Toby Keith will have good reason to be watching the Kentucky Derby from Heaven this year: One of his horses, Render Judgment, will be in the race.
The late singer’s team shared the news on social media on Saturday (Apr. 26), after the 2025 post positions for the Derby were announced this weekend.
“It was Toby’s dream,” the post reads, sharing a pair of photos of the horse in racing action. “Render Judgment is going to the [Kentucky Derby.] He worked so hard to finally have one there!
“Toby will have the best seat in the house to watch,” the post adds.
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.
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“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.
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Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
