Kentucky Derby 2024: Overcoming Death Scare, Cancer-Ridden West Saratoga’s Trainer Larry Demeritte Hopeful About $5 Million Race

For horse racing fans around the world, Louisville will be at the center of attention tomorrow as the Kentucky Derby 2024 arrives at Churchill Downs for another year. The 150th edition of the Derby has been gaining traction for months, with horses bolstering their claims over the past months. While some trainers won’t be able to make it to the prestigious event, others have had to overcome serious battles of their own to reach the starting line-up.

With 50-1 odds, West Saratoga isn’t the biggest name in the morning line for tomorrow’s race. And yet, the Jeff Ruby race saw the foal record its lifetime best time, ensuring its place in this year’s Kentucky Derby. And it’s not just the horse that’s had to climb a virtually insurmountable obstacle to secure its place among the world’s best names in the horse racing community.

In a recent post on X by TwinSpires Racing, the inspiring story of West Saratoga’s trainer Larry Demeritte has been shared with the world. Demeritte left the Bahamas to pursue his love for the sport, and when West Saratoga turned heads at the Iroquois Stakes last September, he knew he’d found his candidate for the Derby. Coupled with the cancer that’s been ailing him for decades, Demeritte refused to be bogged down by the ominous predictions made by his doctors and instead went all-in with the preparations to make sure Saratoga had a fighting chance amidst the likes of Sierra Leone and Mystic Dan.

“In the 90s they gave me 5 years and in 2018 they gave me six months,” laughed Larry. “It’s something I have to deal with for the rest of my life…but you know, there’s much more living to do than besides living every day just worrying about dying“, the trainer didn’t seem upset by his health troubles. While West Saratoga and Larry look to go down in the history books by winning Saturday’s race and the $5 million prize money, the race to the top wouldn’t be an easy one by any means, especially considering the staked lineup that they’ll be facing off against.

Kentucky Derby 2024 lineup is full of beefy names

From the 2024 Santa Anita Derby winner to the Florida Derby winner, the milestone edition of the Kentucky Derby has a full house of top contenders who can all potentially win the G1 race. However, the horse poised to start from position 12 (a bump in the position after Encino dropped out), West Saratoga’s chances aren’t all too shabby either, especially with the name of Demeritte in his corner. While the foal hasn’t had great success yet in the horse racing circuit, iconic trainers like Carl Nafzger are putting their faith in the horse’s possibilities of winning the Kentucky Derby 2024 after a visit to Churchill Downs.

With some high-profile riders like Irad Ortiz Jr. and Frankie Dettori, who is making a comeback after announcing his retirement last year, West Saratoga’s rider Jesus Castanon will have to go above and beyond if he wishes to give Larry his moment under the spotlight tomorrow. With such a long line of horses, trainers, and jockeys, tell us which combination you think will walk away from the CDI racecourse as the victor.