From Steve Haskin's wonderful Kentucky Derby wrapup story, here's trainer Dick Mandella {who trained MINE THAT BIRD for 10 days last fall} talking about what makes the horse game special:
“But seriously, that horse looked fabulous. The trainer has done a great job with him. Just because a trainer doesn’t have a big stable doesn’t mean he’s not a good horseman. This goes to show what someone who has a lot of time to spend with one horse can do when that horse has talent. That’s the beauty of this game. Everybody’s got a chance. We don’t promote enough how equal and how fair this game can be. It has very little prejudice. This is the only business where a sheikh or member of a royal family will lean down to some minimum wage hotwalker or groom and say, ‘What do you think?’"
Well said, reminds me of why going to the Kentucky Derby is so much damn fun.
Showing posts with label Horse Racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horse Racing. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The 3 Groups That Loved The Belmont
1. The connections of DA' TARA of course.
2. ABC. Television ratings for BIG BROWN's failed triple crown bid were off the charts, up 169% from last year {10.5 compared to 3.9 last year}. Pretty ironic, since last year's race was one of the best Belmonts ever.
3. UPS, if you believe this report, although as I have said in the past such exposure projections are in my opinion bullshit peddling of the highest order.
You can throw in the NYRA and Belmont Park as well, as per usual {x= TC bid, xy=TC}, they got a much bigger crowd with a shot at the Triple Crown on the line. I heard the TV announcers on Saturday throw out 120,000 and even 140,000, but in the end 94,000 was the reported number. Still, there's never a doubt who the NYRA, and Belmont Park are rooting for in The Preakness Stakes on any given year. And ABC as well.
2. ABC. Television ratings for BIG BROWN's failed triple crown bid were off the charts, up 169% from last year {10.5 compared to 3.9 last year}. Pretty ironic, since last year's race was one of the best Belmonts ever.
3. UPS, if you believe this report, although as I have said in the past such exposure projections are in my opinion bullshit peddling of the highest order.
You can throw in the NYRA and Belmont Park as well, as per usual {x= TC bid, xy=TC}, they got a much bigger crowd with a shot at the Triple Crown on the line. I heard the TV announcers on Saturday throw out 120,000 and even 140,000, but in the end 94,000 was the reported number. Still, there's never a doubt who the NYRA, and Belmont Park are rooting for in The Preakness Stakes on any given year. And ABC as well.
Rick Dutrow, You're A Douche
It doesn't feel too good to gripe about a guy whose girlfriend/mother of his daughter was murdered in his home 10 years ago, but such is the massive amount of arrogant shit talking and lack of any pretense of humility or class that I can't resist.
After talking shit all spring, and not showing much class before or after the Derby & Preakness, he kept on leading up to the Belmont. He even lashed out at John Servis, trainer of SMARTY JONES in 2004 and universally hailed withing racing as a genuinely good guy, saying that he totally fucked up and ruined it for Smarty, not letting the facts get in the way of his unprovoked attack {workout over a crappy sealed track}.
So after the massive fail of BIG BROWN on Saturday you would think that Dutrow would have a chance to show a little humility, but no. He's decided that there's not way that BIG BROWN just didn't have it, or didn't like the track, or the extreme heat, or 3 races in 5 weeks, or getting boxed in and checked around multiple time early, or that he bounced off 3 huge efforts in a row, all things that any experienced horsemen would understand is part of the game.
Instead he has decided to blame the whole thing on Jockey Kent Desormeaux. What a dick.
Owners IEAH have now come out and stated that they are sticking with Desormeaux, so Dutrow will now be forced to work with him, unless Desormeaux tells Dutrow to fuck off on general principle- which he won't because he loves the horse so much- so you can be sure that the whole thing will be quite the soap opera all summer and fall as they try to get BIG BROWN back on track and to the Travers and Breeders Cup Classic.
