The Oklahoma thoroughbred Render Judgment, owned in part by the late Toby Keith, is one of 20 horses expected to run at the 2025 Kentucky Derby today.
Aside from performing, Keith, the country singer-songwriter behind the 1993 hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” was an avid horseman with dreams of having a horse in America’s most prestigious race.
Render Judgment was a late entrant, but he’ll be the first Kentucky Derby horse from Keith’s breeding and racing operation Dream Walkin’ Farms, which he opened in 2001.
The bay colt, trained by Kenny McPeek — who notched a win last year with underdog Mystik Dan — and ridden by jockey Julien Leparoux has 30-1 odds, which is considered one of the longest shots in the field. He’ll be in Gate 15.
As you ready for the race this evening, here’s some details on what happened to Toby Keith and more about how to watch the Run for the Roses.
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Toby Keith death: What happened to Toby Keith?
Toby Keith died on Feb. 5, 2024 at the age of 62. Keith had revealed his stomach cancer diagnosis in 2022, after being diagnosed in the fall of 2021. He had undergone chemotherapy, radiation and surgery he said via social media.
He had continued to perform up until his death, and garnered attention, and 19 million views on YouTube, when he performed at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Music Awards and received the Country Icon Award.
He released his debut album in 1993 and is also well-known for his songs “Red Solo Cup” and “I Wanna Talk About Me.” His 2002 song “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” released in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, helped cement his status as a household name.
He was survived by his wife of 39 years, Tricia, and his three children.
Who is Krystal Keith?
Krystal Keith is the daughter of country singer Toby Keith, who shared on Instagram on April 27 it was her father’s dream of having his horses in the Kentucky Derby. She told The Oklahoman that “performing music and having your horse run” were two things that thrilled him. She grew up going to the track with her dad, she said.
What channel is the Kentucky Derby on?
Live coverage for the 151st Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs will begin as early as 12 p.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network and 2:30 p.m. on NBC.
- TV Networks: NBC and USA Network
- Streaming networks:Peacock ($8 a month), NBCSports.com, NBC Sports App and Fubo (free trial)
What time is the Kentucky Derby 2025?
The current post time for the Kentucky Derby is at 6:57 p.m. ET. However, this time is not exact and will move based on how quickly and easily the horses get set up in their posts.
Horses will run for 1 ¼ miles, which has been standard since 1896. If you want to catch the action, make sure you tune in early — the race is just two minutes.
Where is Churchill Downs? Where is the Kentucky Derby 2025?
The Kentucky Derby has always been held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, just south of the downtown area and a few minutes from the Muhammad Ali International Airport.
Kentucky Derby 2025 payout, purse
Churchill Downs announced on April 21 that the purse for the 2025 Kentucky Derby will be $5 million — the same as it was last year. The winner of this year’s Derby will take home $3.1 million — the same pocketed by winner Mystik Dan last year —
take home a cash prize of $3.1 million, which was a record-breaking winning share last year when Mystik Dan won. The winning jockey will take home 10% of the first-place prize, which was $310,000 last year. Here’s the remaining breakdown:
- 1st place: $3.1 million
- 2nd place: $1 million
- 3rd place: $500,000
- 4th place: $250,000
- 5th place: $150,000
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
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