An attorney who represents Breonna Taylor’s family is continuing to keep her legacy alive. Sam Aguiar and his wife Janelle are making sure people keep saying the slain 26-year-old’s name. Aguiar, who helped Breonna’s family secure a $12 million settlement from Louisville last year, named one of his horses after Breonna. That horse, a three-year-old filly, won the Kentucky Derby Week race Thurby on Thursday at Churchill Downs.

Aguiar and his wife own JS Stables, LLC, a thoroughbred racing operation the couple started at the end of 2016. They have about 20 horses but Breonna is particularly special to Aguiar. She was a Christmas gift for his wife in 2019.

In a recent interview the attorney told The Courier-Journal that it was his wife’s idea to name the horse after Taylor. Like many others, Aguiar’s wife was saddened by the botched police raid last March where Louisville officers shot and killed Taylor. “My wife named the filly Breonna because she was beautiful, strong and resilient,” Aguiar said. “She’s tough and has swagger. But to those closest to her, she’s also loving and kind. That was Breonna Taylor as well.”

“[Breonna Taylor] was just getting on the right path and getting things together and had dreams and aspirations,” Janelle Aguiar said. “And I think that just really touched my heart, that that could have been me, that that could have been any young girl.”

Aguiar watched the victory from his office with Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer. Breonna beat out five other horses during the rainy race day and won by three lengths.

Aguiar also mentioned that this was not Breonna’s first race or win, but it could be the most exciting one. Aguiar’s wife celebrated with a heartfelt post on Facebook. “Any time we win a horse race is exciting … But it takes it to a new level when you name your horse Breonna in honor of #BreonnaTaylor, the horse wins at Churchill Downs on Derby week, and you hear so many people #SayHerName,” she wrote in a post

The Aguiars told The Courier-Journal they will be donating the race’s $10,000 purse to the Breonna Taylor Foundation.

Any time we win a horse race is exciting… But it takes it to a new level when you name your horse Breonna in honor of…

Posted by Janelle Aguiar on Thursday, April 29, 2021