Here’s how Utah’s Jaxson Dart threw a fit at the 2026 Kentucky Derby
May 5, 2026, 2:58 PM | Updated: May 6, 2026, 9:42 am
(L-R) Brandon Dart, Marissa Ayers, Jaxson Dart, Kara Dart, and guest attend the Kentucky Derby 152 at Churchill Downs on May 02, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Churchill Downs)
(Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Churchill Downs)
AT THE DERBY — Jaxson Dart didn’t win the 2026 Kentucky Derby, but the former Roy High and Corner Canyon quarterback was definitely throwing a ‘fit.
Dart was among the big winners of the event within the event, the annual appearance of fashion that brings athletes, celebrities and influencers alike to Louisville on the first weekend in May.
The New York Giants starter made an appearance at the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown with girlfriend Marissa Ayers, and the duo was dressed to impress. He wore a “kind of last-minute” white suit from Dolce & Gabbana with black pinstripes, and accessories that included a Bellissimo wide-brim hat, sunglasses and a black pocket square.
Ayers matched with a light blue bandeau-style dress, white heels and black purse. She told Sports Illustrated she bought the dress from Nordstrom, accessories from Prada, and a hat from a local hat shop in New York City.
“She looks beautiful, doesn’t she?” Dart asked rhetorically.
.@JaxsonDart and Marissa Ayers break down their #KentuckyDerby fits 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UdArhFI1u8
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 2, 2026
Who is Jaxson Dart dating?
Dart and Ayers went public with their relationship in January, though the Georgia native and Alabama graduate was seen at a handful of Giants games during the 2025 regular season.
Jaxson Dart and Marissa Ayers attend the Kentucky Derby 152 at Churchill Downs on May 02, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Churchill Downs)
The former Bama communications major who graduated in May 2025, according to her LinkedIn profile, has been an active model and content creator since March 2018, with more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok and nearly 500,000 on Instagram.
In a rare interview about his personal life, Dart called Ayers “amazing” in an interview with PEOPLE magazine in March.
“I mean, I can’t say good enough things about her,” he said during the Clarins Night of Extra held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on March 20.
Jaxson Dart preps for season 2 in the NFL
Dart, a former first-round NFL draft pick from Kaysville, completed 57.5% of his passes for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions as a rookie quarterback, leading the Giants to a 4-13 record last season.
The former Ole Miss signal caller also ran for 487 yards and nine touchdowns on 86 carries.
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