Latest news with #KentuckyWildcat
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Horse named after Kentucky Wildcat eyes Churchill Downs after Keeneland debut
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — When you think of Kentucky, three things tend to pop into your mind: bourbon, basketball, and horse racing. Two of those worlds collided in a local two-year-old colt named 'Brea From Three.' 'Koby has been my favorite player all year long,' owner Kelly Colliver said. 'He really shows what it means to wear that Kentucky jersey, and I wanted to honor him in some sort of way and named the horse because of him.' Horse named after Kentucky Wildcat eyes Churchill Downs after Keeneland debut Road to the Kentucky Derby: Female jockeys challenge odds, fight for right to ride Born to race: The Ortiz brothers reflect on their careers ahead of 151st Kentucky Derby Colliver is a lifelong horse racing and UK basketball fan who is one of the owners of Brea From Three. She first got into the business two decades ago with Brea's granddam, and now she's overseeing the next generation. 'You know, there's a lot of ups and downs in the business, but it's the love of the horse that brings me back every time,' Colliver said. 'Whether they're running in a stakes race or claiming race, I still get very attached to the horses themselves. And Brea is no different. He's my baby'. Brea From Three debuted last month in a Keeneland maiden race, finishing 5th. Despite the result, trainer John Ennis, there's still plenty to like from the thoroughbred sired by Classic Empire. Woman killed after Clinton County crash; 4 injured What horses are running in the Kentucky Oaks? Here's the latest on post positions, odds Honoring the forgotten fillies: Derby mint juleps support retired mares at Our Mims Haven 'He has a good attitude, he's super athletic, and hopefully we can't look into his heart, but hopefully he has a big one.' Ennis said. 'We'll get him back, put him back on the training program, and we'll shoot for Churchill in the summer.' Koby Brea isn't the first Kentucky Wildcat to find his name in a horse racing program. There was 'Snell Yeah,' named after former UK running back Benny Snell, back in 2019, and 'Tshiebwe,' named after the Naismith trophy winner, Oscar Tshiebwe, in 2022. Koby Brea has been busy training for the 2025 NBA Draft, but the prolific shooter says he's honored, appreciative and will be watching the career of Brea From Three with a keen eye. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Road to the Kentucky Derby: Female jockeys challenge odds, fight for right to ride
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — Strength, focus, determination, and resilience. These are just some of the qualities it takes to have a chance to run for the roses. But Ferrin Peterson said it starts with a special spark between a horse and its rider- a connection she said she's lucky enough to feel as a professional jockey and part-time veterinarian. 'It's always been Plan A to work with horses and my passion,' said Peterson. 'That's always what's driving me—my passion and the fact that I can excel in both careers. Why not combine them?' Horse named after Kentucky Wildcat eyes Churchill Downs after Keeneland debut Road to the Kentucky Derby: Female jockeys challenge odds, fight for right to ride Born to race: The Ortiz brothers reflect on their careers ahead of 151st Kentucky Derby As a former Division One pole vaulter who holds 11 records, Peterson said she's used to defying gravity, but that the road to the Kentucky Derby as a female jockey is far from a joyride. 'It's not the sport where if you work the hardest and if you're the most athletic, you win the competition,' she said. 'It's if you get the opportunity to be on the horse that will take you there.' In this sport built for speed, Jessica Whitehead said women often find themselves racing women have been breeding and owning racehorses since the 1930s, Whitehead noted that it was the 1960s before women earned the right to ride. 'Kathy Kusner literally had to sue the Maryland Racing Commission in order to get her license,' said Whitehead, senior curator of collections at the Kentucky Derby Museum. 'And she had to use the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in order to have that defense and to set that precedent that she should legally be able to do this.' In the beginning, she explained that female jockeys faced all kinds of barriers of intimidation, such as boycotts, things being thrown at them, and windows being smashed in their dressing rooms. 'Things that, of course, many male horsemen were hoping would sort of scare them off from being involved in the sport,' said Whitehead. 'But they were tenacious; they knew what they wanted to do, and they knew that they had a place in the thoroughbred racing industry.' Only six women have competed in the Kentucky Derby. Diane Crump was the first in 1970, and Peterson hopes to be the seventh. She said the real weight women carry isn't in the saddle; it's in the expectations, saying far too many leaders in the industry believe women cave under pressure. 'I wish more people knew and that more owners understood that I was a record-setting and breaking Division One pole vaulter,' said Peterson. 'And as an emergency medicine veterinarian, like, again, it's just in my being to thrive under pressure and to set my bar high.' Peterson said she's even more motivated after speaking with mentors on 'The Boundless Podcast,' such as former Kentucky Derby jockey Patti Cooksey. 'They are very intelligent and very intentional about anything they do in a race and how they get a horse to cooperate with them, getting a horse to relax early in the race to save its energy,' she said. Peterson is currently recovering from an injury, but said while she's spending time at Safari North, a horse farm in Versailles, she's counting down the days until she's back in the saddle. Her goal may seem like a long shot, but she wants to win the Kentucky Derby one day. Woman killed after Clinton County crash; 4 injured What horses are running in the Kentucky Oaks? Here's the latest on post positions, odds Honoring the forgotten fillies: Derby mint juleps support retired mares at Our Mims Haven 'Why not try to achieve something extraordinary and see how far it can take you?' she said. 'You can knock on a lot of doors, but you only need one to open. I'm going to know that I've given everything to get myself in that starting gate and give myself the best chance to win.' She told her it's not just about running for the roses; it's also about beating the odds that were never in her favor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
