Huntingdon has always been Mustang country, but now it has a thoroughbred, too, and he has his sights set on the Kentucky Derby.
His name is Huntingdon Dream.
Huntingdon High School alumnus Nathan Burns has dreamed of owning a racehorse since he was a boy.
While watching the Kentucky Derby with his father, Burns made a promise that he would one day own a horse that ran in it.
Now, he’s closer to making that dream a reality than ever before.
He purchased the bay colt earlier this month at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale in Lexington, Kentucky, and chose the name in honor of his beginnings.
“I wanted to start this journey showing love and respect to the town and its people who adopted me,” he said.
Burns moved to Huntingdon with his family in 1984, when he was seven, and it’s been home in his heart ever since.
“Some of these folks took me in as family,” Burns said. “Helped a lonely little boy not feel so alone. Helped mold me into who I am today.”
Today, Burns owns Grand Slam Collectibles in Murfreesboro.
When his colt finally reaches the racetrack, not only will he carry the town’s name, but his silks will be Mustang blue and gold.
Huntingdon Dream comes from a solid racing family.
His father, Girvin, won the Haskell Invitational, one of the country’s top races for 3-year-olds, and has sired two champions.
His mother, Bakken Baby, won four races and earned nearly $125,000.
His half-sister, who shares the same mother, is already making noise. According to Thoroughbred Daily News, Rockie Rockie won her first career race at Churchill Downs on Sept. 20 by more than three lengths.
For now, Huntingdon Dream will spend a few more weeks growing in Lexington before heading to Ocala, Florida, to learn to be a racehorse.
The odds are long for any young horse. Of the thousands of foals born each year, only 20 make it to the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Burns knows that, but he’s hopeful.
“I have faith in him to get it done,” he said.
Carroll County Observer will follow Huntingdon Dream’s journey with periodic updates.