Derby finisher owned by Clemson grad

A 1989 Clemson graduate owns the horse that nearly won the Kentucky Derby.  Sierra Leone, owned by Brook T. Smith, was just a nose behind derby winner Mystik Dan.  According to Clemson University, Smith graduated with a bachelor of science in management and spent 30 years in the surety-bonding sector.  However, national news reports, say Sierra Leone’s jockey, Tyler Gaffalione, could face disciplinary action as the result of his ride and has been ordered to attend a film review of what happened when Gaffalione and Sierra Leone tried to catch the leader in the last furlong.  Clemson says in 2021 Smith and his wife, Pamela, gave his alma mater $2.5 million to fund a program to serve as a “catalyst and hub for all things entrepreneurship in and beyond Clemson.”