Kentucky Derby 145!

[ZephyrHawk]

Welcome again everyone to my annual thread celebrating and discussing the Run for the Roses!

After two recent Triple Crown whirlwinds in Anerican Pharoah and Justify, the racing world has relaxed into the 1970s-era position of thinking that super horses are just a regular thing. There's not quite the anticipation for the Derby Trail I seem to recall from even just a few short years ago. Still, there's always a good reason to put on silly hats, look at pretty horses, and sip bourbon! So, let's discuss handicapping and high hopes for 2019's Debry field.

This year, I'm supporting the favorite, Omaha Beach. I hate backing favorites, but in this case I picked him out months ago and it's not my fault that his continued excellent performance has made him the favorite. I love that he's push-button, and can handle the slop. I got to meet his daddy (War Front) when I visited Claiborne Farm last August.

I'll be making Burgoo, cornbread and Kentucky Derby Pie for my party! What's everyone else doing?

 

[maxaroni]

Just thinking next Saturday is the First Saturday in May. We used to go to Derby parties and had some great food, ending the Derby Pie.

Loved our visit to Kentucky seeing Churchill Downs, as well as doing several tours. Barbaro’s statue had been unveiled and loved seeing that, too. While in the area we went to Keeneland, Three Chimneys (seeing Big Brown, Smarty Jones, Silver Charm and Dynaformer), Old Friends, and Kentucky Horse Park. Beautiful country

I think I am going with Omaha Beach.

 

[AlohaNow]

I placed an advance wager on Bourbon War. Just liked the name!

 

[frog3101]

I have not really had a chance to look at the horses (and not that I do a lot of research) but so far I like Roadster.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Updating with post positions as drawn today and current odds:

1 War of Will 20-1

2 Tax 20-1

3 By My Standards 20-1

4 Gray Magician 50-1

5 Improbable 6-1

6 Vekoma 20-1

7 Maximum Security 10-1

8 Tacitus 10-1

9 Plus Que Parfait 30-1

10 Cutting Humor 30-1

11 Haikal 30-1

12 Omaha Beach 4-1

13 Code of Honor 15-1

14 Win Win Win 15-1

15 Master Fencer 50-1

16 Game Winner 5-1

17 Roadster 6-1

18 Long Range Toddy 30-1

19 Spinoff 30-1

20 Country House 30-1


Pre-draw favorite Omaha Beach is not hurt in any way by his draw. Improbable, Tacitus, and Game Winner also lucked out. Roadster might have some problems with his draw, and War of Will is just plain doomed. The draw alters my exotic picks (which were going to feature War of Will). Not sure what I'll do for place and show now, but I think Country House will figure prominently.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Bumping the thread to point out that the inconstant racing gods have struck again.

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-ra...oOkY1FXeeEsGQ_zwfnM3PXM4kGNCzzkWF29dQKYMUMgL4

And now, I have no idea who to root for. Please excuse me while I spend the next hour scrutinizing videos of prep races. Sigh.

In other news, welcome to the Derby crowd Bodexpress!

 

[DisneyHardin]

Just heard that Omaha Beach has scratched.

My DH is a Sheriff Deputy here in Louisville and generally spends Derby week guarding the stall of one of the horses, but this year he is on light duty due to a surgery, and so he can't work Derby. His stories from the track are always great. He says he isn't going to miss spending the week at the track, but I will definitely miss all the overtime pay

 

[AlohaNow]

I placed an advance wager on Bourbon War. Just liked the name!

Well that's $20 I'll never see again! Back to the drawing board!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

The jockey that dumped Roadster for Omaha Beach now doesn't have a ride.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

The jockey that dumped Roadster for Omaha Beach now doesn't have a ride.

It's true, but he won the Triple Crown last year, so he will just have to comfort himself with his fame and piles of money.

 

[crazymomof4]

Welcome again everyone to my annual thread celebrating and discussing the Run for the Roses!

After two recent Triple Crown whirlwinds in Anerican Pharoah and Justify, the racing world has relaxed into the 1970s-era position of thinking that super horses are just a regular thing. There's not quite the anticipation for the Derby Trail I seem to recall from even just a few short years ago. Still, there's always a good reason to put on silly hats, look at pretty horses, and sip bourbon! So, let's discuss handicapping and high hopes for 2019's Debry field.

This year, I'm supporting the favorite, Omaha Beach. I hate backing favorites, but in this case I picked him out months ago and it's not my fault that his continued excellent performance has made him the favorite. I love that he's push-button, and can handle the slop. I got to meet his daddy (War Front) when I visited Claiborne Farm last August.

I'll be making Burgoo, cornbread and Kentucky Derby Pie for my party! What's everyone else doing?

I hopped over here from my usual haunt, the Budget Board, to see if anyone was talking about the Derby this year.

I totally feel the same sentiments as you expressed in the quoted post above!
I follow Fox Hill Farm on facebook. I was a hard-core fan of Hard Spun. A few days before the BC at Monmouth Park, I got to see him coming off the van and then spend time with he and Proud Spell (Larry Jones vanned them in together) back in the barns. Anyway, Eight Belles, Friesan Fire, Songbird, Havre de Grace followed. So I would have loved to see those silks in the KY Derby winner's circle. And "Papa" Mandella.... what can you say? This salt of the earth guy is an old-school trainer. Remember The Tin Man? Who wouldn't want to see him finally win a Derby? I really thought this was the year!
I was at a Phillies game last night and looked down at my phone to see the news alert about Omaha Beach. My heart just SANK!

