The late country superstar Toby Keith will be fulfilling a dream he had his whole life at the 2025 Kentucky Derby: One of his horses is competing in the big race.
Late last month, Keith’s team announced on social media that the singer’s horse Render Judgment is on the roster for the Derby this year, adding that the milestone was something Keith had been working towards for much of his life.
An avid horse racing fan who owned and trained racing thoroughbreds, Keith had a passion for the sport that almost matched his love of music, his daughter Krystal shared after the Derby news was announced.
Read More: Toby Keith’s ‘Dream’ is Coming True at the Kentucky Derby This Year
“He could have had a PhD in horse pedigrees,” she commented. “What an incredible journey we’ve been on to get here.”
The singer died in February 2024 of stomach cancer, making this moment all the more emotional. “Here he is still making his dreams come true from his castle in the sky,” Krystal added.
How to Watch Toby Keith’s Horse, Render Judgment, Race in the 2025 Kentucky Derby
The 2025 Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 3.
As always, the Derby will take place at famed horse racing complex Churchill Downs in Lexington, Ky.
If a last-minute trip to Kentucky isn’t in your plans this weekend, you can still watch all the action on TV. The 2025 Kentucky Derby will air on NBC and stream live on Peacock. According to Yahoo! Sports, the current post time for the race to begin is 6:57PM ET. But Derby coverage will be ongoing starting around noon. Over the course of Friday (May 2) and Saturday, weekend Derby-related events will total 17 live horse races.
Will Toby Keith’s Horse Win the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
No one knows which of the 20 competing horses will win the Kentucky Derby, but Keith’s horse Render Judgment has 30-1 odds, according to Yahoo! Sports. The most-buzzed-about horse leading up to the race is arguably a horse named Journalism, who is the 3-1 favorite to win, per CBS.
But according to Keith’s family, just making it to this competitive horse racing venue is all the win the late star would’ve hoped for. His daughter Krystal said that Render Judgment made it into the lineup “just hours before the post position drawing.”
“Win or lose, he made it to the Derby and that for me is everything,” she added.
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Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak