Clemson alumnus' horse Sierra Leone will run in the upcoming Kentucky Derby |
"The Run for the Roses" will have a Clemson connection.
The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchhill Downs on Saturday, May 4, will have Sierra Leone, a beautiful three-year-old dark bay and brown colt, as one of the 20 horses competing. One of the horse's owners/partners is Brook Smith, a key donor for Clemson and 1989 alumnus. In 2021, Smith and his wife Pamela became the 12th Cornerstone Partner with a $2.5 million gift to fund the Brook T. Smith Launchpad in downtown Clemson and help create the Clemson Applied Science Lab in the Allen Reeves Football Complex. Smith is excited to watch Sierra Leone in the world's most famous horse race. "It’s next to impossible to get a horse in the Kentucky Derby, much less have a legitimate chance to win it," he told Clemson News. "This horse is no joke." He can't believe how fortunate he has become as he often reminisces about his time at Clemson. "I ask myself, “How did this happen to me? Why did I get so fortunate?” It’s this incredible moment, and when you find yourself in these spots, you just want to digest it. It’s about looking back on where you came from and how you ended up here, and as I do that, I think a lot about my time at Clemson." So, when you are watching the race this Saturday and don't have a horse to cheer for, Sierra Leone might be your pick. The horse currently has the second-best odds to win the race at 3-1.
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