Kentucky Derby voice Donna Barton Brothers retiring after 26 years
It’s tough to consider the Kentucky Derby with out longtime trackside commentator Donna Barton Brothers.
The former jockey, who’s been a beloved a part of NBC’s Kentucky Derby protection because the community acquired the rights to the race in 2001, introduced she’s retiring after this yr’s Run for the Roses on Saturday.
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“I told Lindsay Schanzer, our producer, that I definitely wanted to make it to Kentucky Derby 151 because that would be my 25th Kentucky Derby,” said Brothers, who turned 60 on April 22.
Longtime trackside commentator Donna Barton Brothers introduced she is retiring after 26 years. Instagram/Donna Barton Brothers
“But if I had my druthers, I would also like to make it to Derby 152 because then I’ll be 60 years old and I’ll feel like I’ve earned the right to retire. So now I have two careers behind me. I retired from being a jockey in 1998.”
Brothers’ heartfelt interviews with the profitable jockey simply seconds after crossing the end line helped her to turn into a fan favourite.
She determined two years in the past that this is able to be her final yr, however didn’t share the information publicly till final week, in keeping with NBC Sports.
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“There are a lot of people, when I tell ’em I’m going to retire, they seem sad for me. And they’re like, “Oh, I know you’re going to miss it,” Brothers mentioned. “And I don’t think that’s going to be the case.
“I’ve had the second-best seat in the house for 26 years, and I really believe that. I think the best seat in the house is whoever rode the Kentucky Derby winner.”
Brothers joined NBC in 2000 for Breeders’ Cup coverage.
NBC commentator Donna Barton Brothers rides down the front stretch before the 88th Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2012, in Baltimore, Maryland. Getty Images
Mike Tirico, who’s anchoring NBC’s Derby coverage with Rebecca Lowe, praised Brothers for their television legacy.
“Very rarely do you get to work in TV with people who define a role in sports television, and Donna has done that,” Tirico mentioned.
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“The immediate reaction Donna gets race after race, and her observations are such a unique part of what we do on television. And she is one of a kind. Somebody will follow her but will not replace her because she’s irreplaceable.”
Brothers rode from 1987 to 1998, retiring because the second-leading feminine jockey within the United States by cash earned. She at present nonetheless holds that title.
She has 1,130 wins and greater than $18 million in purse earnings, in keeping with her web site.
