When trainer Ken McPeek and owners Jack and Laurie Wolf decided to replace the unheralded jockey Tony D'Amico aboard Harlan's Holiday they could have had virtually any rider in the country. Such was the strength of their horse, a tough and consistent colt who was about to emerge as the top candidate in the country for the Kentucky Derby. The choice could have been Jerry Bailey, Pat Day, Gary Stevens, John Velazquez. It was Edgar Prado.

Why Prado? "A logical pick," McPeek said.

It's a simple and succinct answer, but it speaks volumes about how far Prado has come and his emergence as a premier jockey. The 34-year-old native of Lima, Peru was in fact a logical pick. He was in the midst of landing the riding title at the ultra-tough Gulfstream meet, where he was riding flawlessly and with extreme confidence. He had made the next step, from very good rider to elite rider. McPeek's pick just put the exclamation mark on the end of the sentence.

"I think it's a great personal achievement," Prado said of his role about a Kentucky Derby morning line favorite. "This was a goal I dreamt of a long time ago. This dream came true, and I'm going to keep working to make more dreams come true."

It's been a long progression to the top for Prado, who began riding in his native country for paltry purses as a 16-year-old in 1983. In search of a better opportunity, he came to the United States in 1986 to ride at the South Florida tracks. From there, it was on to New England and then to Maryland. It was in Maryland where he first got national recognition. Prado so dominated that circuit he was able to lead the nation in total races won in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

But his staggering numbers (he won 536 races in 1997) were not enough to impress trainers with top horses outside the Maryland circuit. Through 1998, Prado had never ridden in the Kentucky Derby and had had just four Breeders' Cup mounts. Part of the trouble was that he had it too good in Maryland.

"It's hard for you to leave a place where you're averaging 400 winners a year," he said. "To come to New York, I needed to have a very good offer."

That offer came from trainer John Kimmel. Kimmel needed someone to take over for stable jockey Richard Migliore at the 1999 Saratoga meet. Migliore had broken his right arm in a spill at Belmont just a few days earlier. Prado's expectations were modest. He would ride for Kimmel until Migliore came back and then likely return to Maryland. But Prado not only proved capable on the Kimmel stock, but got enough live mounts from other clients that he was able to finish second in the Saratoga standings behind Bailey. Maryland was suddenly part of his past.

"He's been successful in New York because he is a real personable fella and he is a hard worker," Kimmel said. "He'll come out in the mornings and get on your horses and he clearly enjoys what he's doing. He takes a liking to the horses. It's not too often that a jockey comes to your barn after a stakes race to check on the horses. Win or lose, Edgar will be there. For him, it's standard protocol.

It didn't take Prado long to establish himself as one of the better riders in New York and at Gulfstream. But he still hadn't cracked the small group of jockeys who are almost automatic to land good mounts in Triple Crown or Breeders' Cup races or any other major Grade I's. Prior to this year, he has had just two mounts in the Derby, both of which were leftovers after the Baileys, Days and McCarrons of the world had their pick. He finished 17th aboard Commendable in 2000 and fourth aboard 25-1 shot Thunder Blitz last year.

Prado has ridden plenty of good horses and won plenty of big races since his arrival in New York changed the direction of his career, but Harlan's Holiday is his first regular mount on a nationally prominent star. So far, he has justified McPeek's confidence in him. Though they are different races run under different circumstances, Harlan's Holiday lost to Booklet in the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth with D'Amico aboard, but beat that same rival in the Florida Derby and Blue Grass with Prado.

"I don't know if Edgar has made a huge difference, but the ultimate results speak for themselves," McPeek said. "With Edgar, we went on to beat Booklet twice. It could have been the added distance, but whatever it was, once Edgar started riding him he started to win and win easily."

Prado may not win this year's Kentucky Derby or next year's, but he can be assured that he will have every opportunity in the future to ride more Harlan's Holidays and fewer Commendables. He's only 34, he's on the A list and he's got the morning line favorite for the Kentucky Derby. What more could he want?

"I want to win the Kentucky Derby," he said "That would mean I was in the small circle of jockeys who have won it. It would be a great privilege. If it doesn't happen this year, I will very hard to try to make it happen next year."

Ordinary, everyday jockeys don't win the Kentucky Derby. Year in and year out, it is won by someone at the very top of the profession. It's a special group, and Edgar Prado is now a member.