LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Will Harbut Racing LLC, is one of the three owners of Kentucky Derby entrant Necker Island. Will Harbut’s name is familiar to students of racing history – he cared for the legendary Man o’ War in his stallion career in Kentucky for more than 16 years. The man behind Will Harbut Racing is the groom’s great-grandson, Greg Harbut, a bloodstock agent who named the operation for his family’s deep ties to racing, which are especially poignant in this year of racial unrest. Necker Island came onto Harbut’s radar as a juvenile, when he won 2 of 3 starts for Sagamore Farm and trainer Stanley Hough. This year, Necker Island was off the board in four stakes to start the season before running for a $100,000 tag at Churchill Downs. The partnership of Wayne Scherr, Raymond Daniels, and Harbut claimed him and placed him with Chris Hartman. “He’s a horse that has a very good pedigree and conformation,” said Harbut, who was a trainee in the Darley Flying Start program and launched his Harbut Bloodstock agency about 10 years ago. “As a 3-year-old, he sort of tailed off, but was still running in graded stakes races and was sort of finishing middle of the pack. We were thinking get a new set of eyes on the horse, maybe change some things around.” :: Play the Kentucky Derby with DRF! Visit our Kentucky Derby shop for Packages, PPs, Betting Strategies, and more Harbut and Daniels represent the first time in 13 years a Derby entrant has had African-American ownership. The last Derby starter in the category was Curlin, who finished third in 2007 before going on to earn two Horse of the Year titles. One of his owners was Shirley Cunningham Jr. through his interest in Midnight Cry Stables. The timing is particularly relevant, as the nation is facing a watershed moment on racism. Louisville has been a center of national attention on the issue due to the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor by police as the 26-year-old Black woman slept in her home in March. While the shooting is being investigated by both state authorities and the FBI, demonstrations calling for charges against the officers involved have been held in the Louisville area for months and are expected on Derby Day. :: Become a DRF Bets member and get DRF's Kentucky Derby VIP Package for free The past and current history of race relations in Louisville is not lost on Greg Harbut. He was particularly close to his grandfather, the late Tom Harbut, who followed Will Harbut into the Thoroughbred business. Tom Harbut rose up the ranks to become a stallion manager for Harry Guggenheim. He also co-bred and co-owned Touch Bar, who finished 11th in the 1962 Kentucky Derby. However, Tom Harbut’s name was not listed in the program, and he was not permitted to watch the race from the grandstand, which was for whites only. “It’s a mix of emotions,” Greg Harbut said looking back at his family history with the Derby. “My grandfather – I don’t know how many African-American ownership groups have been multigenerational, but it’s certainly something very special.”