It’s one of the most unique sounds in the world and one that reverberates throughout the horse racing industry: the early morning thunder of horses working out at the track. Long before most people roll over and hit the snooze button, the track is a beehive of activity. There are horses to be checked, stalls to be cleaned, workout routines, baths, and breakfast. The routines seem the same yet they can vary depending on whether it’s a work day, a rest day, or race day. Part of the early morning team and the backbone of the barn is the exercise riders.

As the home of the Kentucky Derby, Louisville’s Churchill Downs teems with historical significance. Yet a trip to the gargantuan, twin-spired track doesn’t evoke the misty-eyed nostalgia of a place like Saratoga; no venue which can accommodate 160,000 spectators on a single day, as Churchill does on the first Saturday of each May, is ever going to fit neatly on a postcard.