Brothers, who turned 60 on April 22, has been part of NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage since 2001. She decided two years ago that 2024 would be her last year but did not announce it publicly until last week, according to major media reports. Prior to broadcasting, Brothers retired from being a jockey in 1998 after winning 1,130 races during an 11-year career.
Brothers joined NBC in 2000 for Breeders' Cup coverage and became a regular on the network's Triple Crown broadcasts, which have included the Preakness Stakes since 2001 and the Belmont Stakes intermittently. She was the first to interview jockey Victor Espinoza after American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015 and Mike Smith after Justify's Triple Crown in 2018. Mike Tirico, NBC anchor, described her as someone who has defined a role in sports television and is irreplaceable, according to The Independent - Main. Brothers' future plans after retirement remain undisclosed.
Very rarely do you get to work in TV with people who define a role in sports television, and Donna has done that. The immediate reaction Donna gets race after race, and her observations are such a unique part of what we do in television. And she is one of a kind. Somebody will follow her but will not replace her because she’s irreplaceable.