Nineteen horses will compete in the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Saturday and one of them was raised by a woman from Massachusetts.

There’s a saying that goes, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer” and for 36-year-old Kristy McDermott, she is living her dream right now at the Kentucky Derby.

Sudbury native raised Flying Mohawk

“It’s unreal to be here,” said McDermott, who is down in Kentucky for the race. “Being at a race track is always magical but when it’s something like this that is kind of the culmination of everything we do and everything we dream about, it takes it to a whole other level.”

The Sudbury native has been raising the horse, Flying Mohawk, since he was a yearling.

“We brought him home and we raised him for about 10 months, focused on nutrition and growth,” said McDermott. “They grow a lot in that time.”

Now she’s right by Flying Mohawk’s side in Louisville at Churchill Downs to watch the horse compete in the prestigious race.

“Having a horse run in the Derby when you’re in the horse industry, it does change your life,” said McDermott.

Started horse training in Stow

McDermott’s humble beginnings began in Stow at Red Acre Farm under the training of Kathy Steege.

“I’m so proud. As a little girl, she was the cutest thing with dimples and a big smile and she was here at 9 o’clock every Saturday morning,” said Steege. 

Since she was 7 years old, McDermott learned how to ride and take care of horses at Red Acre Farm. Little did she know the lessons she learned there would one day take her to the Kentucky Derby.

“It’s just such a big thing to be connected to a horse that’s running in the Kentucky Derby, that’s one of the biggest horse races there is,” said Steege.

McDermott hopes her efforts and young training will pay off for Flying Mohawk, who will be in race number 12.

“I can’t say enough good things about Red Acre Farm, truly just a total family, they taught me everything,” said McDermott. “Kathy Steege was the first person to show me how to saddle a horse. I’ve had plenty of people tell me I wasn’t good enough as a horseman, as a rider, all these things and every time someone told me no, it just made me want to do it more and I guess just never give up on yourself. If you know inside you, you can do something, who are they to tell you you can’t?”