During the most exciting two minutes in sports, a lot of people pay attention to the athleticism of the horses — and with good reason. But have you ever wondered what type of physical conditioning it requires to guide and stay balanced on top of a 1,000-pound racehorse?
As part of our Curious Derby series, WFPL health reporter Lisa Gillespie looked into how jockeys stay in shape for races, and how they heal after inevitable injuries.
She sat in a physical therapy session with jockey Miguel Mena, who's recovering after suffering a brutal fall, and spoke with Tony Vong, personal trainer to 2005 Derby winning jockey Mike Smith.
You can hear the story in the audioplayer above.
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