Black trainer Larry Demeritte brings his $11,000 horse to the Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — If Larry Demeritte is looking for a positive sign heading into his first Kentucky Derby as a trainer, it’s right where his horse is assigned.

Long-shot West Saratoga is staying in Barn 42 at Churchill Downs, the same location where Seattle Slew was before he won the 1977 Derby and went on to sweep the Triple Crown. It was the first Derby that Demeritte attended.

Now, he is the second Black trainer since 1951 to be saddling a horse in the 150th Derby on Saturday. The other, Hank Allen, finished sixth with Northern Wolf in 1989.

Black trainers dominated the Derby’s early years, winning seven of the first 17 from 1875-1891.

“We’re so grateful to be here and enjoying every single minute,” Demeritte said.

Everything is meaningful to the 74-year-old from the Bahamas since he was diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and underwent chemotherapy. His father was a trainer in the islands and Dermeritte still carries the accent of his home country, where he was leading trainer for two years.