FORMER RESIDENTS WILL HAVE HORSE AT THE KY. DERBY - THE WILLIAMSON

LOUISVILLE, Ky - When Kentucky Derby day begins at Churchill Downs next Saturday, a local grandmother will be rooting for Saint X to win in one of the preliminary races, as her granddaughter has stake in the horse.

Toni Canterbury, who lives in South Williamson, joined her daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Don Gillman, to give their daughter, then 12-year-old Amanda, a percentage of a racehorse as a Christmas gift.

“We met Jerry Crawford, the founder/CEO of Donegal Racing at Keeneland several years ago at the Bluegrass Stakes and an instant friendship was born,” Paula said.

So when they decided to give Amanda the perfect gift, a percentage of one of Donegal’s horse seemed a natural fit.

The Gillmans, Paula is a real estate agent and Don is school principal, live in Rock Hill, S.C., but have strong Kentucky roots.

“We ended up here because I was a buyer for Belk department stores,” Paula explained. “Although Don is from Pike County, we have not lived in Kentucky since getting out of college. But we always wanted to bring Amanda up as a good Kentucky girl - to love horses, Kentucky basketball and politics.”

Read more: The Williamson Daily News - Julia Roberts Goad Staff Writer LOUISVILLE