Dust Commander re-interred at Derby Museum

Dust Commander, the 1970 Kentucky Derby winner who died nearly 22 years ago,

was re-interred at the Derby Museum's garden in a Monday morning ceremony.

His Derby-winning connections -- trainer Don Combs, jockey Mike Manganello

and owner Verna Lehmann -- were in attendance as the son of Bold Commander was

given a fitting tribute in his new resting place.

Dust Commander's remains had been buried in an unmarked location on a Paris,

Kentucky, farm that later changed ownership and the property was divided. 

For many years, the Lehmann family has been searching for Dust Commander's

burial site.

Hardy Dungan, the husband of Verna Lehmann's granddaughter, is a local

veterinarian and forensic scientist who has been assisting Lehmann in her quest.

Dr. Hardy and Cristal Dungan are the co-founders of the newly-organized

Thoroughbred Breeders Museum, Inc. (TBM) in Paris, Kentucky.

The Kentucky Derby Museum and the Thoroughbred Breeders Museum, in a joint

collaborative effort, located Dust Commander's grave. The family uncovered his

remains on Friday at Woodline Farm.

Both museums worked with Sparks Enterprise landscaping to exhume and

transport his remains. The skeleton of Dust Commander was placed in a

handcrafted box and brought to the Kentucky Derby Museum.

"Myself and the entire Lehmann family are sincerely grateful to all those

involved in locating the lost remains of Dust Commander," Lehmann said.