’re proof that persistence and heart still matter in the Sport of Kings.