Famous celebrities that have owned Kentucky Derby horses
These celebrities in sports, music, movies and more have all owned Kentucky Derby horses.
- Many celebrities from sports, music, and Hollywood have owned horses that competed in the Kentucky Derby.
- MC Hammer’s horse Dance Floor and Jack Klugman’s horse Jaklin Klugman had notable third-place finishes.
- Former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had six different horses compete in the Kentucky Derby between 1977 and 2005.
- Some celebrities, like Terry Bradshaw and Jayson Werth, have owned multiple horses that have run in the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks.
The countdown is nearly over. The Kentucky Derby, America’s most intoxicating blend of speed, spectacle, and star power, is about to roar back to life. And while the world focuses on the horses charging down the stretch, the spotlight inevitably widens to capture the famous figures who’ve dared to chase their own slice of Derby glory.
Take the late George Steinbrenner, the formidable New York Yankees owner. Nearly 50 years ago, he stood on Millionaires Row, eyes locked on the track as one of his own thoroughbreds thundered toward the wire. Even then, Churchill Downs was more than a racetrack — it was a gravitational center for celebrities, power brokers, and cultural icons.
Over the decades, celebrities who’ve taken their shot at Kentucky Derby glory include a surprisingly eclectic cast. In fact, you may be surprised by some of the names who’ve had a stake in the action on Derby Day.
They’ve included everyone from Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg, to a 2008 partnership of Pulaski County, which included NFL greats Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett to, more recently, social media influencer Griffin Johnson, who is part-owner of Sandman, a prominent 2025 Kentucky Derby contender.
Johnson is back in the mix this year with Silent Tactic, trained by Mark Casse, who has qualified for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
Here are 12 musicians, sports legends and Hollywood power players, listed in alphabetical order, who have owned Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks hopefuls and added their name to racing history:
Celebrities who have owned a Kentucky Derby horse
Burt Bacharach
Kentucky Derby contenders: Soul of the Matter (1994), Afternoon Deelites (1995)
The late, great hitmaker didn’t just craft chart‑toppers, he bred them. Burt Bacharach carved out a second legacy in the sport, owning or breeding at least 15 stakes winners, including six graded stakes standouts. In 1994, his colt Soul of the Matter carried the Blue Seas Music silks to a strong fifth‑place finish in the Derby. A year later, his other hopeful, Afternoon Deelites, returned to Churchill Downs and finished eighth behind that year’s winner, Thunder Gulch. For a man who shaped the soundtrack of a generation, Bacharach proved he could leave his mark on the track as well.
Terry Bradshaw
Kentucky Derby contender: Mission Impazible (2010)
Four‑time Super Bowl champion and longtime FOX NFL Sunday personality Terry Bradshaw has never shied away from a big stage — and that includes the racetrack. The former Steelers quarterback once co‑owned Mission Impazible, who took his shot at the 2010 Kentucky Derby and finished a respectable ninth.
Bradshaw is back in the mix this year, teaming up with trainer Kenny McPeek through Magdalena Racing. The partnership is already paying dividends: their promising filly Taken by the Wind stormed to victory in the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 13, 2025, earning 10 qualifying points toward the 2026 Kentucky Oaks and keeping the Hall of Famer squarely in the heart of the action.
Lindsay Czarniak
Kentucky Derby contender: Jace’s Road (2023)
The former ESPN SportsCenter anchor, FOX Sports reporter and current host of the podcast “Things No One Tells You” got into the horse racing game through the America’s Best Racing A Stake in Stardom program. In 2023, Czarniak, who is married to NBC Today Show host Craig Melvin, became a co-owner of Kentucky Derby contender Jace’s Road. Since then, Czarniak has become a familiar face at major racing events, from the Derby to the Eclipse Awards, blending her broadcast polish with genuine fan‑energy.
Another famous person who had minority ownership of Jace’s Road is Ian Rapoport, sportswriter, analyst, and NFL Network’s lead Insider.
Bobby Flay
Kentucky Derby contender: J Boys Echo (2017)
Celebrity chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay doesn’t just command kitchens, he’s long been a force in the world of fast horses. A devoted filly enthusiast, Flay has built a reputation for backing elite female runners, but he’s taken his chances on the Derby stage, too. In 2017, he jumped into the fray with J Boys Echo, who finished 15th in that year’s Run for the Roses.
MC Hammer
Kentucky Derby contender: Dance Floor (1992)
At the peak of his 1990s fame, when the pants were baggy and the world collectively agreed you can’t touch this, MC Hammer took his star power to the racetrack.