So, Rick Dutrow, it's been long overdue all spring, but now it's official:
After talking shit all spring, and not showing much class before or after the Derby & Preakness, he kept on leading up to the Belmont. He even lashed out at John Servis, trainer of SMARTY JONES in 2004 and universally hailed withing racing as a genuinely good guy, saying that he totally fucked up and ruined it for Smarty, not letting the facts get in the way of his unprovoked attack {workout over a crappy sealed track}.
So after the massive fail of BIG BROWN on Saturday you would think that Dutrow would have a chance to show a little humility, but no. He's decided that there's not way that BIG BROWN just didn't have it, or didn't like the track, or the extreme heat, or 3 races in 5 weeks, or getting boxed in and checked around multiple time early, or that he bounced off 3 huge efforts in a row, all things that any experienced horsemen would understand is part of the game.
Instead he has decided to blame the whole thing on Jockey Kent Desormeaux. What a dick.
Owners IEAH have now come out and stated that they are sticking with Desormeaux, so Dutrow will now be forced to work with him, unless Desormeaux tells Dutrow to fuck off on general principle- which he won't because he loves the horse so much- so you can be sure that the whole thing will be quite the soap opera all summer and fall as they try to get BIG BROWN back on track and to the Travers and Breeders Cup Classic.
So, Rick Dutrow, it's been long overdue all spring, but now it's official:
Two Fairy Tales Die In One Day
Unless you live under a rock, then you already know what happened on Saturday.
First CASINO DRIVE was forced to scratch in the morning after a stone bruise in his foot caused him to favor that foot after a morning jog, eliminating 1) the chance for him to win and have BETTER THAN HONOUR sire three consecutive Belmont Stakes winners 2) the matchup between CASINO DRIVE and BIG BROWN that everyone wanted to see.
Then BIG BROWN simply failed in the Belmont. Why? I don't know exactly, and I doubt that me nor anyone else will ever be able to pinpoint it. Could be any combination of: he didn't like the 95 degree heat, he didn't like the Belmont track, which was described as deep & cuppy, he was simply tired out from the Derby & Preakness and didn't have anything left in the tank, he didn't like having dirt thrown in his face for the first time, he was a little rank early and couldn't settle, he may have been kicked in traffic early, and that he got boxed in and had to be reined back really hard, more than once, by Desormeaux until he got off the rail, through traffic, and to the outside.
Personally I think that last one was the main culprit, and was a little surprised that the expert analysts, including hall of fame jockey Jerry Bailey, didn't consider it a bigger factor. I have rarely seen a horse reined in so hard, multiple times, so early in a race in an effort to get out of trouble. Often times in racing when this happens, and the horses momentum is so severely disrupted, it is hard for him to recover and still have something in the tank when it is time to sprint at the end.
In the backstretch the horse seemed to be laboring a bit, especially compared to DA' TARA who was effortlessly cruising. Then in the far turn Desormeaux asked him to run, and he had nothing. Instead, he amazingly backed up against the field and was passed by all, and when Desormeaux knew that his horse had nothing, and was sitting on a multimillion dollar syndication deal, he smartly eased him up, as there was nothing to race for at that point.
That's horse racing. Some days the best of them "don't fire" when asked, and he was certainly due to "bounce" {regress} off his 3 incredible performances in a row. Such is racing. They're not machines, and there's a reason that the triple crown has only happened 11 times in 134 years and not once in the last 30.
Full credit to DA' TARA and his jockey, Alan Garcia, for an outstanding race. He looked so strong on the back stretch, and once he got a bit loose on the lead going into the far turn, and continued to look so strong with that long stride, you knew at that point "holy shit, he's not going to fade and might just win this thing".
Hopefully we'll see more of DA' TARA, BIG BROWN, and CASINO DRIVE later this summer and fall, and would love to see them all tangle with CURLIN at some point before they're all retired.
