Spectators watch a horse race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on April 30, 2025. Junior Alvarado, a jockey from Venezuela, makes his way to second place before crossing the finish line. Lydia Schweickart for NPR hide caption
LOUISVILLE - As a young boy in Venezuela, Junior Alvarado wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and be a winning jockey.
He started as what he called a "backboy" in the racing stables in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. He remembered hearing about this big race called the Kentucky Derby.
"We didn't have much access to watch any other races, but the Kentucky Derby was the famous race," Alvarado said. "Once I became a jockey, I thought my only chance to win that race - I had to go to the United States and I had to make it there. And that's what I did."
Alvarado, 38, has now competed in the Kentucky Derby five times. He hopes to be the first to dart past the tall white "FINISH" post this weekend on a bay horse, No. 18 Sovereignty, during his sixth run.
Jockey Junior Alvarado (38) poses for a portrait in the jockey quarters of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on April 30, 2025. Lydia Schweickart for NPR hide caption
Nineteen jockeys are slated to load into the green-and-white metal gates at the famous Churchill Downs racetrack this Saturday evening. Their horses will bullet down the 1 1/4-mile sandy track at a speed of 35 miles an hour. It's the one shot to win $5 million and one of the most coveted titles in American horseracing.
Most of those competing this weekend in Kentucky hail from around the world. The American Business Immigration Coalition estimates jockeys on visas account for up to 70% of U.S. competitors.
Now, as the Trump administration aims to crack down on many forms of migration, those in the industry bank their athletes will be spared from regulatory changes. But some across the country are already feeling the pain of living in limbo.
Many riders come from Mexico, Panama and Venezuela, where there are established jockey academies. Other Latino jockeys are U.S.-born, including from Puerto Rico.
"In Venezuela as well as many other Central and South American countries, horse racing is a big sport. It is equal to American football," said Ramon Dominguez, a retired jockey from Venezuela and member of the U.S. racing Hall of Fame. "A lot of the kids grow up with the dream of one day becoming a jockey."
Program numbers, found on each race horses' saddlecloth, are laid out on a table in the jockey quarters of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on April 30, 2025. Lydia Schweickart for NPR hide caption
The Latino presence in American horseracing has evolved over the years. From the grooms to some of the winningest jockeys, Latinos have risen in prominence.
Jockeys from abroad are primarily able to get their foot in the door competing in the U.S. by using the P visa for athletes and O visa for individuals with extraordinary achievement.
Current and former jockeys said that to compete means sacrifice, leaving families behind and training long hours to become the best of the best.
"Our racing scene has been very much enriched by jockeys from all countries," said Bonnie Smerdon, an immigration attorney who helps jockeys with their visas and has been in the industry for almost 10 years. "I'm doing more and more jockey visas than [when I] started out in my career."
While many come on visas, Smerdon said there are other avenues. For example, she has one client from Venezuela on Temporary Protected Status, a parole program the Trump administration revoked, risking the work authorization of hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
