From Michigan to Churchill Downs: A Jockey’s Journey to the Kentucky Derby

The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby is happening this weekend. I'll be honest, I know that may not mean a lot to most of my fellow Michiganders, but I'm from Kentucky and it's always a weekend I really look forward to.

(Although, I don't miss the hats...)

But, there is one Michigander who is going to be taking the run for the roses himself for the first time on Saturday.

Mount Pleasant native Jareth Loveberry was attending Baker College for architecture when he started his racing career at Great Lakes Downs racetrack in Muskegon County 18 years ago.

I'm not sure if his goal was to make it to the bluegrass state for bourbon and racing when he started, but he's going to be making us proud on Saturday.

Jareth is no stranger to winning though, he already has 1,759 wins under his belt already, and he's hoping to secure another one at the fastest two minutes in sports.

Wanna root for him, or maybe place a bet in hopes he can put a little cash in your pocket? Jareth will be riding Two Phils, a chesnut colt that has won four out of eight starts so far, and has 12-1 odds as of Friday morning.

How did they make it to the first leg of the triple crown of racing? The pair earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby by winning the Jeff Ruby stakes at Turfway Park. But here's the real challenge, can they do it again?

The weather is supposed to be hot and sunny during Saturday's race, possibly getting up to 80 degrees, which means the track will be running fast.

If you want to watch Jareth and Two Phils, the Kentucky Derby will be broadcast on NBC sports, and it should start with a post time of 6:45pm. Good luck to them both, and no matter what happens: they're making Michigan proud.