Donna Brothers will cover her final Kentucky Derby after 26 years with NBC. She has been a prominent voice in horse racing coverage, including major events like the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Key points
Donna Brothers covers her final Kentucky Derby this year
She has been with NBC for 26 years
Brothers will interview the winning jockey first
She has covered multiple major horse racing events
Brothers has a diverse background in equestrian sports
Mentioned in this story
Donna Brothers
Kentucky DerbyPreakness StakesBelmont StakesBreedersâ Cup
When the winning thoroughbred thunders across the finish line at this yearâs 152-year-old Kentucky Derby, Donna Brothers, astride her own horse, will be the first person the whom the victorious jockey speaks. Still breathless and buzzing with excitement, the jockey's first interview will be with Brothers as the two ride side-by-side with more than 150,000 fans roaring around them and millions more watching from home.
For 26 years, Brothers has been a defining voice of NBCâs coverage of the longest continuously held sporting event in America. Beyond the Kentucky Derby, she has covered the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, the Breedersâ Cup, and a globeâs worth of equestrian events that have taken her from Louisville to Geneva, Switzerland.
âI feel so lucky to have worked for NBC. Iâve loved this job and have had so many great experiences and opportunities through the years,â Brothers told The Courier Journal. âBesides horse racing, Iâve covered the World Equestrian Games in Germany and here at the Kentucky Horse Park, the American Quarter Horse Association World Championships in Oklahoma, show jumping in Geneva, plus professional bull riding.â
Donna Barton Brothers interviews jockey John Velazquez after Kentucky Derby 147
Donna Barton Brothers interviews jockey John Velazquez after Kentucky Derby 147
Before she ever held a microphone, Brothers spent 12 years in the saddle as a jockey. When she retired in 1998, she was the second-leading female rider in the nation by earnings. Broadcasting came next, an unexpected pivot that required her to stretch beyond her racing roots.
Q&A
What is Donna Brothers' role at the Kentucky Derby?
Donna Brothers will be the first person to interview the winning jockey at this year's Kentucky Derby.
How long has Donna Brothers been covering the Kentucky Derby?
Donna Brothers has been covering the Kentucky Derby for 26 years.
What other events has Donna Brothers covered besides the Kentucky Derby?
In addition to the Kentucky Derby, she has covered the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Breeders' Cup, and various equestrian events worldwide.
What did Donna Brothers say about her experience with NBC?
Donna Brothers expressed her gratitude for working with NBC, stating she feels lucky to have had many great experiences and opportunities throughout her career.
"I wasnât an expert in all those different fields, but I researched and learned enough to ask decent questions with some degree of expertise,â she said. âI typically spend five to six hours a day in front of a computer doing research and getting to know everything I can about the event and the athletes I cover.â
Her influence extends well beyond the NBC camera. Brothers has been a steady advocate for the racing industry and the Louisville community, championing programs close to her heart.
NBC commentator Donna Barton Brothers rides down the front stretch before the 88th Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.
NBC commentator Donna Barton Brothers rides down the front stretch before the 88th Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.
As an executive board member of the Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs, a program which supports the backside workers at the racetrack, she helped launch âLadies Day at the Races,â an annual fashion-forward fundraiser held on Millionaires Row.
A longtime Louisvillian and a bit of a fashionista, Brothers has long understood the cultural weight of trackside style.
âWomen get on the phone with their friends, and they talk about what theyâre wearing, and they make an effort,â she said previously. âMaybe itâs part of being in the South, maybe itâs just Louisville culture, but every event becomes a fashionable event.â
Brothers also lends her time and voice to the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky, the HISA Jockey Mental Health Steering Committee, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, and Maryhurst, which provides counseling and transitional services for girls who have experienced trauma.
An active ambassador for horse racing, she published "Inside Track: Insiderâs Guide to Horse Racing," in 2011, then updated in 2014 and again in 2020. "Inside Track: Insiderâs Guide to Horse Racing," is a friendly primer on how to spend a day at the races â from what to wear to how to watch a race unfold.
Away from the track, Brothers is happiest outdoors and the place sheâs eager to spend more time after she retires.
Snow skiing, hiking and cycling are priorities. Yoga is also high on her list. And as The Courier Journal learned firsthand during our âAre You as Fit as a Jockey?â feature, she remains in remarkable shape, demonstrating the strength and stamina required to ride at the highest level.
âI am really looking forward to spending more time outdoors and less time in front of a computer,â she said. âI think that is going to be a wonderful change.â
Brothers married former thoroughbred trainer Frank Brothers in 1998, and with her mother and sister, both former jockeys living in Louisville, retirement promises more time with family and friends.
âI feel like Iâve been really, really lucky,â she said. âBut even good things have to come to an end.â
