As proud as trainer Phil Schoenthal is of his horses, he's even prouder of his 8-year-old son, Emerson.
"We call him the mayor because he's just the happiest kid in the world, and never met a stranger," Schoenthal said.
Things weren't always so happy. At 4 years old, Emerson was diagnosed with a heart condition that required a transplant. It's an unthinkable position for a family to be in.
"The entire time that we were waiting on the transplant list, it was kind of a double-edged sword, because we're waiting for our miracle, but at the same time, you know that another family is going to have complete devastation," Schoenthal said.
That transplant did come. Today, Emerson is the life of the party.
"He would say, 'Do you want to see my new heart?' and he would lift his shirt up to show you his big scar and he thinks he's the coolest guy in the world and he is!" Schoenthal said.
Life is what they're thankful for - so much so that Schoenthal decided to pay tribute to the reason Emerson is alive.
In addition to training racehorses, Schoenthal also owns one racing this year. He named her "Donate Life".
She just ran for the very first time here at Keeneland.
She came in third and, Schoenthal hopes, caught some attention. He wants her name to make people think about organ donation.
"The whole point of raising awareness is to be able to have those conversations with your family and loved ones before the time where a decision actually has to be made," he said.
The Schoenthal family stays in touch with the family who donated Emerson's heart. They hope this is a way to make them proud too.
"Just to honor all the families that have gone through that, to give them something to cheer for and be thankful for," Schoenthal said. "They've been able to, I think, gather some great peace and joy and comfort in watching our son grow up as well. It's an amazing journey."
