Sofia Thompson knew little to nothing about the racing industry until a summer job several years ago, working as a hotwalker in the barn of Hall of Famer Bill Mott, changed the course of her life.
Nimbly mounting United Arab Emirates Derby winner Wonder Dean, Takuya Nakano meets veteran Churchill Downs “pony boy” Mike Crowder and heads out to the track at Churchill for their early morning exercise.
Erin Curley once thought the bright lights of Broadway were beckoning. Instead, she found a home beneath the iconic Twin Spires of Churchill Downs, where she has vast responsibilities as vice president of Kentucky Derby operations.
In 1984, 17-year-old jockey Mike Smith was given a leg up on Loblolly Stable’s 3-year-old colt Pine Circle by future Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
The Churchill Downs backside comes to life a few weeks before the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. While horses are stabled there nine months out of the year, some extra special ones call the backside their home in the weeks leading up to the Derby.
