Mike Smith to Ride Cutting Humor in Kentucky Derby

Triple Crown winning rider Mike Smith will replace multiple leading Churchill Downs rider Corey Lanerie aboard Cutting Humor in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) May 4, according to Jack Wolf, managing partner of owner Starlight Racing.

One year after guiding Justify  to a sweep of the Triple Crown races, Smith was left without a mount after the connections of morning-line Derby favorite Omaha Beach announced May 1 that he'd be scratched because of an entrapped epiglottis.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Starlight Racing's Cutting Humor enters the Derby off a win in the Sunland Park Derby (G3) March 24.

Wolf said the owner would pay both Smith and Lanerie the customary jockeys' 10% of any purses earned by Cutting Humor in the Derby.

Once Smith became available following the Omaha Beach scratch there was speculation connections of some other Derby horses would try to pick up the rider.

Smith had been the regular rider on Bob Baffert-trained Roadster, guiding the son of Quality Road  to four victories in five starts, including the Santa Anita Derby (G1). With Smith opting for Omaha Beach in Saturday's classic, Baffert named Florent Geroux to ride Roadster.

On Thursday, Baffert dismissed the possibility that he would replace Geroux with Smith.

"No, Flo is on," Baffert said. "I never thought of that. I actually called Flo up last night and it was so funny. He was like 'Are you taking me off horse?' I was like 'No, I'm all in.' I could never do that."