Three high-profile sports media personalities are preparing to experience the 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve not just as fans of Thoroughbred racing, but as minority owners of Kentucky Derby contender Jace's Road in partnership with West Point Thoroughbreds and through America's Best Racing's “A Stake in Stardom” program. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, FOX Sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak, Fox Sports talk show host Joy Taylor will be attending the 2023 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 6, in Louisville, Ky., to experience the sport and lifestyle of one of Thoroughbred racing's most celebrated events up close. As participants in Season 2 of America's Best Racing's A Stake in Stardom, they are newly minted Thoroughbred owners and are being immersed into the exciting world of elite Thoroughbred racing.
Jace's Road, a 3-year-old colt, is trained by Brad Cox and ridden by jockey Florent Geroux. He was bred in Kentucky and has six career starts with two wins, two thirds, and career earnings of $238,050. He finished third in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby in March. He is owned in partnership by Albaugh Family Stables LLC and West Point Thoroughbreds.
West Point Thoroughbreds won the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming and the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic with the world's No. 1 ranked racehorse, Flightline. They have won 1,023 races and amassed more than $69 million in purse earnings dating to 2007, during which time they have captured 62 graded stakes wins. The syndicate was named by founder Terry Finley as a tribute to his alma mater.
“We're excited to be a partner with America's Best Racing in A Stake in Stardom and thrilled that Ian, Lindsay, and Joy are part of the West Point Thoroughbred family and the world of Thoroughbred ownership,” said Terry Finley, president and chief executive officer of West Point Thoroughbreds. “Sharing the Kentucky Derby experience with them will be very special for all of us. You never know what can happen on the first Saturday in May.”
“I'm really looking forward to learning more about the business. It isn't a world that we normally get access to, so to be on the ownership side with West Point Thoroughbreds is amazing,” Taylor said. “I am so excited for Derby day! It's a bucket-list item to go to the Kentucky Derby and to own a horse that is on its way to running is legendary. I'm really looking forward to the whole experience.”
“We're so, so excited for this,” Rapoport shared. “We've been casual fans for about four years now, but this feels like so much more thanks to West Point Thoroughbreds and America's Best Racing. We've always felt connected to horses we like, but this connection feels much deeper. This changes things. The Derby is always the best, our favorite weekend of the year. But to have our own horse likely running in it is wild. We always root for our favorites, but now we'll really have our horse in it. The buildup, which is my favorite part, will be so much more intense. And man, imagine if he goes off and places. I just can't even imagine.”
“This is something I'm so excited to take part in. Thoroughbreds are the ultimate athletes. Being an owner with West Point Thoroughbreds and having a contender, Jace's Road, in the Kentucky Derby is beyond unbelievable,” offered Czarniak. “It has only been a short time, but it is evident how much Terry and his team love the sport and their horses. It is an absolute thrill getting the chance to have a behind-the-scenes look and to see the sport and the lifestyle up close”
Exactly how hard is it to get to the Kentucky Derby and be one of the 20 horses in the field?
- The Derby (and all Triple Crown races) are only eligible for 3-year-old horses. In 2020, 18,436 registered Thoroughbred foals were born in the United States and about 100,000 are born worldwide each year.
- Of that 2020 foal crop, nearly half were born in Kentucky (7,940), followed by Florida, California, and New York. Jace's Road is from Kentucky.
- A total of 369 3-year-olds were made eligible to compete in this year's Triple Crown series – but what does that mean?
- To run in certain races, you have to nominate the horse – think of it as applying to a college and paying an application fee, followed by a waiting game to see if you're competitive enough to actually get accepted. The reason to nominate a horse to be eligible is because they were performing well enough to spark hope with 369 teams of people (owners, trainers, etc.) that think their horse has a real shot to start in a Triple Crown race.
- How does a horse get a spot in the starting gate on Derby day?
- Once made eligible, a tiered points system in select races determines who qualifies. Each year, 20 horses have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to run in the Kentucky Derby. To earn a spot in the starting gate, they must travel along the Road to the Kentucky Derby, a series of designated races at tracks across the country and around the world. Points are awarded to the top five finishers in each race. The 20 horses with the most points earn a spot in the starting gate.
- In other words, you cannot pay any amount of money to get your horse there – the spot is purely earned by proving a 3-year-old racehorse is among the best in the age division.
- Stats:
- Of the 18,436 born in the U.S. there's a 0.1% chance they are in the list of 20 that earn a spot in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby.
- Of the 369 3-year-olds that are nominated, there's a 5.4% chance they are in the list of 20 that earn a spot in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby.
- Of 32 NFL teams, there's a 6.25% chance you play in the Super Bowl.
About America's Best Racing: America's Best Racing is a multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform, initiated by The Jockey Club, designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America's best Thoroughbred racing events and is the online destination for all things related to the sport. Through expert content, human and equine interest features, award-winning video content, livestream, second-screen productions, and wide-reaching programs, America's Best Racing introduces the love of horse racing to the next generation of fans, turning them into lifelong fans of the sport and lifestyle. For more information about “A Stake in Stardom” visit americasbestracing.net. Follow America's Best Racing on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
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