“I wanna thank my Lord, Jesus, for giving me this Kentucky Derby win,” said a beaming Junior Alvarado after winning the prestigious Kentucky Derby earlier this month. But more than the Lord, it was probably Alvarado’s sheer determination that brought him the glory. After all, just days before the big race, during the Florida Derby, the jockey was tending to his injured shoulder. And now, as the Preakness Stakes inch closer, we just might see yet another jockey attempting to replicate Alvarado’s story.

Edging out the favorite to win one of the biggest horse racing events in the world isn’t an easy feat, but when Alvarado pulled off the miracle, he was justifiably ecstatic about his achievement. Such comeback moments are what the horse racing community lives and breathes for! With the second leg of the Triple Crown just days away, could the Preakness Stakes also be witness to something as spectacular?

An article by NBC Washington from May 15 shared the story of jockey Raul Mena, who will be riding on the back of Pay Billy at the upcoming 150st Preakness Stakes. As the jockey stands on the cusp of winning a coveted Triple Crown race, he can’t forget how his horse-riding days were once almost deemed to be over.

In 2011, when Mena was running a race at the Valparaiso Sporting Club Viña del Mar in his home country of Chile, Mena’s horse jumped the rail and sent the jockey flying. The accident resulted in gruelling injuries. “It was a scary accident. I broke 24 bones in all my body, and I was in a coma for five weeks,” the jockey told NBC Washington while looking forward to Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.

Mena recalled that he confided in his wife that he would give himself 10 years to recover from the setback. But no more than that. “…if I don’t make it, I’m not going to ride horses anymore because it’s very painful and it’s stressful,” he told his better half, but underscored that the thought of being in a Triple Crown race again was never absent from his mind. And all that struggle and turmoil seem to have finally paid off, as Raul now waits to take to the iconic Pimlico Race Course to put forth his bid to win the prestigious Preakness Stakes.

Riding on Pay Billy, Mena won the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park in April, automatically qualifying for the upcoming Preakness Stakes. With an eye on winning the weekend race, the jockey would try to replicate Junior’s triumph, who returned from a shoulder injury to win the coveted Kentucky Derby not long after. But as monumental as the achievement was for Alvarado, the celebrations didn’t last long

Preakness Stakes champ slapped with a massive fine

The 151st Kentucky Derby was a special occasion for many reasons. With Bob Baffert finally returning to Churchill Downs after a 3-year log suspension following Medina Spirit’s failing the post-race drug test in 2021, the community was eager to see if the storied trainer reclaimed his high throne to make his comeback story a memorable one. That didn’t happen.

Baffert’s star contender, Rodriguez, had to be pulled because of a foot injury. Moreover, his second entrant, Citizen Bull, could barely make any impact on the race. The Derby was ultimately won by Sovereignty, despite having 5-1 odds. The favorite to win the race, Journalism, came in second, and jockey Umberto Rispoli claimed that it was the track’s muddy conditions to blame for the upset. However, Alvarado could barely settle down to savor his glory before he was slapped with a massive fine.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced that Alvarado had used the whip “more than the permitted amount”. HISA’s regulations? They are very clear. Jockeys can use the whip on their horses a maximum six times during a race, whereas this year’s Derby winner appeared to have struck Sovereignty eight times. What’s worse is that it was his second offense in the last 180 days. As a result of that, he was fined $62,000 (20% of his $310,000 share of the winnings) and was slapped with a suspension for two Kentucky race days on May 29 and 30.

Meanwhile, Pay Billy will start the weekend race from Post 5, a fairly better position as compared to Baffert, who doesn’t seem to be able to catch a break. But Mena and his four-legged equine buddy would definitely try to make the most of their opponents’ misfortunes! Who is your pick to win the Saturday race? Tell us below.