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The 2023 Kentucky Derby is here, which means Spring has sprung, and it’s time for America’s annual focus on the sport of kings. It also increasingly means sports celebrities at the iconic Churchill Downs. And while Tom Brady and his buddies partying in a box are fun to watch, this year, there are several famous sports media personalities — Ian Rapoport, Joy Taylor, and Lindsay Czarniak — who actually own a piece of one of the racehorses. Here’s what you need to know about who owns Jace’s Road, the 2023 Kentucky Derby longshot.

Who Owns Jace’s Road in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The real answer to who owns Jace’s Road, the 32/1 longshot (per FanDuel) to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby, is West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables LLC.

West Point Thoroughbreds is a racehorse syndicate founded by West Point grad Terry Finley, who is also the father of former Duke soccer and MLS player Ryan Finley. And Albaugh Family Stables is owned by Jason Loutsch and Dennis Albaugh. The latter is an Iowa-based billionaire who made his fortune in pesticides.

While Finley, Loutsch, and Albaugh are the primary owners of Jace’s Road, the minority owners are much more fun.

Through a program offered by America’s Best Racing called “A Stake in Stardom,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, FOX Sports host Joy Taylor, and FOX Sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak all have a minority stake in Jace’s Road.

All three sports media personalities are horse racing fans who’ve been to the Kentucky Derby before. However, this is the first year they’ll be at Churchill Downs as owners and maybe even in the winner’s circle.

What to know about Ian Rapoport, Joy Taylor, and Lindsay Czarniak’s 2023 Kentucky Derby horse

Who owns Jace's Road, Jace's Road, 2023 Kentucky Derby, Ian Rapoport, Joy Taylor, Lindsay Czarniak
Jace’s Road runs on the track during the morning training for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 04, 2023 | Andy Lyons/Getty Images

West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables bought Jace’s Road at the 21 Keeneland September yearling sale for $510,000. That wasn’t the most expensive horse that day (which sold for $1.7 million), but it was well over the average price of $132,045.

The horse was on the more expensive side thanks to his sire (father), Quality Road. Jace’s papa opened as the favorite to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby before an injury made him a late scratch.

In 2023, fate may have paid the Road horse family back. Jace’s Road wasn’t initially slated for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. However, when Blazing Saddles withdrew from the race, Ian Rapoport, Joy Taylor, and Lindsay Czarniak’s horse stepped in.

Brad H. Cox, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes with Mandaloun and Essential Quality, respectively, is Jace’s Road trainer. And Florent Geroux is the jockey who won the Derby on Mandaloun after Bob Baffert’s Medina Spirit was disqualified.

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Staff Writer, Producer - NFL

Tim Crean

Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs.

As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early ’90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA.

When he’s not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.