MARION COUNTY, Fla. – This Saturday, American Promise will be taking center stage at the Kentucky Derby.

Bryan Rice, co-owner and trainer at Woodside Ranch, said, “It’s what our business is. We start these young horses the right way and let them get a good foundation in their early days.”

American Promise got to start training in Ocala at Woodside Ranch.

“They have to be confident with a rider getting on. They have to get confidence with other horses in different training exercises you have to do to prepare them. Along with trying to get their bodies fit, you’re trying to get them fit mentally,” Holley Rice, co-owner and trainer at Woodside Ranch, added.

The trainers, Bryan and Holley Rice, have been training horses at Woodside Ranch for over 30 years. They’ve trained several horses for the Kentucky Derby, including two last year.

Nine of the 21 horses in the Derby have ties to Marion County, including a horse known as Journalism, which is partially owned by Bridlewood Farms.

“It speaks volumes. It’s what Ocala and Marion County are all about. We are at the early prep center for a great percentage of the thoroughbreds to go off to the races, particularly the horses in the major races,” Bryan stated.

The Rices are hoping to keep their industry strong in the area for years to come.