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All morning long, the buzz of the Kentucky Derby has been electric—and tomorrow promises even more excitement, not least because the late Toby Keith’s dream has galloped into reality. His colt, Render Judgment, will break from the starting gate, fulfilling Keith’s long-held ambition to own a Derby runner. Trainer Kenneth McPeek, who steered last year’s winner to glory, sat down with us to explain how Toby’s horse secured its spot in the field.
“At first, Render Judgment was languishing around twenty-first or twenty-second in the points standings,” McPeek recalls. “That wouldn’t have cut it—no entry. But when a couple of connections scratched, the ownership group decided to go for it. It was the chance of a lifetime, even if the timing wasn’t perfect.” McPeek admitted he was initially hesitant to draw an outside post, but the team rallied around Toby’s vision. “His only win to date was at Churchill Downs, so we know he handles the surface,” McPeek said. “A mile and a quarter is uncharted territory, but races have surprises. He likes to close from behind; if the pace sets up, he could sneak in and grab a piece of it.”
As the colt settles into his stall tonight, there’s a sense that Keith—were he still with us—would be beaming. “Toby loved thoroughbreds almost as much as he loved music,” McPeek reflects. “I met him two decades ago at Louisiana and Arkansas tracks. He was larger than life—performing at Breeders’ Cup events, hosting friends on his farm, always championing the sport. Losing him was a real blow to racing.”
Now, as Render Judgment prepares to thunder down Churchill’s stretch, McPeek can’t help but smile at one final, cheeky question: if the horse triumphs, will they celebrate with “whiskey for my men and beer for my horses”? “We’ll probably have red Solo cups,” he laughs—an homage, of course, to Toby’s irrepressible party anthem.
Thirty-one to one odds and a heartwarming backstory: Render Judgment carries not just the weight of competition, but the legacy of a country music legend who dreamed big. Tomorrow, Toby Keith will have the best seat in the house.