Andrew Walker ‘s ties to the Kentucky Derby prior to leading Hallmark Channel’s Kentucky Roses were closer than you might think. The Montreal native told DECIDER that he “grew up with the Derby” on in his house, as he “always would sit down” with his father and watch the annual horse race “from beginning to end” with him. So when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped at the chance to not only star in the new film shot on location in Louisville, but to executive produce it, as well. “My best friend, godmother to our kids, her cousin is the CEO of Churchill Downs, and he had brought it up to her as a potential opportunity to partner with Hallmark,” he recalled. “And she brought it to me. And here we are today.” However, he did need to learn one key thing ahead of working on Kentucky Roses : how to pronounce Louisvile. “It’s funny, I show up as a Canadian from Montreal with my French influence, and not that I was a French-Canadian.…