A couple of heavyweights are going to meet for the first time Saturday at trainer Kenny McPeek's barn at Churchill Downs.
World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury took up McPeek's offer to be in the corner for Fern Circle Stables, Three Chimneys Farm and Magdalena Racing's King Fury, who spars with the heavyweight of 3-year-old colts, undefeated Essential Quality, in Kentucky Derby 147. Fury, who is training in Las Vegas, will fly in early Saturday to watch the horse, a 20-1 shot with Brian Hernandez Jr. riding, that was named in his honor.
This deal came together a lot faster than most boxing matches, starting with a social media exchange Tuesday and finalized Wednesday.
“Tyson Fury is coming, along with (boxing promoter) Bob Arum,” said McPeek, “Along with some others from Top Rank Boxing. I had tagged (Fury) on Twitter, and his agent called me yesterday and asked, 'Are you serious?' And I told him yeah, c'mon, it'll be fun. So he's flying in Saturday. He's going do some Muhammad Ali stuff, too, while he's here.”
McPeek said Fury was not aware that the colt was named for him.
“I named the horse … I enjoyed the fight when he went into the fight with (Deontay) Wilder (in February 2020). When you're naming stallions, you want to name them something strong, and I thought it was ideal, and of course he's a good horse.”
Plans call for Fury to meet King Fury at the barn, and for the fighter to walk over before the race to the paddock in his entourage.
“He likes horse racing,” McPeek said. “He's from Manchester, England, and evidently he's been to the races over there, and likes the races. I don't think he's done anything in American racing. But how many times do you get to have the heavyweight champ come over?”
“It's always something I've been interested in, the biggest horse race in the world,” Fury told ESPN. “I've always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby, never had the opportunity to do so. This is the opportunity to do so.”
Arum, who's now 89, is a promoter and for a time was part of the Main Bout company operated by Ali, the late Louisville native who is considered the greatest boxing champion of all time. Ali is buried in Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery, and the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville is a museum and activities center that recognizes his life.
“I like having fun. We all take it so seriously, everybody so uptight, this is as relaxed as I've ever been coming into an Oaks or a Derby,” said McPeek, who told Fury on Twitter to contact him by direct message, which started the ball rolling for a VIP visit by the boxer. “We've got two horses who are training good, and the rest is up to a higher power.”
On the track Thursday morning, King Fury repeated the usual routine called for by McPeek. During the period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses, the winner of the Lexington (GIII) at Keeneland was sent for a maintenance 1 ½-mile gallop with exercise rider Lalo Jose Quiroz aboard on the sealed racing surface.
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