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The closer we get to Saturday, the more we will hear about each of the horses in the Kentucky Derby field and what they can or can't do. We'll also hear all about the trainers and their ability to get a horse ready for the biggest of races (or inability in Todd Pletcher's case). In all of the chaos and confusion of this week, though, they guys we won't hear as much about are perhaps the most important - the jockeys. In a race as crowded and rough as the Derby the decisions a jockey makes can make the difference between a win and a bad loss. There are obviously exceptions, but for the most part horses are much better off with a jockey that has ridden them before and is experienced in the Derby.

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Ronnie Franklin was riding in his first Derby in 1979 when he won upon Spectacular Bid. Since then, only one other rookie jockey has been victorious - Stewart Elliott on Smarty Jones in 2004. The difficulty of winning the first time isn't surprising - jockeys have never seen as many horses in a race before, the pressure and media attention is stronger than ever before, the dressing room has to be intimidating since it is filled with the top jockeys in the world, and the crowd of 160,000 screaming fans affects horses unlike any other. If you aren't prepared for all that then you have a very tough task ahead of you.

Only two riders will be making their debut this year. E.T. Baird will be a first-timer upon Recapturetheglory, but he is hardly a starry eyed youngster. The 41-year-old has been riding since 1985 and he won the riding title at Hawthorne in 1986 as an apprentice. He still rides on the Illinois circuit and is among the top riders in the region. Though he has never made it to Churchill Downs for the Derby himself, riding in the big race runs in his blood. His father, Bobby, rode in the race five times between 1950 and 1978. The experience could be a bit more intimidating for the other newbie. Manoel Cruz, who will be on Smooth Air, is 38 but he has been in the States for just eight years. He has found some success on the Florida circuit where he has been the leading rider at two different meets. He's making a huge step up in class here, though - he's never won a Grade I race, and won his only Grade II two years ago.

As important as knowing the race is knowing the horse. Twenty eight of the last 33 Derby winners have been ridden by jockeys that have ridden them before. That familiarity is so important because it gives the jockey the knowledge of the horse required to keep it calm and on task amidst the chaos. There have been some notable exceptions to this rule, and none is more impressive than Victor Espinoza. He won aboard War Emblem in 2002, and he had never even laid eyes on the horse until the morning of the race. The late Chris Antley was also new to Charismatic's saddle when he won in 1999.

Three jockeys will be upon horses for the first time in the Derby. Rafael Bejarano hasn't been riding for Nick Zito nearly as much as he used to now that the jockey has moved to California, but the legendary trainer has still tabbed the young star to ride Anak Nakal. Bejarano has appeared in the Derby three other times, but he has nothing to show for it. Zito has also changed jockey for Cool Coal Man. Julien Leparoux takes over the mount because Kent Desormeaux, the horse's previous rider, also rides Big Brown, the Derby favorite. Leparoux made his debut last year aboard Sedgefield and finished fifth.

After you finish this horse betting article check out our Belmont betting odds page. Our Breeders Cup betting odds page is also must read when studding horse racing. Our horse racing gambling terms page is also a valuable tool for your horse betting research. Since 1971 Doc's Sports has been recognized as a leader and trusted name in sports handicapping information.

By far the most interesting and surprising jockey change involves Todd Pletcher's Monba. The horse is coming off a win in the Blue Grass Stakes, but Ramon Dominguez is taking over from Edgar Prado. It's not that Dominguez isn't a good jockey - he is very successful in New York, and he was second to Barbaro on Bluegrass Cat in 2006. The surprising part is that Prado chose to ride Adriano, the 30/1 Derby longshot, over the 15/1 Monba who is seen by most as a much better contender. This decision is seen by many as a serious knock against Monba.

If you are one of those bettors who believes that previous success is a good indicator for future success then your potential choices are narrowed. Kent Desormeaux is the only rider in the field to have multiple Derby wins - 1998 on Real Quiet, and Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000. Calvin Borel, Edgar Prado and Mike Smith rode the last three winners, and all are on mounts this year. The other 16 jockeys in the field have never worn the roses.