Javier Castellano has called an Audible in his quest for his first Kentucky Derby victory. Castellano said on Monday that he would ride Audible for trainer Todd Pletcher in the 144th Kentucky Derby on May 5, thus giving up the mount on Bolt d’Oro, on whom he finished second to Justify in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Castellano, who also rode Bolt d’Oro in the Grade 2 San Felipe – in which Bolt d’Oro was elevated to first via disqualification – said he chose to ride Audible in the Kentucky Derby because of his longstanding and successful relationship with Pletcher, for whom he has ridden 440 winners, 102 of those coming in graded stakes. “I feel like I need to be with Todd, that’s the reason I did that,” said Castellano, who also mentioned the success he’s had with WinStar Farm, which is part-owner of Audible, and Elliott Walden, the president and CEO of WinStar. “We’ve won a lot of Grade 1 races together. Elliott Walden has been really good to me.” Castellano is 2 for 2 on Audible, including a victory in the Grade 2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream on Feb. 3. Castellano could not ride Audible in the Florida Derby because he rode in Dubai that day. John Velazquez, who rode Audible in his first two career starts, rode Audible to a three-length victory in the Florida Derby. Velazquez has chosen to stick with Vino Rosso in the Kentucky Derby. Velazquez, who won last year’s Kentucky Derby aboard Always Dreaming for Pletcher, rode Vino Rosso to victory in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and has always been high on that colt. Velazquez, who was fined $1,500 by the stewards for allowing Vino Rosso to come in and bump with Enticed in the Wood, said his colt “has a ton of talent, he just needs to put it all together.” Castellano, who recently became the third jockey to surpass the $300 million mark in purse earnings, is 0 for 11 in the Kentucky Derby and hasn’t finished in the top three in the race. He has ridden for Pletcher in the Derby five times. Castellano picked up the mount on Bolt d’Oro earlier this year after Mick Ruis, the owner and trainer of that horse, had a disagreement with Corey Nakatani, who had ridden Bolt d’Oro in all four of his starts at 2, including victories in the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner, both Grade 1 stakes. Victor Espinoza has worked Bolt d’Oro occasionally in recent weeks, and Ruis has said Espinoza was in line as a replacement should Castellano defect. But on Monday Ruis texted “I have not decided” when asked specifically if Espinoza would take over. Ruis has been using Kent Desormeaux in the afternoons lately. Desormeaux is scheduled to ride My Boy Jack for his brother Keith in Saturday’s Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. My Boy Jack would need a win to assure himself a spot in the Derby field. The decisions by Castellano and Velazquez still leave Pletcher having to fill one riding assignment for the Derby: on Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy. Velazquez had also ridden Noble Indy in his last three starts. Pletcher said no decision has been made on who will ride Noble Indy, though he said he reached out to agent Steve Rushing to see if Irad Ortiz Jr. is available. Ortiz rode Free Drop Billy in the Blue Grass. Free Drop Billy finished fourth but was placed third via disqualification. Hofburg, the runner-up in the Florida Derby, is also in need of a rider. His jockey, Jose Ortiz, is committed to ride Good Magic, the Blue Grass winner, in the Kentucky Derby. Always Dreaming targets Alysheba Always Dreaming, last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $400,000 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 4, trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday. “Back to two turns, Churchill, makes sense, and if that were to go well it would set him up nicely for the Foster,” Pletcher said, referring to the Grade 1, $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap on June 16. Always Dreaming finished second, beaten three lengths, in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile on March 31, his 4-year-old debut. – additional reporting by Jay Privman