HALLANDALE BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – A Miami-based horse owner is hoping for more than just a win at the 75th annual Curlin Florida Derby on Saturday.
Ramiro Restrepo, a Miami native, was at Gulfstream Park watching practice runs as he awaits Saturday’s big race.
For Restrepo, who serves as the horse manager for “The Puma,” it’s not an unfamiliar scene as he looks to secure a spot in the coveted Kentucky Derby.
“We all know how difficult this is, you know, there’s a little under 20,000 horses born every year and only 20 of them make it to the Kentucky Derby gate,” said Restrepo. “So to have one of the contenders and one of the top-10 contenders at the moment for the entire Kentucky Derby and one of the ones–one of the favorites for the Florida Derby this weekend, it’s a great thing.”
Restrepo’s experience riding and training racing horses goes back generations in his family.
“Calder, Hialeah, and Gulfstream were my daycare centers. My parents would just let me run around,” said Restrepo.
When it comes to race-winning horses, Restrepo emphasizes community-oriented celebrations of victories.
When “Mage” won the 2023 Kentucky Derby, Restrepo, a University of Miami alumnus, donated a portion of his winnings to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“Cancer is something that has affected everyone in this world. It’s one of the most difficult afflictions that are out there to overcome, and, you know, being able to combine the forces of horse racing, which was our joint love and passion, with something that has affected all of us to one degree or another just made a lot of sense,” said Restrepo.
Restrepo has designated the money he donates to go directly to helping children at Sylvester battling brain cancer.
“Who can not look at that, you know, at that topic and just have compassion and feel how unfair is it for a child that’s just getting his life going have to encounter such an affliction, so if there was something that horse racing can do to help, that, at that time, it just felt like something nice to do,” said Restrepo.
When “The Puma” steps onto the track on Saturday, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who previously rode “Mage” to victory in 2023, will be taking the reins.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
