Kentucky
Kentucky Derby horses racing Saturday include one raised by woman from Massachusetts
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?”
Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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