First CASINO DRIVE was forced to scratch in the morning after a stone bruise in his foot caused him to favor that foot after a morning jog, eliminating 1) the chance for him to win and have BETTER THAN HONOUR sire three consecutive Belmont Stakes winners 2) the matchup between CASINO DRIVE and BIG BROWN that everyone wanted to see.
Then BIG BROWN simply failed in the Belmont. Why? I don't know exactly, and I doubt that me nor anyone else will ever be able to pinpoint it. Could be any combination of: he didn't like the 95 degree heat, he didn't like the Belmont track, which was described as deep & cuppy, he was simply tired out from the Derby & Preakness and didn't have anything left in the tank, he didn't like having dirt thrown in his face for the first time, he was a little rank early and couldn't settle, he may have been kicked in traffic early, and that he got boxed in and had to be reined back really hard, more than once, by Desormeaux until he got off the rail, through traffic, and to the outside.
Personally I think that last one was the main culprit, and was a little surprised that the expert analysts, including hall of fame jockey Jerry Bailey, didn't consider it a bigger factor. I have rarely seen a horse reined in so hard, multiple times, so early in a race in an effort to get out of trouble. Often times in racing when this happens, and the horses momentum is so severely disrupted, it is hard for him to recover and still have something in the tank when it is time to sprint at the end.
In the backstretch the horse seemed to be laboring a bit, especially compared to DA' TARA who was effortlessly cruising. Then in the far turn Desormeaux asked him to run, and he had nothing. Instead, he amazingly backed up against the field and was passed by all, and when Desormeaux knew that his horse had nothing, and was sitting on a multimillion dollar syndication deal, he smartly eased him up, as there was nothing to race for at that point.
That's horse racing. Some days the best of them "don't fire" when asked, and he was certainly due to "bounce" {regress} off his 3 incredible performances in a row. Such is racing. They're not machines, and there's a reason that the triple crown has only happened 11 times in 134 years and not once in the last 30.
Full credit to DA' TARA and his jockey, Alan Garcia, for an outstanding race. He looked so strong on the back stretch, and once he got a bit loose on the lead going into the far turn, and continued to look so strong with that long stride, you knew at that point "holy shit, he's not going to fade and might just win this thing".
Hopefully we'll see more of DA' TARA, BIG BROWN, and CASINO DRIVE later this summer and fall, and would love to see them all tangle with CURLIN at some point before they're all retired.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Belmont Stakes Preview: Will Big Brown Do It?
For the past three weeks I have been trying not to get too excited and caught up in the common thinking that BIG BROWN is most definitely going to win tomorrow and that nothing can stop him. Mainly because after seeing 5 near misses from 1997-2003, I got really emotionally wrapped up in SMARTY JONES, as I got on his train before even the Derby, and by the time he romped in the Derby and Preakness, I was positive that Smarty could not be beat and would definitely do it. And when he failed, even though he was certainly the best horse in the race, it really bummed me out. {why he lost is a whole nother story and subject to great debate}.
I'm not as emotionally invested in BIG BROWN as I was SMARTY JONES or SILVER CHARM, so I'm trying to be more reasonable.
For one, ANYTHING can happen in horse racing. Hell, SPECTACULAR BID lost a "certain" triple crown when he stepped on a pin and ran the Belmont with a hurt foot. Bad luck, a bad start, getting rank, other horses tiring him out, jockey moving too early, etc, etc.
Secondly, there is a major contender that is coming at him, and who is fresh, while BIG BROWN will be running his 3rd race in 36 days. CASINO DRIVE has insane breeding for the Belmont {12- TWELVE!- Belmont winners in the first four generations of his pedigree- totally insane}, easily won the Peter Pan Stakes, the major prep race at Belmont Park for the Belmont Stakes, and is half brother to both 2007 Belmont winner RAGS TO RICHES but also to 2006 Belmont winner JAZIL. He basically has been pointed towards the Belmont his whole racing career, and he will be a formidable foe. Don't be at all surprised if he wins.
