Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, two-time NFL and Super Bowl MVP for the Kansas City Captains, was given the special honor of commanding their riders as an announcer for the Riders Up year. today for the Kentucky Derby 149 at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Hosted at the Derby by Team Barnstable Brown, Mahomes will make an official call in the paddock on NBC just before the Kentucky Derby, which has a post time of 6:57 p.m. Eastern time.
Ahead of Derby Day, Louisville native and seven-time Paralympian gold medalist Oksana Masters will deliver the Riders Up order to the Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, scheduled for 5:51 p.m.
“The rider!” is the traditional order from Paddock Judge to riders riding ahead of an upcoming race. But since 2012, Churchill Downs has reserved that special honor for a dignitaries or celebrity to attend when it comes to the Kentucky Derby.
Other celebrities who have had Riders Up titles include John Calipari (2012), Charlie Strong (2013), Julius Irving (2014), Teddy Bridgewater (2015), Sean Peyton (2016), Jeff Bridges (2017), Laila Ali (2018), Baker Mayfield (2019), D. Wayne Lukas (2021) and Jack Harlow (2022)
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