Kentucky Derby voice Donna Barton Brothers retiring after 26 years
Donna Barton Brothers, a longtime trackside commentator for NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage, has announced her retirement after 26 years. She began her broadcasting career with NBC in 2000 and became a fan favorite for her post-race interviews with winning jockeys. Brothers previously retired from professional jockeying in 1998 and remains the second-leading female jockey in U.S. history by earnings.
- ▪Donna Barton Brothers is retiring after 26 years as a trackside commentator for NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage.
- ▪She began her broadcasting career with NBC in 2000 and has covered 25 Kentucky Derbys.
- ▪Brothers was a professional jockey from 1987 to 1998 and remains the second-leading female jockey in U.S. history by purse earnings.
- ▪She conducted immediate post-race interviews with winning jockeys, becoming a beloved figure in horse racing coverage.
- ▪Mike Tirico and NBC Sports colleagues praised her as an irreplaceable figure in sports television.
- ▪Brothers officially announced her retirement in May 2026, ahead of the 152nd Kentucky Derby.
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Sports Entertainment Kentucky Derby voice Donna Barton Brothers retiring after 26 years By Jenna Lemoncelli Published May 1, 2026, 5:29 p.m. ET It’s difficult to think of the Kentucky Derby without longtime trackside commentator Donna Barton Brothers. The former jockey, who’s been a beloved part of NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage since the network acquired the rights to the race in 2001, announced she’s retiring after this year’s Run for the Roses on Saturday. “I told Lindsay Schanzer, our producer, that I definitely wanted to make it to Kentucky Derby 151 because that would be my 25th Kentucky Derby,” said Brothers, who turned 60 on April 22. Longtime trackside commentator Donna Barton Brothers announced she is retiring after 26 years.
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