TULSA, Okla. — Thanks to a local connection, the two most exciting sports minutes will be extra exciting for Tulsa this year.
"A lot of horse owners go their entire life and don't get to come to this dance, so my husband and Andrew and I are just so happy to be here," says Rania Warren.
Tulsa's Rania and Andrew Warren are running around Louisville now as their horse Raise Cain gets ready for the 149th Kentucky Derby Saturday.
"Raise Cain is very laid back with a sweet personality. He doesn't bite anyone, doesn't kick you, doesn't throw off his shoes. His preferred activity is sleeping in his stall and eating hay. He's a lovely horse. What the trainer has always said about him is that he's not anxious to go out and train, and once he's training, he will do exactly what's asked of him. He's just a good boy," says Rania.
The Warrens tell 2 News Oklahoma anchor Julie Chin they initially tried to sell Raise Cain, only later to discover the racehorse has the heart of a champion. Rania explains, "The way Raise Cain came into the derby is that you must acquire a certain amount of points in different races. He won a race in New York at the 24 to 1 odds in that race. He was the upset to get here, so hopefully, lightning can strike twice."
The Kentucky Derby is part of the Warren family legacy. This year makes the third time the Tulsa family has had a horse in the race. In 1995 Knockadoon finished seventh. In 2008 Denis of Cork finished third, and now, Raise Cain is ready to run.
"He's healthy, he's happy, and he is executing. He's well rested," says Andrew.
Raise Cain is already making a run on social media with his own Facebook and Twitter pages. His crew created custom hats to cheer him on for the big race. He's a long shot to win, but the Warrens aren't worried about that. "I like being a long shot. It takes the pressure off. We have an amazing group from Tulsa who have come to support our horse. We have almost 64 Tulsa people between family and friends who have come up, so we're going to win the race in terms of team spirit and heart even if we don't win the actual race," says Rania.
You can cheer Raise Cain on during the Kentucky Derby on 2 Oklahoma Saturday. Coverage starts at 11, with that exciting race around 5:45.
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