02-05-2025
There's a special connection to Massachusetts for Kentucky Derby horse Flying Mohawk
'As a little kid it was always something,' she said.
Her close involvement with horses started when her parents took her to riding lessons for her eighth birthday.
McDermott rode for the UMass equestrian team and has worked with other thoroughbred race horses such as Honor Marie and Dornoch, who both had competitive runs in last year's Triple Crown races.
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She now works at Legion Bloodstock, where she helps find horses for sale in hopes of developing and training them into race horses like Flying Mohawk.
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Flying Mohawk qualified for the Kentucky Derby after finishing second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks in March and drawing into the field when another horse withdrew.
The dark brown colt has started in six races and has two wins and two seconds. The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs will be his first time racing on a dirt track.
McDermott said her focus is not to go too far outside of the box when picking horses.
'We basically are just looking for an athlete,' she said. 'We just look for a physical horse, we're not always shopping in the pedigree of a horse that'll cost six figures.'
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She said having an influence on a horse in the Derby is important for the representation for Massachusetts in the racing industry.
'I think sometimes people view horse racing as kind of an untouchable thing, but really it's not as hard as people think to get into,' McDermott said.
Since Suffolk Downs closed in 2014, she believes the equestrian community has started to dwindle. She wants to have a role in keeping it alive.
Don Little, the president and co-owner of Centennial Farms, is familiar with McDermott's work. He said McDermott's work sends a message about representation in the sport.
'People that are involved in horse business are typically perceived as wealthy individuals, and that's not the case,' he said. 'These animals are cared for with a fine-toothed comb daily, like any athlete.'
Flying Mohawk is co-owned by former Major League Baseball player Jayson Werth and trained by Whit Beckman. Joseph Ramos is Flying Mohawk's jockey.
The post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. and the race will be televised on NBC and Peacock.
Auzzy Byrdsell can be reached at
