By J.N. Campbell
'Kentucky Roses,' a new Hallmark movie that premiered on their channel May 2 and began streaming through Hallmark+ May 3, is nothing short of a triumph for the sport of Thoroughbred racing.
Set on the grounds of iconic Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, here's a film that has something for everyone. It's good, clean fun, but it also deals with myriad issues including class division, gender identity and the labyrinth that is family history.
Most of all though, if you are trying to hook someone that knows next to nothing about the sport, then this is one way to reel them in.
Directed by Clare Niederpruem with Jamie Pachino's hotly paced script, 'Kentucky Roses' stars Hallmark stalwart Andrew Walker.
The actor knows his way around horses and luckily has a best friend who is a relative of Churchill's CEO Bill Carstanjen. The racetrack was open to doing a movie and those involved cleverly rolled it out in time for Derby 152.
Walker stars as Ash Taylor, an architect who is trying to make a name for himself professionally without resting on his family's laurels. Taylor is the son of the CEO of Churchill Downs and goes to great lengths–even dropping his surname in favor of his mother's maiden name–so he can avoid any calls that he earned his stripes through nepotism.
As is prone in many a Hallmark tale, trouble in paradise comes two weeks prior to the running of the Derby. Walker's character is called on by his father to repair one of the Twin Spires that was damaged in a recent storm.
Opposite Walker is Odette Annable, who plays Sadie Moore. Her character works for Churchill's greenhouse and she is also trying to strike out on her own as a florist. Her ancestors worked diligently to supply the Derby with the famous garland of roses that is always draped across the winner.
As a budding romance blooms between Moore and Taylor, the pair discover that in 1932 their relatives were broken up because of class differences. A series of flashbacks are effectively used to give the viewers a window into that bygone era.
Back in the present, the modern day couple fight through issues like sourcing historic shingles and finding replacement roses for the Derby garland, which are juxtaposed against larger themes like duty and heritage.
Probably the most interesting character in the whole production is Abigail Esmena's Camila Ortiz. She portrays a racehorse trainer and Moore's closest friend. Ortiz has a longshot Derby entry named Angel Face. At the Derby draw–which includes a cameo from Churchill's Dan Bork–Angel Face is handed the post that no horse has ever won from, number 17. It was a clever nod to see that Angel Face's purple and white jockey silks sport the famous Hallmark crown.
Ortiz and Moore constantly support one another through trials and tribulations.
Spoiler alert! What is terribly ironic is that Angel Face and Ortiz win the Derby a la Golden Tempo and Cherie DeVaux. Hallmark must have one heck of a crystal ball.
Andrew Walker as Ash Taylor in 'Kentucky Roses' | courtesy of Hallmark
As for Taylor, whose sharp threads include a mean three-piece seersucker suit at one point, he does his bit to allow Moore access to his family's land which happens to be loaded with roses. It's Hallmark at its best, of course.
Instead of relying heavily on set design, 'Kentucky Roses' uses the backdrop of Churchill Downs in effective ways. Viewers get to see the Spires, a shedrow, the newly designed paddock, the club levels, the Prohibition-style speakeasy and we get a glimpse over Ash Taylor's shoulder as he uses the Derby winner's circle pagoda as an office during the restoration work. What a treat!
The film reaches the Derby Day climax in the third act. There is a brief scene where Taylor convinces his father that partnering to build a new Thoroughbred aftercare facility is the right move. It's a moment to cherish where the past and present intersect with the future in a powerful way.
Teaming with a juggernaut like Hallmark was a brilliant move by Churchill Downs.
Yes, the shroud of marketing is present, but let's not forget that telling a good story and emphasizing how a community works together isn't pure fiction. As the movie reminds us, the generational racetrack exists from the front to the backside and from the Spires to the greenhouse. It does take a village to save the day.
The industry and race fans should encourage anyone and everyone to see 'Kentucky Roses.' It's time to download the app.
What a big win for a sport that needs to embrace different forms of media that reside 'out there' in the public's popular imagination.
There was one question though that wasn't answered by the time the credits began to roll. Is Angel Face headed to the Preakness?
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Niederpruem, C. (Director). (2026). Kentucky Roses [Film]. Hallmark Media.
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