Toby Keith‘s daughter Krystal is celebrating the fulfillment of a dream her late father worked on for much of his life — and one that she says was nearly as important to him as his music.
One of Keith’s horses, Render Judgment, will race in the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
A social media post on his Instagram first shared the news, saying “Toby will have the best seat in the house” as he cheers on his horse from Heaven.
Even though Keith was an avid horse racing fan who owned and trained racing thoroughbreds for years, it’s still a major accomplishment to place a horse in the world’s biggest annual horse racing event.
Krystal also says that Render Judgment qualified at the very last second.
Read More: Toby Keith’s ‘Dream’ Is Coming True at the Kentucky Derby This Year
“Our horse Render Judgment made it yesterday just hours before the post position drawing,” she revealed in a social media post.
“Out of 20,000+ race horses born in the same year to be eligible for this year’s race, only 20 will race in the 2025 Kentucky Derby,” Krystal goes on to say.
The odds might have been slim, but she says her famous dad was working toward this dream for “over 30 years.”
“Here he is still making his dreams come true from his castle in the sky,” she continued. “… My dad could never decide which passion was greater, music or horse racing. “He could have had a PhD in horse pedigrees. What an incredible journey we’ve been on to get here.”
“Win or lose, he made it to the Derby and that for me is everything,” Krystal concluded.
All About Toby Keith’s Passion for Horse Racing
Not all fans know that the country superstar behind hits like “Beer for My Horses” and “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” was also an avid horse racing fan who owned and trained racing thoroughbreds.
According to a 2024 report from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Keith enjoyed racing himself and raced under the name Dream Walkin’ Farms. His most frequent venue was in his home turf of Oklahoma City, Okla., but he regularly raced elsewhere, too.
His top thoroughbred horses’ names were Cactus Ridge, Smack Smack and Three Chords.
Trainer Bret Calhoun, who worked with Keith to train Cactus Ridge, told the SGV Tribune after Keith’s death that he was “a big star, larger than life, but he was just a regular guy, as well.”
Read More: Toby Keith’s Incredible Net Worth Will Stun You
“He was so approachable, so easy to talk with,” Calhoun added. “You really enjoyed being around him, and he treated everybody the same. It didn’t matter who you were. He respected everybody.”
When Did Toby Keith Die?
- Keith announced his stomach cancer diagnosis in June 2022.
- He bravely fought his illness, returning to the spotlight for a series of shows and to accept the Icon Award at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards.
- Keith died of his illness on Feb. 5, 2024. He was 62 years old.
These Country Stars Have Battled Cancer
Cancer touches almost every family at some point, and country stars are no exception. Tragically, some of them have died of their illnesses. Read on to learn the stories behind stars who have faced cancer diagnoses.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
