If you hang around long enough with horse people, you notice a certain thrum of anticipatory excitement starts to vibrate around early April, and people start making plans for viewing parties and shopping for fantastical, colorful, and sometimes downright outrageous hats. This is the plumage and pageantry of a 150-year tradition in which the crux of the drama lasts all of a whopping two minutes – but the buildup to the countdown at Churchill Downs lasts much longer than that.
We speak, of course, of the Kentucky Derby.
If you live in Central Florida, you know why that’s such a big deal here – particularly in Ocala. For 364 days of the year, this is the official Horse Capital of the World™ , where breeders, trainers, and riders come to raise some of the finest champions to have won the Derby: American Pharoah, Justify, Affirmed and Mystik Dan among them. The most famous of them all is probably Secretariat, whose equine DNA was so highly revered that he was retired at age three and went on to helpfully produce no less than 28 foals in his first year as a stud. By the time he died at the age of 19, he sired 663 officially named foals. His daughters proved to be the champions of his legacy; 341 of his progeny went on to become race winners, while 54 triumphed in stakes, and it was through them that 24 Grade/Group 1 winners were produced.
Horses like Secretariat and others like him are what demonstrates the real commitment of equine sports; it’s not just about the trophy and the laurels, but nurturing the legacy for future generations of horses and riders. Horse races happen all over the world, all the time – but a race that’s been going strong for a century and a half is (pardon the pun) a different breed. You don’t last that long unless there’s some serious planning and investment.
Which brings us back to Ocala.
For all but one day of the year – when Louisville is the undisputed Horse Capital on the first Saturday of May – Ocala is where the equine industry lives and thrives.There are more horses and ponies in Marion County than anywhere else in the United States, which when you think about it is pretty astounding. It’s not just a passion, but also an economic powerhouse that brings in nearly $13 billion to the State of Florida, creating an entire ecosystem and infrastructure that in turn generates new streams of revenue and commerce.
The protection of arable farmland, agriculture, and environmental science are hugely important to the continued development and success of champion horse breeding, and the industry is a key factor for several businesses in Ocala. Ocala Breeders and Sales, the World Equestrian Center (WEC), Chewy and Signature Brands are all staples of what’s made in Marion County, and their successes here are directly and indirectly influenced by the strength of our equestrian community.
There is something about Ocala that seems to make champions – and more precisely, Derby contenders and sometimes Triple Crown Winners. Out of the 20 horses that are competing in the annual Run for the Roses every year, there are usually multiples in the lineup who hail from Ocala – either they were bred here, raised here, or trained here. Fifteen Derby winners over the past quarter century were from here, and when you consider those odds, the mind boggles. Which is why this time of year generates a barely-contained level of excitement in the neighborhood, and in 2025, there are 13 horses with Ocala connections slated at press time for the 151st Derby on May 3:
Sandman
Trained by longtime Ocala resident Mark Casse, Sandman was purchased for $1.2 million at the 2024 OBS March Sale by West Point Thoroughbreds/D.J. Stable/CJ Stable. Now owned by Florida breeders Vincent and Teresa Viola in the name of their St. Elias Stable in partnership with D.J. Stable LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stable. He is also a graduate of the early training program of Tom McCrocklin of Ocala, who consigned the striking gray or roan colt at OBS.
Neoequos
Florida bred by Helen and Joseph Barbazon and Matalona Thoroughbreds LLC. Owned by C2 Racing Stable LLC, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables LLC and Stefania Farms LLC’s, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. 121 st Florida-bred to race in the Kentucky Derby and first since Tami Bobo and Tristan de Meric’s Simplification finished fourth in the 2022 edition.
If you’d like to check out the full starting lineup, learn some more about the history of the race, or keep tabs on any changes to the contender list, go to the official Kentucky Derby page. You’ll find tons of information about everything from the race schedule, the events leading up to the big one, which big names are in attendance this year, and where to find betting odds.
If you aren’t planning to head for Louisville, you can join the Hat Party at World Equestrian Center’s main terrace, watch everything on their huge Jumbotron and enjoy a leisurely Mint Julep with fellow racing fans and horse lovers. If they’re not in Kentucky, this is probably the highest local concentration of hats, betting forms and boutonnieres you can find. You can also head over to check out the Festival of Speed at WEC and check out another kind of horsepower with gorgeous designs by Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. For the adventurous among you, there’s a fun Pub Crawl you can join from 2:00 to 6:00 pm (if you’re 21 and over).
If you’re thinking of having your own watch party and want to invite some friends over to see the race, national broadcast and streaming coverage will be on USA Network starting at 12pm, and switching to NBC and Peacock at 2:30 pm.
We’ll also keep you updated on this blog, so watch this space, and check back to keep abreast in the following weeks on the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Happy Hat Day!
