Up until April 2025, many untold stories of the horse racing arena were waiting to be heard. But last month, when Netflix released the docuseries ‘Race For the Crowns’, it stacked all those horse racing tales behind its ‘tudum’ screen. The 6 episode series gave the equestrian enthusiasts a front row view of what brews behind the scenes of the Triple Crown races. But, while highlighting the stories of some major jockeys and trainers, Netflix might have missed giving the spotlight to one trainer who not only epitomized the tracks of Churchill Downs, but also inspired many through the way he lived his life.
Known widely for his calm demeanor and positive outlook towards life, Larry Demeritte was an iconic trainer. He never forgot to smile even when fighting cancer, and was ready to give a bigger priority to spreading awareness ahead of fulfilling a lifelong dream. The 75-year-old kept that smile on his face as the pride of his 11-horse stable, West Saratoga, ran in the 150th Kentucky Derby. It didn’t matter that West Saratoga finished 12th; for Demeritte, it was the dream that came true. “I feel like I am on a mission. The Kentucky Derby is great but I feel like it’s deeper than that. If I can encourage people with cancer – I don’t mind speaking about it – if I can help one person feel better about their journey that’s what I want to do. I have faith and I believe that I am here for a purpose,” Larry Demeritte said on the cusp of fulfilling his Kentucky Derby dream at 75 last year.
But on May 19th, when Demeritte took his last breath after losing the long fought battle with cancer, he left a huge void in the horse racing community. So when World Horse Racing posted a clip of one of Larry Demeritte’s interview, Breeder’s Cup winning trainer Ron Moquett couldn’t help but give his take on what Netflix missed out on when making Race for the Crown. “I like the Netflix show and appreciate the attention it brought to horse racing, but the backside is filled with Mr. Larry’s…” wrote the 2018 Forego Stakes (G1) winner.
“And I believe they’re just as interesting stories as shirtless Miami Mike. I definitely know who I would want to learn more about. Mr. Larry was a Kentucky icon,” explained Moquett. It’s easy to see why the legendary trainer would’ve liked to see the late Kentucky horse racing icon on the docuseries. Throughout his life, Demeritte couldn’t make it as big as many of the USA’s most renowned trainers, but that never affected his passion for racing.
I like the Netflix show and appreciate the attention it brought to horse racing, but the backside is filled with Mr. Larry’s
And I believe they’re just as interesting stories as shirtless Miami Mike. I definitely know who I would want to learn more about.
Mr. Larry was a Kentucky…
— Ron Moquett (@RonMoquett) May 20, 2025
Larry Demeritte battled immense pain while preparing West Saratoga to run in the Kentucky Derby. Yet, he fought on. “There’s some days I’ve got to get a ride home. Im so sick, but I’ve [still] got to get up and go see the horses,” the trainer told World Horse Racing. The Bahamas native moved to America and attended his first Derby in 1976, and 2,138 career starts or cancer couldn’t dent his enthusiasm for racing.
There was another thing that Demeritte didn’t lose despite his health challenges, and that was his sense of humor. “I didn’t believe I ever had cancer. I said, but just in case the doctor’s right, I’m going to do chemo,” the late trainer joked in his interview with WHR. While Demeritte never won the biggest titles in horse racing, there was another reason why he commanded so much respect.
Less was more for Larry Demeritte
“I have champagne tastes with a beer budget,” joked the Graded Stakes-winning trainer after West Saratoga won the 2023 Iroquois Stakes. While he didn’t know the same horse would race in the Kentucky Derby the very next year, his point remained just as potent. The late trainer had an impeccable eye for picking diamonds in the rough, and West Saratoga was the prime example.
As impossible as it may sound, Larry Demeritte pushed his Derby colt at $11,000. While that might sound like a lot, it’s nothing compared to how much owners and trainers spend on average for a Derby or Triple Crown contender. Take this year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Sovereignty, for example. The Paulick Report wrote that Godolphin purchased the 2025 Derby winner for $1.2 million at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Credits: Instagram/Inglis Digital USA
Demeritte himself earned far less than some of the biggest trainers in horse racing, like Bob Baffert. While Equibase puts the trainer’s lifetime earnings at $5,326,074, Baffert has already earned $4,575,800 in 2025. And the 72-year-old has already lost the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Yet, none of this takes away from what Demeritte achieved with his $11,000 colt.
West Saratoga retired after earning $473,418 in his 13-race career. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association said it best when celebrating the late trainer. “Larry Demeritte epitomized the best in horse racing with his horsemanship and love and passion for the game and its equine athletes… Larry, with his backstory, engaging personality, and wide smile, was a terrific ambassador for horse racing.”
While Larry Demeritte’s story didn’t get the part in the Netflix docuseries, his zeal to conquer the difficult tracks have made a haven in the hearts of millions. He will be missed on the tracks of Churchill Downs, and his words will keep echoing at the Sunday School class Demeritte taught at Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church in Midway, Kentucky.
The post Larry Demeritte’s Death Makes Legendary Trainer Reveal Netflix’s Major Miss in ‘Race for the Crown’ Documentary appeared first on EssentiallySports.
