Toby Keith’s dreams come true at Kentucky Derby 151; friends and trainer reflect

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — The horse starting out of gate 15 during Kentucky Derby 151 won’t have the greatest odds of winning, but it does hold sentimental value.

For decades, Toby Keith lived his dream singing in front of thousands of fans across the globe.
Now, just a year after his passing, a lesser-known dream of the country music star is about to be realized when one of his horses gets his shot on Kentucky’s biggest stage

Initially, Keith’s horse Render Judgment was not in the field for the Derby but became a late entry after Florida Derby winner Tappan Street suffered an injury to his right foreleg. Tommy Gandolfo is a lifelong friend of Keith. The two owned several horses together over the years, and he told FOX 56 that Keith’s love of horse racing was unmatched.

Gandolfo said he can’t wait to cheer on Render Judgement in the derby, knowing how important this moment would be to his friend.

“That is the greatest thing that ever happened. These people spend hundreds of millions of dollars to try to get to the Derby. And here he is. He’s one of 20 people that have made it to the derby,” said Gandolfo. “I’ve always been friends with Toby and stayed close to him all the way up until his death, and he’s just a great guy. He was just the most common guy you’ve ever been around in life. He was bigger than life. But I’ll tell you, he was just. He was a common gas buddy.”

Gandolfo said Keith’s family will be at Churchill Downs this weekend, and despite his odds being long, he’ll be betting on Render Judgment to be in the winner’s circle come Saturday night.

The late singer’s team shared the news on social media, saying it was Toby’s dream to have a horse in the Derby, and now he’ll have the best seat in the house to watch it run. Kenny McPeek, who trains Render Judgment, said that Toby’s passion for the sport was endless. With just a few days left to go, McPeek said Render Judgment needs to show a lot more in training, but knows anyone can win come race day.

“It’s going to be a pay-setup race. He’s going to need to come from behind; he’s going to need to show a lot quicker, turn the foot, than he’s shown before. So, he’s got his work cut out for him. But we’re going to hope that there’s pace in the race; we’re going to hope Julien can find a clean trip, and then let him fire away in the end.

McPeek said winning this year’s Derby would be extra special given the significance. Render Judgment will run out of gate 15 at Churchill Downs on Saturday. He’s opening at 30 to 1 odds and will be ridden by Julien Leparoux. Post time for the 151st Kentucky Derby is 6:57 P.M.