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‘Yellowstone’ Star Kevin Costner Once Spoke Out on Emotional Reaction to Seeing Kentucky Derby’s Churchill Downs

Everyone loves a good sports story. And no one knows this better than Kevin Costner, who’s starred in countless iconic sports films.

Couple a good sports story with an underdog story and you’ve got yourself the tale of a decade. And every good sports story has a beautiful stadium, field, or track as its backdrop. Such is the case for the Kentucky Derby. Yes, everyone is there to watch the horses. But Churchill Downs is the facility that holds the magic of the Kentucky Derby. Without this iconic location, the races just wouldn’t be the same. And Kevin Costner agrees.

During an interview in 2015, Costner talked about what draws him to the Kentucky Derby.

“I do know that when a horse is on its second leg of the Triple Crown, I’m watching,” said Costner. “There’s something about the tradition of racing. Of what happens. I’m very stirred when I see those pictures of Churchill Downs. The architecture fits so perfectly it’s almost as if it’s been there forever. I love the idea that the horse won’t race without the goat with them. And I love Mickie Rooney involved from those early movies in the sport.”

Kevin Costner Named His First Band After A Famous Race Horse

Kevin Costner has played a lot of athletes. In Field of Dreams, he played the son of a famous baseball player who builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield. Costner played a professional pitcher nearing the end of his career in For Love of The Game.

In Bull Durham, he plays a washed-up catcher in the minor leagues still secretly hoping to make it back to the big leagues one day. And in Draft Day, Costner portrays Sonny Weaver, the general manager of the Cleveland Browns.

In conclusion, Kevin Costner knows what it means to be an athlete. So, he knows that a true athlete will do anything for victory. And he sees that same quality in the horses on race day. He even named his first band after a racehorse that gave everything to win.

“You know there’s something about a horse’s desire to win, said Costner. “The first band I was ever in was called Roving Boy. It was about a horse that was racing in a two-race, I think in Del Mar. And it threw itself across the finish line in its desire to win and broke both back legs at the same time and had to be put down. Roving Boy. And that was the name of the first band I was in.”