Lindsy Reed and Louisa Barton
April Mayberry at her training center with Eddie Herrera
ee had made it into the Kentucky Derby, he was speechless. This was his chance, and he was ready to take it on. This small group of lesser-known owners and trainers began to prepare for the biggest day of their lives. After the race, which I watched from the backside of the track, I texted April Mayberry. She had commented a few weeks back on a social media post of mine, that if Richie made it in, I should put some money on him, because he was a horse to watch out for. Mayberry knows her horses, so as I placed my bet, I thought of her comment. As I was texting her a huge congratulations, I was running, running to Barn 17. I stood in the stall of the 148th Kentucky Derby winner, took a photo with his stall guard and waited eagerly for his return from the winner’s circle and the testing barn. I chatted with Richie’s track exercise rider, who shared stories with me about the way they took care of every detail with this horse. Richie’s daily exercise rider at the track was Gabriel Lagunes, who drove two hours each day at the request of Reed to ride Richie, and he too had an understanding with the colt. I watched Richie, now a champion Derby winner, led back to the barn by his groom, who also clearly loved this horse, which was followed by an entourage of family, friends and media. I looked on as Eric’s daughter, top hunter jumper rider Lindsy Reed, helped to wash him, and his groom held his face gently in his hands and rested on him. I watched his groom walk the shed row leading the now history-making
champion quietly around, allowing him to stop and nibble at some hay. I watched them put him into his very comfortably-bedded stall before they turned out the lights to allow him the rest he had certainly earned. As Richie looked out over the stall door at the diminishing light and the crowd of fans, he had no idea what all the commotion was about or how he had suddenly changed the course of not only his life, but so many
others. Claimed for $30,000 by this team in a claiming race that he won by over 17 lengths, he had changed his journey and the journey of so many others. He had made the Derby dream come back to life again this year. This is more of the stuff of which books and movies are made. Richie didn’t know his odds on Derby Day and Sonny Leon, his brave jockey who had never won a major stakes race, didn’t let that convince him that
it could not be done. Resting during the Preakness What will be next for Richie? Bypassing the Preakness for the Belmont Stakes, because he likes a long-distance race and that’s the longest one of them all. He certainly acted like he could do it all over again after the Derby. The thrill of a potential Triple Crown is always exciting, but the horse’s well-being is of utmost importance and this team cares. Giving Richie longevity and the chance to be the best horse he can be is most important. Every person who has worked with this horse, from his start here in Ocala, to the winner’s circle of the most exciting race in the world, has been patient and has done what is best for the horse. We often think that only the jockey is on the ride, but horses with stories like this touch us all. Richie is taking us all on the ride of our lives as we live vicariously through the great stories, the losses and triumphs, and when we can see it all through the excited eyes of a child, the tears of a proud daughter and the love of a groom, we have seen the real story of horse racing. Perhaps we will see Richie in the winner’s circle again in a couple of weeks, but one thing I am sure of, he won’t go off on the morning line at 80-1 odds ever again. Louisa Barton is the Equine Initiative Director at the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership, Showcase Properties of Central Florida Farm Realtor and host of the Horse Talk Show on the Sky 97.3, Audacy.com and Equus Television
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