A Nut Allergy Took Mike Tirico Off Kentucky Derby Coverage: "You Have to Be Really Careful"
Sportscaster Mike Tirico reassures viewers he's fine following Kentucky Derby allergy incident.
Longtime NBC Sports on-air personality Mike Tirico has been a mainstay of NBC Sports coverage for nearly a decade, having joined the network in 2016 after a 25-year career at ESPN. He’s been the lead play-by-play commentator for NBC Sunday Night Football since 2022 and will bring those talents to the NBA on NBC this season. Tirico has also covered major sporting events including the Olympics, the Indianapolis 500, and the Triple Crown, a series of horse races which includes Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and the Kentucky Derby.
Tirico was scheduled to cover the 151st Kentucky Derby on Saturday May 3, 2025, but had to pull out at the last minute, following a medical emergency. Host and sports reporter Ahmed Fareed filled in during his absence.
What happened to Mike Tirico at the Kentucky Derby
Sportscaster Mike Tirico was scheduled to commentate the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2025, but had to withdraw following a severe allergic reaction to nuts.
"Hate being a scratch after making the starting gate @KentuckyDerby. Just a significant reaction to my nut allergy. If you have one you know how it can knock you down,” Tirico posted to social media. In the parlance of horse racing, a scratch refers to a horse which is scheduled to run but withdraws before the race.
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Tirico appeared on the TODAY show on May 5, two days after the Derby, to reassure viewers that he was feeling much better. “I feel fine. I have my coffee, watching the (TODAY) show like I do every morning,” Tirico told TODAY.
Nut allergies are among the most common food allergies, and it’s something Tirico has lived with most of his life. Like most people who live with food allergies, he’s learned to ask questions and carefully avoid danger. In spite of his efforts, some pre-race snacking exposed Tirico to nuts and triggered a reaction.
“I ate something that had a nut in it and had a nut allergy, causing your throat and your nose all that stuff to kind of clog up and swell. It affects your breathing a little bit, so (I) wasn’t feeling well, couldn’t go on with the show, took an EpiPen shot, got treated by EMTs, felt better about 8, 9 o’clock came along, but it takes a long while to get out of your system,” Tirico said. “And thank goodness Ahmed Fareed, who’s great, was there and filled in more than abley.”
The Results of the 151st Kentucky Derby
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It was a rainy day and the track was muddy when a group of 3-year-old horses and their jockeys took to the track. Sloppy terrain didn’t stop Sovereignty from taking the trophy, earning a first win for jockey Junior Alvarado and a second win for horse trainer Bill Mott. Fan favorite Journalism came in second, 1.5 lengths behind Sovereignty, with Baeza coming in third.
