A lot of folks are really into horse racing, and you know what? American country music legend Toby Keith was a big fan too. It seems that even in the afterlife, his love for the sport lives on, as his colt, Render Judgment, is all set to compete in the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3. Keith, who sadly passed away in February 2024 at 62, always dreamed of having a horse in the Derby.
That dream came true with Render Judgment’s entry. Keith’s Dream Walkin’ Farms is sharing ownership of the colt with Baccari Racing Stable LLC, MJM Racing, and Rocket Ship Racing. Did you hear about how he made his entrance into the Kentucky Derby? So, it was really a last-minute call, huh?
After discussing with a few connections, trainer Kenny McPeek made the call to enter the three-year-old in the Run for the Roses, keeping alive the dream that Keith once had. The official Instagram account of the music legend shared a post about this news, saying, “It was Toby’s dream….Render Judgement is going to the Kentucky Derby. He worked so hard to finally have one there! Toby will have the best seat in the house to watch.”
Dream Walkin’ Farms, founded in 2001, was Keith’s Thoroughbred breeding and racing venture based in Oklahoma. Over the course of two decades, it celebrated impressive achievements, racking up 848 wins and earning more than $18 million from 6,587 races.
Render Judgment, who’s been trained by McPeek and has Julien Leparoux in the saddle, is heading into the Derby with 30-1 odds. He’s shown some solid performance in his recent workouts, which is pretty exciting! So, how did the horse racing community respond to this update?
Happy with this Kentucky Derby entry
“Awe, God bless Toby. Know his family is missing him every second of the day,” said a fan, who really understands how much Toby Keith meant to all the people close to him. Even though he won’t be there in person at Churchill Downs on May 3, this fan believes that Keith will have the best seat around, saying, “Best seat in the house-heavens indeed!”
Back in a 2010 interview with PEOPLE, the American country music legend shared his passion for raising Thoroughbred racehorses, saying, “I love racing horses; it’s thrilling. I’ve studied pedigrees for years, and we’ve won some big races.” Watching Render Judgement compete is going to be really interesting!
One fan even said, “Have a wonderful time. Toby would be so proud.” In a similar vein, this fan shared, “Let’s all watch and raise one up to T in heaven!!” One fan shared a cool tidbit, saying, “Reason #672 to love Toby! Never realized he was a horseman! My father owned thoroughbreds growing up in the 80s.” So, you know how Toby always said, “Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses”? I think the Kentucky Derby is going to be really fascinating!
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