On March 28th, the Manes and Tails Organization contacted Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY) regarding an on air pre-race memorial for the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner 'Ferdinand' at this year's Derby.
Representative Whitfield has been very supportive, as has Bill Heller the author of 'After the Finish Line' and founder of the 'Ferdinand Fee.' At this year's Kentucky Derby, there will be a tribute to 'Barbaro' the undefeated winner of last year's Derby who absolutely put in a 'sublime performance' during the race.
'Barbaro's' life tragically ended after a long fight to recover from the injuries he sustained during the Preakness. A beautiful fan video of Barbaro has been created by Carrie Kaiser.
We sincerely hope that NBC Sports will rearrange the pre-race programming to accommodate 'Ferdinand' who not only won the Kentucky Derby, but the Breeders' Cup Classic and was honored with Horse of the Year in 1987.
Ellen-Cathryn Nash
Founder & President
Manes and Tails Organization