We do our own little Derby Party every year. This year we are cycling round and doing Hot Browns again (haven't had them in a few yrs) but Im looking for a "lighter" (healthier) version. Also wanna make these https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/04/not-derby-pie-bars/
DD18 and I will dust off our big hats and Mint Juleps will be made. From the 1st televised race, until the end, horse races will be on our TV Saturday.

I will be heading down to Pimilco on the 15th. I've worked Preakness week for 9 yrs now. Horseman's Relations office. So I get to rub shoulders with all the stakes-entered owner's/trainers/jockeys. Then Fri and Sat during racing hours, my friend and I work the trophies in the Grandstand Winner's Circle. It's exhausting hours. Some nights we get 3 hrs sleep! But it's a thrill and gets me away from the day to day grind here at home. More than anything, I love seeing the horses!

 

[crazymomof4]

And now, I have no idea who to root for. Please excuse me while I spend the next hour scrutinizing videos of prep races. Sigh.

First met Mike Trombetta while spending time at Fair Hill. Heck of a nice guy. His barn is spotless and his horses are well cared for. So I'll be rooting for Win Win Win (Damsire is SMARTY JONES!). Although I would not hate it if Bill Mott's "Tacitus" (by Tapit) won or Shug's "Code of Honor". Also, there is a son of Hard Spun in the race: Spinoff.

 

[lynxstch]

My husband had also picked Omaha Beach to win, and was very disappointed to see that he was scratched in the paper this morning. My pick, and my favorite has been Tacitus since the first time I saw him run, so that's who I will be rooting for, along with Roadster and Win Win Win. I just hope for a safe race for all horses and riders.

 

[crazymomof4]

Boy Win Win Win has a very "Arab" (dished) face!
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-ra...-win-win-brings-derby-buzz-back-for-trombetta

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

It's true, but he won the Triple Crown last year, so he will just have to comfort himself with his fame and piles of money.

The horse won the triple crown. The jockey came along for the ride. Further, I doubt 10% of the U.S. population could even name the jockey.

 

[crazymomof4]

The horse won the triple crown. The jockey came along for the ride. Further, I doubt 10% of the U.S. population could even name the jockey.

Then, with the right car, I should be able to win the Daytona 5000. Cuz, like... I can drive!

 

[Owlpost23]

The horse won the triple crown. The jockey came along for the ride. Further, I doubt 10% of the U.S. population could even name the jockey.

Mike Smith.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Mike Smith.

That's one down, 32.7 million minus 1 to go to get to the 10% figure.

Then, with the right car, I should be able to win the Daytona 5000. Cuz, like... I can drive!

Sincerely, all those teams that spend hours upon hours trying to make their cars better. Just look at Formula 1. The best cars win. Mercedes has dominated. Red Bull and Ferrari are trying to play catch up. No other team even has a podium. Did Jimmy Johnson, 7 time nascar cup champ and one of the best drivers ever forget how to drive or are the Hendrick cars not cutting the mustard? The latter more than the former. Put the best jockey on a nag and he's still on a nag. He's not going to win. Although it is the Kentucky Derby. We don't know who the nags are and who the real contenders are until they race.

 

[crazymomof4]

That's one down, 32.7 million minus 1 to go to get to the 10% figure.



Sincerely, all those teams that spend hours upon hours trying to make their cars better. Just look at Formula 1. The best cars win. Mercedes has dominated. Red Bull and Ferrari are trying to play catch up. No other team even has a podium. Did Jimmy Johnson, 7 time nascar cup champ and one of the best drivers ever forget how to drive or are the Hendrick cars not cutting the mustard? The latter more than the former. Put the best jockey on a nag and he's still on a nag. He's not going to win. Although it is the Kentucky Derby. We don't know who the nags are and who the real contenders are until they race.

LOL when someone starts talking NASCAR or Golf, my eyes glaze over.
But I DO know horse racing! And I know what is required of jockeys to do their job well. It is so much more than being along for the ride. In a nose to tail trail ride, the rider is "along for the ride". By no stretch of the imagination can a horse race be compared to a trail ride. There is so much more to being a jockey than the casual observer realizes.

I completely agree with your statement "put the best jockey on a nag....." (although I've never heard any race horse being called by that term).

A good ride by a highly experienced jockey CAN give a horse enough of an edge to be the difference between a win and not even hitting the board. It's riding techinque (how you sit your mount), race strategy, knowing your mount's abilities, mind and inclinations, placing him/her where the jockey knows he/she will do their best, knowing the other riders in the race and the inclinations and abilities of the horses they are on, knowing the track surface and using that to your horse's advantage, overcoming your own natural fear and making split second decisions.... often being gutzy enough to make a move you know your horse has the ability to make. If, in a race won by a nose, the winning jockey gave his horse a better ride than a similarly talented horse with a jockey who didn't give his horse a good ride, then the jockey made the difference. And THAT is why the top shelf jocks are in high demand by owners and trainers and they can command a much higher pay contract.
Jerry Bailey summed it up nicely. "A great jockey cannot make a slow horse win, but a bad jockey can get a great horse beat,”

 

[ZephyrHawk]

So, relevant to our discussions about Mike Smith, it looks like he will not be without a Derby mount.

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-ra...l64YRfd4_J7t2ZKk3viUivLJ-JlGhsLDlXWGKwU5jthJU

Feel bad for the jock he replaced, though.

In other news, it's Kenucky Oaks day! I like Serengeti Empress. I have no handicapping reasons for this, I just like her.