His filly, named Lite Light, won the 1991 Kentucky Oaks by 10 lengths. The following year, the Grammy Award-winning rapper returned to Louisville with his Derby hopeful, Dance Floor who delivered a gutsy, crowd‑pleasing third-place finish. It remains one of the most impressive Kentucky Derby performances by a celebrity-owned horse and proof that Hammer Time extended all the way to Churchill Downs.
Toby Keith
Kentucky Derby contender: Render Judgement (2025)
The late country music powerhouse always sang about living big, loving hard, and chasing dreams and one of his longest‑running dreams was seeing his silks in the Kentucky Derby.
In 2025, that dream finally made it to the starting gate. His Dream Walkin’ Farms co‑owned Render Judgement, a colt who qualified for the Derby just months after Keith’s passing in 2024. It was a bittersweet moment, a horse thundering down the track, carrying not just a name, but the legacy of a man who adored the sport. For fans and friends alike, Render Judgement wasn’t just a Derby starter — he was a tribute to Keith.
Jack Klugman
Kentucky Derby contender: Jaklin Klugman (1980)
Long before celebrity horse ownership became trendy, Jack Klugman, forever remembered as Oscar Madison from “The Odd Couple” was already leaving hoofprints on Kentucky Derby history.
His colt, Jaklin Klugman didn’t just make the starting gate in 1980, he ran the race of his life. Up against the brilliant filly Genuine Risk, Jaklin Klugman dug in and finished third, delivering one of the best Derby performances ever by a mainstream celebrity-owned horse. Alongside MC Hammer’s Dance Floor, Klugman’s gray colt remains a gold standard for star-powered Derby success.
Bode Miller
Kentucky Derby contenders: Bodemeister (2012), Fast and Accurate (2017)
Six Olympic medals and two World Cup overall titles were apparently still not enough adrenaline for Bode Miller.
Over a decade ago, the skiing legend added “racehorse owner” to his résumé. In 2017, Miller bought into Fast and Accurate, who earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. The colt finished 17th, but Miller was hardly new to Derby drama. Five years earlier, Bodemeister, yes, named after him, nearly stole the whole show with a brilliant runner‑up finish in 2012.
Rick Pitino
Kentucky Derby contenders: Halory Hunter (1998), A P Valentine (2001), Goldencents (2013)
Basketball coaching legend Rick Pitino hasn’t just made his mark on the hardwood, he’s chased victory on the dirt, too.
His competitive streak has long extended into horse racing, where he’s teamed up with top trainers Nick Zito and Doug O’Neill to co‑own a string of Kentucky Derby and Oaks hopefuls. The former University of Louisville head coach has returned to Churchill Downs with several notable contenders over the years, including Halory Hunter, who finished fourth in the 1998 Derby, AP Valentine, who finished ninth in the 2001 Derby, and Goldencents, who crossed the line in 17th place in 2013.
Steven Spielberg
Kentucky Derby contender: Atswhatimtalknbout (2003)
When you’ve won three Oscars, what’s left to conquer? For Steven Spielberg, the answer, at least briefly, was the Kentucky Derby. In 2003, the acclaimed film director stepped into the racing world when he bought a minority stake in Atswhatimtalknbout. On Derby Day, the horse delivered a performance straight out of a Hollywood. After trailing early in the race, he unleashed a dramatic late run to fourth in a field of 16.
George Steinbrenner
Kentucky Derby contenders: Steve’s Friend (1977), Eternal Prince (1985), Diligence (1996), Concerto (1997), Blue Burner (2002), Bellamy Road (2005)
Steinbrenner didn’t just build the New York Yankees into a modern dynasty, he also spent nearly three decades chasing glory at Churchill Downs.
Between 1977 and 2005, six of his thoroughbreds made it to the Kentucky Derby. Of the six, Bellamy Road entered the Kentucky Derby as the betting favorite, a hulking, powerhouse runner who looked every bit the part of a future champion. But even the most dominant contenders can falter at the Kentucky Derby as Bellamy Road never found his stride and finished seventh in 2005.
Jayson Werth
Kentucky Derby contenders: Dornoch (2024), Flying Mohawk (2025)
A fresh face on the racing circuit, retired All-Star outfielder Jayson Werth only got into horse racing a few years ago when investing in several horses with his friends.
Under his stable name Two Eight Racing, a nod to the No. 28 which he wore throughout his MLB career, Werth’s leap from World Series champion to Kentucky Derby contender was thanks to Dornoch. Although Dornoch finished in 10th place in the 2024 Derby, the colt went on to win the the third leg of the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes in June 2024. Werth returned to Churchill Downs in 2025 with Flying Mohawk, who finished 18th.
Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at [email protected].
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