From left: Gary Dunlap (left), Ryan Cook, Rick Dawson and Rick Dawson. Scott Wilson, Eric Reed. Jack Willoughby. Ken Tyson. Pete Sherrow.
Louisville,
Ky.
Kentucky Derby runners come and go but the stories are there.
forever. Tattoos are a way to remember it.
Rick Dawson and Eric Reed, the trainer, are among five other members of their team.
The team was inked on Saturday using some form 21.
Rich Strike They wore it when he was 80-1 in May 7, at the Kentucky Derby. They
did it hours before the colt’s return to racing at Churchill Downs in the Lukas Classic (G2).
“Eric brought it up that we ought to get some team label,” said
Dawson races horses as RED TR Racing. “So we did the
Tattoo for the team. Naturally, the symbol for our group was 21.
and everybody loved it.”
Dawson was able to hold the 21 in his hands. The roses surrounded it.
Rich Strike, who scored the second-largest upset in the contest, won the likes of Rich Strike
Kentucky Derby pari-mutuel history Reed, and others
The number was mainly on their hands, but some were on their shoulders.
One woman standing at her top.
“Pete Sherrow brought us together,” said Reed, referring to the mutual friend who introduced him as a young man to Dawson, the owner of the Redsky Land
Oklahoma natural-gas and oil company “The three of us have a bond.”
The sale was far from easy. Dawson is not one of them.
Never were Sherrow (83), or 66 tattooed.
“Pete’s from a generation where you don’t get one unless you’re
in the Army,” Reed said. “I said, ‘I think we should all get a 21 like blood
brothers. It’d be for us. We would take it to our graves.’”
The group poured into Zoe’s Tattoos & Piercings about three
Miles north of Churchill Downs, Saturday lunchtime. The four appeared suddenly.
The shop was focused on making a memorable moment for Rich and his team.
Strike. The word of mouth brought more people in to hear about the strike.
happening.
Dawson was a rookie tattoo artist and said it did no harm. It was at least not.
yet.
“I hope it doesn’t,” he said. “There’s a vibration, and the new
The equipment works well. I would have never, ever done this before, but now it’s
a very special reason, so what the heck?”
