'Hung tough:' Jockey reflects on So Happy's race in Kentucky Derby

Updated May 3, 2026, 7:15 p.m. ETMike Smith, the Hall of Fame jockey, arrived home in Southern California less than 24 hours after riding So Happy in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2.“I just walked in the door actually,’’ Smith told USA TODAY Sports.There was no boisterous crowd waiting to celebrate.The poignant story of So Happy did not end as Smith and many hoped.There would be no victory for trainer Mark Glatt, who had his first Kentucky Derby horse while mourning the death of his wife in February. There would be no monumental ride for Smith, who at 59 would have become the oldest jockey to win the race.So Happy, who went off as the co-favorite at 5-1 in the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby, started fast before fading and finishing ninth in the 18-horse field.“I thought it was a good trip, man,’’ Smith said of the horse’s race. “I said, we're going a little quick, but he should be good here. And he ran good, man. It was a tough race, but we beat all the California horses and a lot of others."I was proud of him, man. He hung in there tough.’’But the fast start proved