Kriti Mehrotra
Born on August 31, 1988, in Marche, Italy, Umberto Rispoli was admittedly just a young boy growing up in the suburb of Scampia when he first fell in love with the sport of horse racing. The truth is, not only is it incredibly popular in his homeland, but his father reportedly also rode in street races, so it wasn’t long before he decided he wanted to pursue a career as a jockey. As per his own accounts in Netflix’s ‘Race for the Crown,’ his idol is the legend Frankie Dettori, so it’s not surprising that his hard work to match his level over the years has earned him significant global acclaim too.
How Did Umberto Rispoli Earn His Money?
Since Umberto Rispoli knew he wanted to establish a name for himself in the horse racing industry at an early age, he embraced every opportunity that came his way, no matter the challenges. In fact, in the summer of 2002, he left his home in Naples for some first-hand experience at a renowned stable in Cisterna di Latina, Lazio, in central Italy, where he soon proved his mettle. He started off by simply saddling some winning horses, leading him to earn the trust of these animals and their trainers before he eventually earned his Jockey Licence from the racing school in Pisa in 2004.
Therefore, on February 5, 2005, Umberto made his jockey debut on a horse named Polar Eagle in Varese, just to finish second and find a trainer in renowned professional Alduino Botti. This perennial champion turned trainer actually took this Napoli native under his wings for five years, during which he managed to hone his skills to such an extent that he became almost unbeatable. This is even evidenced by the fact that he earned the title of Champion Italian Jockey not just for the 2009 but also the 2010 racing season, and during the latter, he set the record of 245 wins in a year.
Umberto subsequently chose to spread his wings and made the move to France, where he raced for four years before furthering his career by joining the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). During this period, some of his biggest wins were the Takamatsunomiya Kinen in Japan in 2011, Prix du Cadran in France in 2012, Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong in 2012, Critérium International in France in 2014, and Premio Presidente della Repubblica in Italy in 2015. Then, deciding it was time for him to try his hand in American horse racing, he moved to California for good in late 2019.
Since settling down in the US in December 2019, Umberto has undeniably proved that he deserves to be considered among the best of the best in terms of active jockeys on a global level. After all, riding on a wide variety of horses for various owners and trainers, he has won the Santa Anita Derby in 2021 as well as 2025, the Shoemaker Mile Stakes in 2021, the Rodeo Drive Stakes in 2021 as well as 2022, the Gamely Stakes in 2022, the Hollywood Derby in 2024, and much more. In fact, he has had wins across England, Germany, Mauritius, South Africa, and the Czech Republic, too.
Umberto Rispoli’s Net Worth
Since Umberto Rispoli has been a jockey for over two decades, with no plans of taking a break or stopping anytime soon, it goes without saying that he has accumulated significant wealth for himself. That’s because these professionals who risk their lives every single day to get on massive horses and race at a speed of 30-40 miles an hour are paid handsomely for their efforts. Apart from receiving a set fee for each start, they get a percentage of the purse (winning fund) if they manage to secure first position, while also being awarded additional funds via bonuses and endorsements.
So, with Umberto’s reputation, we believe he bags at least $1,000 for each mount and earns a well-deserved 10% of the purse (from the horse’s share of the winnings, not the owners’ or promoters’). It’s also imperative to note that he has had over 5,500 starts in races across the world, out of which he has won nearly 2,000 – the magic number as of writing is in the 1990s. Thus, taking into account all this, along with the jockey’s lifestyle as a happily married father of two based out of Southern California, his assets, his possible investments, his returns, and his expenses, we believe his net worth to be close to $30 million.
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