So will he do it? I have no idea. If he does, then it will be great for the sport, but the downside for me personally is that his trainer, Rick Dutrow {and to a lesser degree his owner} is a dick. It's not the same feeling as pulling for Bob & Beverly Lewis when they had shots at it with SILVER CHARM and CHARISMATIC, or when trainer John Servis almost did it with SMARTY JONES. If they do win then we'll just hear more and more pompous shittalking from the connections, but at the end of the day it's not about them, it's about the horse. So if he does it then I'll focus on that.
So if BIG BROWN wins it will be an amazing story, and if CASINO DRIVE wins then it too will be a great story, as it will mean that his momma, BETTER THAN HONOUR, will have sired three consecutive Belmont winners, which has never happened- in fact, I don't know if one momma has ever sired three consecutive winner of any race on Earth, ever.
With those as the two big stories, those two horses will both be massively overbet and offer little {CASINO DRIVE} to absolutely no {BIG BROWN} value. So the smart play is to bet DENIS OF CORK across the board. He came flying from last in the Derby to finish 3rd, he should be able to handle the mile and a half, and he skipped the Preakness and should be fresh. Even if he gets the SHOW {3rd place} you should get your money back and a small score {assuming he goes off in the neighborhood of 10-1 to 15-1}.
The rest of the field will basically be longshots both on paper and at the betting windows. But you never know. Hell, if before the 2004 Belmont anyone- ANYONE- went around saying BIRDSTONE at 36-1 was going to beat SMARTY JONES and win, that person would be dismissed as severely stupid and/or silly. Same with SARAVA who won in 2002 at an astounding 71-1 when triple crown hopeful WAR EMBLEM stuttered at the start and finished up the track.
So there it is. Enjoy the spectacle, hope for a Triple Crown for BIG BROWN, or a historic win for CASINO DRIVE, but as far as betting play DENIS OF CORK across the board- that is what I would do if I was at the track tomorrow.
ABC this time. Post is at 3.04 p.m. PST, and I think ABC's coverage comes on at 2 p.m. PST, with ESPN or ESPN2 having coverage up until then.
Enjoy the race!
I'm not as emotionally invested in BIG BROWN as I was SMARTY JONES or SILVER CHARM, so I'm trying to be more reasonable.
For one, ANYTHING can happen in horse racing. Hell, SPECTACULAR BID lost a "certain" triple crown when he stepped on a pin and ran the Belmont with a hurt foot. Bad luck, a bad start, getting rank, other horses tiring him out, jockey moving too early, etc, etc.
Secondly, there is a major contender that is coming at him, and who is fresh, while BIG BROWN will be running his 3rd race in 36 days. CASINO DRIVE has insane breeding for the Belmont {12- TWELVE!- Belmont winners in the first four generations of his pedigree- totally insane}, easily won the Peter Pan Stakes, the major prep race at Belmont Park for the Belmont Stakes, and is half brother to both 2007 Belmont winner RAGS TO RICHES but also to 2006 Belmont winner JAZIL. He basically has been pointed towards the Belmont his whole racing career, and he will be a formidable foe. Don't be at all surprised if he wins.
So will he do it? I have no idea. If he does, then it will be great for the sport, but the downside for me personally is that his trainer, Rick Dutrow {and to a lesser degree his owner} is a dick. It's not the same feeling as pulling for Bob & Beverly Lewis when they had shots at it with SILVER CHARM and CHARISMATIC, or when trainer John Servis almost did it with SMARTY JONES. If they do win then we'll just hear more and more pompous shittalking from the connections, but at the end of the day it's not about them, it's about the horse. So if he does it then I'll focus on that.
So if BIG BROWN wins it will be an amazing story, and if CASINO DRIVE wins then it too will be a great story, as it will mean that his momma, BETTER THAN HONOUR, will have sired three consecutive Belmont winners, which has never happened- in fact, I don't know if one momma has ever sired three consecutive winner of any race on Earth, ever.
