Bob Baffert’s ponies have always drawn attention at the racetrack. Popular and well known, they have included Smokey as well as two striking palominos, Sunny and Amarillo (also known as I’m In It to Whiz It).
The bay colt was cooling out following his final serious bit of work before the most serious race of his life. And as he was walked and bathed, the masses gathered at the far end of Barn 42 at Churchill Downs, a plethora of media seeking insight into one of the more prominent storylines set to manifest May 2.
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.
