Simone Biles will give the Riders Up command at this year’s Kentucky Derby.
LOUISVILLE — You’ll flip when you hear who is coming to Louisville to call “Riders Up” at the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
Before the start of this year’s Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3, one of the greatest athletes of all time, Simone Biles, will serve as this year’s “Riders Up” announcer. With 41 medals across world championships and the Olympic Games, Biles holds the most world championship medals (30) and gold medals (23) in gymnastics history.
A three-time Olympian, her 11 Olympic medals and seven Olympic gold medals are the most by a U.S. gymnast.
Biles will command all jockeys to take their mounts in the paddock on NBC just before the start of the race, which has a post time of 5:57 p.m. Chicago time.
Also on Derby Day, gymnast and social media sensation, Livvy Dunne, will announce “Riders Up” before the Kentucky Oaks.
Tradition behind the ‘Riders Up!’ command
“Riders Up!” is the traditional command for jockeys to take their mount. But since 2012, Churchill Downs has reserved that honor for a dignitary or celebrity attendee when it comes to the Kentucky Derby.
“Riders Up” typically occurs around 19 minutes before the start of the Derby and is broadcast live on NBC. After the command, jockeys receive a leg up on their mounts and immediately turn right to the Paddock Runway, which leads to the racetrack.
In 2015, Teddy Bridgewater, the popular former University of Louisville quarterback who was named NFL Rookie of the Year as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, proclaimed: “Ladies and Gentlemen, the city of Louisville, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and sports fans from around the world have been waiting for this moment … Riders Up!”
Celebrities who have had “Riders Up” honors in past years include John Calipari (2012), Charlie Strong (2013), Julius Irving (2014), Sean Peyton (2016), Jeff Bridges (2017), Laila Ali (2018), Baker Mayfield (2019), D. Wayne Lukas (2021), Jack Harlow (2022), Patrick Mahomes (2023), and Martha Stewart (2024).
