(LEX 18) — Every horse running in the Kentucky Derby has its unique story. Those stories include the people behind them, from the owners to the breeders and trainers.
There's one horse that's captured the attention of many this year because of one man.
Larry Demeritte says West Saratoga is simply the best horse he's ever trained, and he's been around horses since he was a child growing up in the Bahamas.
While the duo is capturing attention, they're also capturing hearts.
Demeritte says he knew this horse was special early on.
There's a special connection between Larry Demeritte and West Saratoga that goes beyond the racetrack.
"Oh, you see how cool he is!" Demeritte exclaims. "He stopped for you all to film him, and that's the kind of horse he is. He knows what's going on. He's in the moment."
Demeritte is also in the moment. It's hard not to be when this is your first horse to run in the Kentucky Derby, but it's also pretty much how he lives his life.
"I don't think negative. I'm always a positive thinker," says Demeritte. "I just feel like that somehow, it could happen for me."
Demeritte, in his 70s, trained racehorses in the Bahamas before moving to Lexington in 1980. He says he needed to be there to make his dreams come true.
"We've ran so many horses in the undercard of the Derby," said Demeritte. "That's something I came over to this country to do, to run in the Derby."
Larry Demeritte's presence in the Kentucky Derby is not just a personal triumph, but a significant moment in the history of the sport. He is the first Black trainer to have a horse in the Derby in 35 years, a milestone that highlights the strides made in diversity and inclusion in horse racing.
At the Keeneland sale in 2022, Larry Demeritte made a fateful decision. He purchased West Saratoga for owner Harry Veruchi, a horse that would change his life, for a mere $11,000. This seemingly small investment was a testament to Demeritte's keen eye for talent and his unwavering belief in the horse's potential.
"You know, I've been around a lot of good horses in the past, so I know how to prepare a horse," he says. "But this horse is the best!"
And in a sport about the odds, Demeritte defied some in his life. In 1996, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer.
Over the nearly 30 years since receiving the diagnosis, some days have been excruciating.
"The horses keep keep you going. Not only this horse, because he just came into my life," said Demeritte. "But I have to come. I have to get up and come look at the horses. You know, they give me the energy and give me the excitement of wanting to live."
He is seeing his lifelong dream come true, bigger than any horse, race, or diagnosis: His faith.
"I think it was destiny for me to have this horse," says Demeritte. "I think my faith really helps me with this more than anything else. That in all of us, He created talents and purpose. And I feel like when your purpose is completed, then he calls you home."
