Kentucky Derby

 Horse racing has some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. There are stories that are quite unlike other sports because the main players do not care about prize money or earnings and have no concept of retirement. The horses themselves either have the will to run and compete or they don't, and if they don't there is no amount of whipping that will make them be a champion.

Continue reading "Great Sports Moments in Horse Racing"

A soft tissue injury has ended the career of Pioneer of the Nile. The son of Empire Maker won 4 straight graded stakes and was 2nd in the Derby.

From one of his races, the santa Anita Derby:

 

Continue reading "Pioneer of The Nile retired, Jade Hunter pensioned"

ters to the "small time" New Mexico entry of Mine That Bird that rolled to victory in the Kentucky Derby.

 Since then many of the Derby starters were found to have legitimate excuses - Friesan Fire grabbed a quarter and had multiple scrapes on his legs. General Quarters had a wad of mud lodged in his nostril from the sloppy track. The winner got a perfect ride compared to many who didn't. Taking nothing away from MTB - he was the best on that day.

Continue reading "Coming to the Preakness"

50-1 upset cruises. Congratulations Calvin "Borail" Borel - a $9500 puchase ROCKS Louisville!!!!

Continue reading "Mine That Bird ROLLS to upset"

Quality Road, Square Eddie and Willy Win all dropped out of the Derby this week with non-lifethreatening injuries and this morning I Want Revenge was added to the list when some heat was raised in the left front ankle. While it may be nothing or may be something, this close to the race of his life and with the tenacity he showed in his last race a little something may have turned into a big something. As disappointing as it is for trainers, owners and yes the fans too it underscores people *do* attempt to do right by the horses. In races this big everything has to be right.

Continue reading "Derby stories, disappointment"

What a heartbreaker. Some filling found this morning in an ankle - I Want Revenge is OUT of the Derby picture also; what might have been....

Continue reading "I Want Revenge scratched from Derby"

With 2 quarter cracks Quality Road has been pulled from Derby contention. Without being 100% there's littlel sense in running him and risking further injury, but it certainly opens the what might have

Continue reading "Quality Road out of the Derby"

    Well this race will tell us a whole bunch about the derby. Maybe not in the way you think though. After this, we will know if the east coast horses are better or is it the west horses that have the best shot. Winning this race and then trying to win the first Saturday in may does not happen often, so lets not get our hopes up on any of these fringe players.

Continue reading "Coolmore always helps to pick a derby winner"

The history of the Kentucky Derby has shown that although there must be talent to get there a horse peaking on that day may well run the race of his life. It's anyone's race once the gates open and it isn't unheard of for traffic issues to keep the speediest horse from the front of the field under the wire. And we can't forget the 7 1/4 length romp Friesan Fire made in the Louisiana Derby.

Continue reading "The Derby Picture Sharpens"

Dunkirk ran well but Quality Road ran a monster race in the Florida Derby.

Dunkirk has shown a lot of promise but a track record effort for Quality Road, a pretty and fast son of Elusive Quality out of a daughter of Strawberry Road. Casey's On Call set the early pace, with Dunkirk, a $3.7 million yearling making his third start, threatened but finished a tired second.

Continue reading "Quality Road cashes Derby ticket in record time"

The gutsy Alysheba who won the 1987 Kentucky Derby and was Horse of the Year has been euthanized.

  Last fall he was pensioned and King Abdullah sent the 24 year old to the Kentucky Horse Park from Saudi Arabia so he would be home where the public could see him. It was a gift to American racing fans. Alysheba fell in the stall and was not able to get up. A veterinarian was summoned and he was transported but had badly injured his right hind femur. It was not responding and combined to a chronic spinal condition that caused the fall the pain and inability to stand left only one humane choice for the champion.

Continue reading "Alysheba euthanized in Kentucky"

So often you don't know what a horse will do when challenged. Some babies go out and are so spectacular and precocious they aren't challenged. Arazi's performance in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile is an example - no one was close to him and he determined the win margin. Other horses put their best on the line when pressed hard and this is where the memorable ones are made - think Affirmed and Alydar. Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.

Continue reading "Stardom Bound...Derby bound?"

In the El Camino Real on Valentine's Day, my sweetheart Chocolate Candy delivered a win to swell the hearts of his supporters. Although this previously confirmed come-from-behinder was a bit too fresh too early, landing in an unaccustomed position on the lead with a lot of stretch left to cover, Chocolate Candy turned the challenge into an opportunity to demonstrate his versatility.

Continue reading "Fresh Chocolate Candy Wins El Camino Real Derby"

Old Fashioned is wearing me down.  When Derby prep season started I admired Old Fashioned but rooted on Chocolate Candy, Hello Broadway and Capt. Candyman Can, among others.  I still do like those three very much.  But at the moment, Old Fashioned seems to actually want the Derby more than anyone else, and since none of his connections are among the crowd I customarily root against (I'm a race fan with personal likes and dislikes, way more than a lover of "the action"), I may as well cry uncle.  He seems to want it so much and have so much talent that I want it for him. His focused intent in every race reminds me of Invasor. I always felt it would kill Invasor to lose, which happened to him only once. I feel the same way about Old Fashioned.

Continue reading "Old Fashioned Wins Smartly"

In yesterday's Hutcheson, Capt. Candyman Can showed he's got a learning curve when he was able to settle down, drop back off the pace, then come on easily in the lane to dispose of Hello Broadway.

Continue reading "Capt. Candyman Can Could in the Hutcheson ..."

This is a tough race for a fan like me.  In here are three potential Derby horses for whom I can feel a personal rooting interest:

Breakwater Edison, by Lemon Drop Kid:   Lemon Drop Kid was the first handicap division horse I followed back in 2000 when I became a serious fan of the game.  He gave me a lot of thrills, and helped raise my all time favorite jockey, Edgar Prado, to prominence.  Still, I consider him underappreciated. I'd love to see him get a breakout star among his offspring.

Continue reading "Friday's G2 Hutcheson at Gulfstream ..."

(The trainers who don't intend to run their best three year olds over the dirt en route to the Kentucky Derby are nuts.)

It's hard not to root for his trainer, Larry Jones, or for this colt in his own right. It's always moving to see the innocence of a young three year old absorbed in his race, before it becomes a J-O-B (compare, for instance, Curlin as a three year old to his workmanlike efforts at four).

Continue reading "Maybe Old Fashioned Is Too Old Fashioned"

The anticipated match between Big Brown, Curlin and Casino Drive will not happen. Big Brown 'grabbed a quarter' today, an injury that while not life threatening means he is out for a long recovery. He has been retired. With extensive tissue damage he wasn't initially lame but as he was cooled off became increasingly sore and uncomfortable. His retirement was announced and he will go to Three Chimneys in Kentucky. He'll stand along the likes of Point Given, Rahy, Smarty Jones and Dynaformer.

Continue reading "Goodbye Big Brown"

And, while many people see racing on Kentucky Derby day, and many on Breeders Cup day there is more than that too.

For the horse racing fan there's also the All-American futurity, the Hambletonian and Little Brown Jug. There's speed in sprinters and chariot racing and trotters and pacers. Each has legends and each has horses fondly remembered by fans. There's the likes of Rambling Willie. I got to see him go once at the Quad City Downs many moons ago and the fire in his eyes coming down the lane was every bit as determined as Smarty Jones or Curlin.

Continue reading "Horse Racing - It's not just betting"