Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Jockey Antonio Fresu Brings ‘World’ Of Experience To Kentucky Derby

It’s fair to say that nearly every jockey in the world dreams of one day riding in the Kentucky Derby. For Antonio Fresu, a native of Italy who also plied his trade in England and Dubai, that dream never seemed like it could become a reality.

At least, not until Fresu was convinced to move his tack to Southern California a year ago. Now, as the regular rider of Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold, Fresu’s Kentucky Derby dream is finally approaching reality.

“When you are in another country, you may dream about the Kentucky Derby, but you know it’s not going to happen, because you’re in a different world,” said Fresu, 32. “But being in the U.S. since last year, you start to dream a little more, and now that dream is kind of alive. It’s one of the most prestigious races in the world, and I’m honored to be in it.”

Fresu heads into the Run for the Roses with a unique amalgamation of race experience that could give him an edge on the day.

The 20-horse field of the Kentucky Derby is an anomaly for most U.S.-based jockeys, as fields at North American tracks are rarely run with more than 14 horses, and the average field size sits at less than eight horses. Fresu, however, has earned his stripes racing regularly against 16-horse fields, both over the grass in Europe as well as on the dirt at Meydan, so navigating that amount of traffic will not be new.

Though Fresu is a fourth-generation jockey, his path to the saddle was not an easy one. He always wanted to ride, but his father tried desperately to steer him away from a life on the racetrack.

“I was always going down to the stable, but my dad kept telling me that it was dangerous, and it was a hard life,” Fresu recalled. “He would say, ‘If you like horses, just be a vet. Keep going to school and study.’ But I knew I wanted to do this.

“When I was 18, I started riding at the apprentice jockey school for six months, and then I started working for the biggest trainer in Italy, the Botti family, and eventually they started giving me rides in the afternoon.”

Eventually, Fresu said, his father changed his tune.

“At the beginning he was kind of upset with me, but now he’s become one of my biggest fans,” said the rider. “He always says to me now, ‘I should have put you on horses when you were a kid,’ but I think maybe it’s better, or was meant to be like this.”

Fresu signed a contract to be a stable jockey in Dubai in 2016, and spent seven years learning to ride on the dirt course. He met his future wife, Norwegian TV Presenter Veronika Aske, that first year, and wound up accumulating over 250 winners in the UAE, including his first Group 1 with the ill-fated Zenden in the 2021 Golden Shaheen.

Dubai is also where Fresu met trainer Doug O’Neill in 2021; the two-time Kentucky Derby-winning conditioner was among the first to try to convince Fresu to make the move to the United States.

“I was scared to be homesick,” Fresu admitted. “I had a good job in Italy and I was doing well there, and I didn’t want to come without having the right support. I didn’t want it to just be an adventure, you know?”

During O’Neill’s second sojourn to Dubai in 2022, the trainer finally convinced Fresu to take the leap. O’Neill made the connection with agent Tom Knust, and gave Fresu a group of really good mounts to get him started in Southern California.

“They were putting me on the right horses, and I started picking up more mounts and more winners,” Fresu said. “After Del Mar, I was second in the standings, and I was getting a lot of support from all the trainers, like Phil D’Amato, Mark Glatt, and Peter Eurton. They make me feel like home, and when you feel good, you work good. It was just a no-brainer to stay at that point.”

Nearly a year into his U.S. experiment, Fresu couldn’t be happier with the way everything worked out. The Santa Anita Derby win felt like the hard-earned reward for making the right decision, and the jockey’s jubilation at crossing the wire first that afternoon is still palpable, even two weeks later.

“I only had one other Grade 1 win, but unfortunately the horse broke down after the wire, so I never enjoyed that one,” Fresu said. “This time, it tastes different, first of all because it’s the Santa Anita Derby, and it’s a prestigious race, but also because it gets you to the Kentucky Derby.”

Fresu believes Stronghold, trained by Phil D’Amato and owned by his breeders, Eric and Sharon Waller, has a strong chance heading into the first Saturday in May.

“This horse broke his maiden at Churchill, so he’s been there, and he definitely likes the track,” Fresu explained. “He has six races in his life, at six different racetracks, with three wins and three seconds, so he’s a very positive horse. I really like the way he’s been growing and maturing the past three months.

“Two weeks before the Santa Anita Derby was his best breeze ever, so he just seems like he’s getting better and better. In that race, he went through gaps, he took the kickback, and then he fought really well to the line, and that’s really important. I think that was another step forward, and it’s just a matter of luck now! He will have his chance.”

While Fresu’s wife will make it to Churchill for the Kentucky Derby, his father and uncle will not be able to make the trip.

“They're gonna be in front of the TV, for sure, though, and if something happens, they’re gonna make some fireworks in Italy,” he quipped.