Jockey of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike spent most of his career in Ohio
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With all the talk about the improbable win by Rich Strike at the Kentucky Derby, there's a small world connection between the race and our region.
From an alternate just days before the race to the middle of the pack down the final stretch, Rich Strike and his jockey Sonny Leon beat the 80-1 odds.
A lot of Leon's racing took place at tracks in Ohio, including at the Mahoning Valley race course outside of Youngstown.
That's where he learned to understand the horse he's riding.
"Everything went right for him to win, at 1/4 pool, they parted and all he had to do was get around a horse, and Sonny rode him, he was patient. He knew to get any piece of it he had to save the ground," said Eric Reed, trainer of Rich Strike.
Up next for Leon and Rich Strike are the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, with two races completing the coveted Triple Crown.