SCARBOROUGH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — The owners of the horse who won the Preakness Stakes on Saturday were in Maine on Sunday to celebrate the win.
George and James Kerr are partial owners of Exaggerator and are from Old Orchard Beach.
"Not bad for two guys — a family from Maine," said George Kerr.
Excitement spread quickly after news of Exaggerator's runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby.
Don Patchell works at Scarborough Downs as a camera operator. He was excited when he found out about Exaggerator's Maine connection.
"Us being from Maine — this is harness country. We never get a guy that owns a Throuoghbred and goes to the Kentucky Derby — are you kidding?" said Patchell.
Exaggerator had lost to then-favorite Nyquist four times before, but a muddy track proved to be an advantage for Exaggerator.
"We knew he could run on the dirt, but in the mud, he excels even better," said Kerr. "It's not just about us, or Exaggerator. We were raised and grown up in the state of Maine so it's good for us to promote our own state."
Horse racing in Maine has declined in success. Patchell hopes the win for Exaggerator could change that.
"It might even help the harness racing if they realize — there are a lot of things that happen in the horse racing business. There are a lot of people that are employed here," said Patchell. "All I can say is I hope he wins the next one too," said Kerr.
The Belmont Stakes is the next race in the Triple Crown. It takes place on June 11.