The Machado Family, United by Blood and Reins at Keeneland

Luan, Muriel, and Dylan Machado Share Keeneland Spring Meet in Cross-Border Family Story

Dylan, Muriel, and Luan Machado Together at Keeneland/ KEENELAND

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special to Turf Diario).— The jockeys’ room is, at any racetrack, a unique place. Fierce rivals on the track, riders share a bond off it—built on respect, unwritten codes, and a sense of camaraderie unlike any other. For brothers Luan Machado, Muriel Machado, and Dylan Machado, that concept carries an even deeper meaning.

All three Brazilians are currently together at Keeneland for the Spring Meet, sharing an experience that, as Muriel puts it, “is a dream come true.”

“We always want to be together and grow together,” said Muriel, who now works as a valet but was once a jockey and still remains active as an exercise rider when time allows.

The eldest of the trio is Luan, 31, now a well-established name on the Kentucky circuit and the regular rider of Percy’s Bar (Upstart), recent winner of the Ashland Stakes (G1) and a leading contender for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Muriel, 29, and Dylan, the youngest at just 19—already a winner at Keeneland on debut—complete a story that began in Brazil, with racing as a constant thread since childhood.

“When we were kids, our father got us our first horse. It had a lot of issues, but it taught us how to ride,” Luan recalled. Those early experiences, even on informal tracks, helped shape a calling that never faded.

All three attended jockey school in Brazil and worked their way up. Luan was the first to move to the United States, arriving in 2015 and building a steady career that has now yielded 759 wins and nearly $38.3 million in earnings, along with multiple riding titles at Turfway Park, where he won 43 races this past winter.

Muriel and Dylan have also ridden at Turfway, reinforcing the family bond that runs through their careers.

“We spent a long time working apart, and now being together feels great. It’s something extra in this business,” Luan added.

In a sport defined by fierce competition, where each race can alter the course of a career, the Machados have found strength in family unity—a shared journey of effort and sacrifice now unfolding on one of racing’s biggest stages.