BloodHorse.com

Adriano's affinity for the turf has been well-documented, and after a 17-length loss in the Fountain of Youth (gr. II) it seemed he would be off the Kentucky Derby trail. His connections gave him one more shot in the Lane's End (gr. II) over Turfway Park's synthetic surface, and the homebred son of A.P. Indy responding with an outstanding effort. However, even that race was have been enough to put him in the Derby picture, as his connections felt that he was still most likely a better horse on the grass. However, after a workout a Churchill Downs a few weeks before the Derby, they had a change of heart and decided that the colt liked the Churchill racing surface, and will now get another chance to prove he is capable of big things on a conventional dirt track.

Racing History

Date	Race Name	Distance	Finish	Earnings
03/22/08	Lane's End (gr. II)	9 f	1	$291,400
02/24/08	Fountain of Youth (gr. II)	9 f	9	$0
01/11/08	Allowance @ GP	8.5 f	1	$24,300
11/24/07	Laurel Futurity	8.5 f	5	$3,000
10/06/07	Breeders' Futurity (gr. I)	8.5 f	4	$25,000
08/29/07	Maiden	8.5 f	1	$37,800
08/03/07	Maiden	8.5 f	2	$12,600
Record: 7 Starts, 3-1-0 | Total Earnings: $394,100
Race Records provided by equineline.com

By Claire Novak

Who can forget Edgar Prado's winning ride aboard Barbaro in the 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)? The experience seemed once-in-a-lifetime, but Prado is back this year aboard the H. Graham Motion-trained Adriano seeking a second Derby win.

Prado, 40, reached the top of the sport after years of hard work and dedication. He rode his first winner in Peru in 1983 and was a leading rider there before coming to the U.S. in 1986. After eking out a living on the Florida circuit, he moved to Maryland and led the nation in wins three consecutive years, from 1997-1999. After establishing a presence in Maryland, he moved his tack to the tougher New York circuit and became one of the nation's elite riders. His major victories, besides the Derby win, include two scores in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and three Breeders' Cup wins.

Height: 5'3"

Weight: 114

Career wins: 6,050

Born: June 12, 1967, Lima, Peru

Residence: Miami, Fla.

Family: wife Liliana; children Patricia, Edgar Jr., and Luis. His father was a trainer in Peru; brother Jorge, a former jockey, is a trainer in Maryland, and another brother, Anibal, rides at Philadelphia Park.

Favorite food: "Peruvian food, especially rolled fish cooked with lime."

Favorite sport: "Soccer, when I was in school I played."

I can't live without: "My cell phone, it's something you get used to having."

Most hated chore: "I’m pretty neat, I don't mind helping with the things we do around the house."

The fastest I’ve ever driven was: "The 80s. I don't drive that fast." 

If I could trade careers with another professional athlete, I would: "Decide not to trade. I wouldn't trade places with anybody, and that's a definite, 100% answer."

Another rider I admire is: "Most of my idols have retired. But Cornelio Velasquez is a good guy."

One thing I wish people knew about jockeys: "We’re not all the same. Everybody is reaching and trying to make a lot of money, but 80% of the riders don’t make good money; most people are just scraping by."

The best part about winning the Derby this year would be: "Experiencing all the great feelings that you go through at once; to relive the emotion that was involved. It gives you a chance to enjoy and savor everything you've accomplished. I don't think anything could be any more meaningful than that."