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Against all odds, East Tennessee boys picks Kentucky Derby winner, while battling brain tumors

AJ Cucksey grew up watching horse races alongside his grandfather, Doug Moreland. The duo attended the Kentucky Derby and picked Rich Strike to win.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — AJ Cucksey walked away a winner after he picked a winning ticket at the Kentucky Derby.

AJ was donning his Derby threads (orange in support of the Vols) when he went to the race over the weekend. While there, AJ and his grandfather, Doug Moreland, also picked out a ticket for Rich Strike, the horse who pulled out a comeback victory during the race.

"I guess I just felt like going for the underdog." AJ Cucksey said. "Why not go for the underdog?"

Representing #VolNation hard today at the #kentuckyderby2022 . Let hope Tennessee Baseball get a few W’s .

Posted by Prayers for AJ Cucksey on Saturday, May 7, 2022

AJ Cucksey was diagnosed with inoperable brain tumors in 2014 when he was four years old. Despite the diagnosis, AJ and his family share messages of positivity and determination on their social media page as he undergoes his journey.

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AJ's most recent scans show the chemo is working and the tumors are stable.

"It always feels good when the scans are stable," Cucksey said. "Especially when you go in for those first few scans. You never know what is going on."

AJ and his family rely on sports as a positive outlet away from the hospitals and treatments. 

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"Sports are something I enjoy," Cucksey said. "It does take my mind off of it. It's (tumors) something that is there, and I'm not sure when it's going to go away." 

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