The Kentucky Derby, presented by Woodford Preserve, is an event for both horse and human stars. Competing in a race is the dream of horse owners from all walks of life. Dornoch, a Kentucky Derby contender this year, is partially owned by former Major League Baseball World Series champion Jason Werth. He's just the latest in a long list of celebrities to turn heads in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May.
You might be surprised to learn how dynamic the list of other famous horse owners who have been to the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby is.
Jason Worth: What's notable about the retired All-Star outfielder is that he only became interested in horse racing a few years ago, when he and some friends invested in a few horses. He is a minority owner under the stable name Two Eight Racing (he wore number 28 during his playing days). Throughout the winter, Worth's horse Dornoch was thought to be the favorite heading into the 2024 Kentucky Derby as well as winning the Remsen Stakes and the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes. However, after finishing fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in early April, Dornoch is no longer seen as a favorite to win the Derby. Perhaps Worth would prefer that. He overcame the odds to win at baseball's highest level. It remains to be seen whether Dornoch will be able to climb onto the trophy podium again, this time on the infield at Churchill Downs.
Ian Rapoport: “Rap Sheet” himself became a horse racing fan several years ago, and became a horse owner for the first time in 2023. Sure enough, the horse ran in the Kentucky Derby. Rapoport became a minority owner of West Point Thoroughbreds and Jayce Road as part of America's Best Racing's Stardom Stakes program.This horse came in 17th place.thhe took Rapoport on a ride unlike any other.
Lindsey Czarniak: The former ESPN SportsCenter anchor and FOX Sports reporter joined Rapoport in ABR's Stardom Influencer program as co-owner of a mare named Parnak by Jace Road and West Point Thoroughbred. Parnak won the Flower Bowl Stakes at Saratoga last summer. Since then, Czarniak has become a regular at races and major racing events such as the Eclipse Prix.
Joy Taylor: Taylor, host of FOX Sports 1's “Speak” and former co-host with “The Herd” Colin Cowherd, will also become a Kentucky Derby owner in 2023. Not only has she experienced the thrill of Jace Road competing in the Derby, but she also experienced the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park last year.
Jack Krugman: Krugman, best known for his role as Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple,” played a major role in Kentucky Derby history when his horse Jaclyn Krugman stepped into the starting gate of America's premier horse race. Krugman finished third in the 1980 Derby behind the legendary filly Genuine Riske. This is one of the best results for a mainstream horse owned by a celebrity in Derby history.
Steven Spielberg: Spielberg, a three-time Academy Award winner, came close to winning the Kentucky Derby trophy. In 2003, Spielberg's Biscuit Stables (named after the horse and the movie Seabiscuit) purchased a minority interest in a horse named Atswatim Tokenbout. He made an eye-catching late run to finish fourth out of a field of 16 horses.
MC Hammer: Jack Krugman became a television and film icon in the 1970s, as did Steven Spielberg in the 1980s, and both rivaled pop culture breakthroughs like MC Hammer in the early 1990s. It wasn't a thing. At the height of his fame, the rapper owned a horse aptly named Dancefloor. Despite being overlooked for the 1992 Kentucky Derby at odds of 33.30 to 1, Dance Floor led for most of the race and ultimately finished third.
George Steinbrenner: Around the same time that Dance Floor ran in the Derby, George Steinbrenner was putting the finishing touches on what would become his baseball dynasty in New York. By 2005, Steinbrenner's Yankees had won four World Series (winning a fifth in 2009), and the feared executive was the favorite to win that year's Kentucky Derby. His horse, Bellamy Road, was considered the favorite, but finished seventh.
Joe Torre: You can't talk about the Yankees dynasty without mentioning the managers of these teams. Joe Torre also earned four World Series rings before realizing his dream of owning a horse in the Kentucky Derby. That opportunity came in 2010 with a horse called Homeboy Chris, who finished 16th.th In the race.
Board mirror: The six-time Olympic medalist and two-time World Cup overall champion added the title “horse owner” to his resume more than a decade ago. He purchased an interest in a horse named Fast and Accurate in 2017, and the horse competed in the Kentucky Derby. Although “Fast and Accurate” did not reach 17th place,th In this race, Miller experienced his best Derby time in 2012 when Bodemeister (named after Miller) finished second.
burt bacharach: The late music industry icon and songwriter was passionate about horse ownership. Burt Bacharach raced or produced at least 15 stakes winners, including six graded stakes winners. In 1994, Bacharach qualified for the Kentucky Derby with Soul of the Matter, a horse he owned and bred under his Blue Seas Music breeding operation. The horse beat odds of 16.90 to 1 and finished a respectable fifth.
