Proceeds from commemorative bourbon bottles will go toward the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and for jockey Brian Hernandez, who won the 2024 Oaks and Derby.
By WKYT News Staff
Published: Sep. 24, 2025 at 5:44 PM EDT
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Lexington horse trainer Kenny McPeek, the winner of the 2024 Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, is linking up with Bluegrass Distillers out of Midway for a commemorative bourbon bottle.
Proceeds from those bottles will go toward the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and for jockey Brian Hernandez, who won the 2024 Oaks and Derby.
McPeek says Hernandez could use the money while he is out of work.
“Brian is an extremely talented rider, somebody that we depend on and, like I said, a big part of what we do,” McPeek said.
McPeek and Hernandez have worked together for more than a decade, winning more than 35 graded stakes, the top races in the sport.
This past weekend at Churchill Downs, Hernandez was thrown off his horse, Sergeant Garcia.
Hernandez went to the ICU suffering injuries to the ribs, liver and lungs.
McPeek is coming to the rescue to help in his recovery. McPeek’s horse, the winner of the 2024 Oaks, Thorpedo Anna, will have a commemorative bourbon bottle in her name.
Bluegrass Distillers in Midway will make the 9-year-old bourbon, and part of the proceeds will go to help Hernandez since he’ll miss mounts during his estimated three months of recovery.
“I think there’ll be a lot of collectors that will be interested in these bottles,” said McPeek. “I anticipate that they’ll want to put one in their homes, you know, they might even drink it.”
The other part of the proceeds will go toward the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Currently, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund has 49 members enrolled.
Ron Turcotte, the famed jockey of Secretariat, was one of the members. Turcotte died in August.
“Horse racing has the highest rate of concussion of any sport, even more than football. Falling from a horse that’s standing still can cause injury, but racing falls happen at speeds of 35 to 45 miles an hour,” said Joe Clabes, the Executive Director of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. “This is pretty much in character for Kenny to do something to help others, and so it’s great to see.”
As of now, we don’t have a date when the Thorpedo Snna bottles will hit the shelves.