With those as the two big stories, those two horses will both be massively overbet and offer little {CASINO DRIVE} to absolutely no {BIG BROWN} value. So the smart play is to bet DENIS OF CORK across the board. He came flying from last in the Derby to finish 3rd, he should be able to handle the mile and a half, and he skipped the Preakness and should be fresh. Even if he gets the SHOW {3rd place} you should get your money back and a small score {assuming he goes off in the neighborhood of 10-1 to 15-1}.
The rest of the field will basically be longshots both on paper and at the betting windows. But you never know. Hell, if before the 2004 Belmont anyone- ANYONE- went around saying BIRDSTONE at 36-1 was going to beat SMARTY JONES and win, that person would be dismissed as severely stupid and/or silly. Same with SARAVA who won in 2002 at an astounding 71-1 when triple crown hopeful WAR EMBLEM stuttered at the start and finished up the track.
So there it is. Enjoy the spectacle, hope for a Triple Crown for BIG BROWN, or a historic win for CASINO DRIVE, but as far as betting play DENIS OF CORK across the board- that is what I would do if I was at the track tomorrow.
ABC this time. Post is at 3.04 p.m. PST, and I think ABC's coverage comes on at 2 p.m. PST, with ESPN or ESPN2 having coverage up until then.
Enjoy the race!
The Near Misses: Smarty Jones 2004
Smarty was a freak. After watching his prep races, I was a bit ahead of the curve on this and bet him across the board at Churchill on Derby Day. I even drunkenly pointed to him when the horses walked from the paddock yelling "There's the winner- he's a freak!" to anyone who would listen. Smarty romped in the Derby and again in the Preakeness, and looked every bit as much of a "damn near sure thing" for the Triple Crown as BIG BROWN does this year.
But in a bizarre and still discussed race, it didn't work out. Whether the other jockeys went out of their way to push their horses to cook Smarty and themselves in the process, or whether Smarty was rank that day and couldn't settle, or whether jockey Stewart Elliott fucked up and didn't settle him and moved him way too early, or what, the horse gave absolutely everything and fought bravely to valiantly hold on as long as possible after giving so much early, but couldn't hold on and was overtaken by 36-1 BIRDSTONE in the final 1/16 of a mile.
Sucked, really bummed me out. I got on board the fairy tale story of SMARTY JONES {almost dying, coming back to win the Derby and Preakness and be undefeated, with really everyman connections and a heartwarming story of a dying owner} earlier than most and was really invested emotionally like I was with SILVER CHARM {as silly as that sounds now to write, it's hard to explain}.
But in a bizarre and still discussed race, it didn't work out. Whether the other jockeys went out of their way to push their horses to cook Smarty and themselves in the process, or whether Smarty was rank that day and couldn't settle, or whether jockey Stewart Elliott fucked up and didn't settle him and moved him way too early, or what, the horse gave absolutely everything and fought bravely to valiantly hold on as long as possible after giving so much early, but couldn't hold on and was overtaken by 36-1 BIRDSTONE in the final 1/16 of a mile.
Sucked, really bummed me out. I got on board the fairy tale story of SMARTY JONES {almost dying, coming back to win the Derby and Preakness and be undefeated, with really everyman connections and a heartwarming story of a dying owner} earlier than most and was really invested emotionally like I was with SILVER CHARM {as silly as that sounds now to write, it's hard to explain}.
The Near Misses: Funny Cide 2003
I picked FUNNY CIDE to win the Derby, and was rooting for this geldiig to do it all. He was owned not by a billionaire but my a bunch of high school buddies who bought him for like 200,000 and then went on a wild ride to win the Derby & Preakness- a bunch of average guys that were easy to root for, and you wanted the horse and jockey to do it after the ridiculous and ignorant accusations of using a buzzer on the horse in the Derby that were disproved.
But it wasn't to be. The track was off, FUNNY CIDE has a terrible workout that cooked him, and EMPIRE MAKER looked really strong, and having skipped the Preakeness was a much fresher horse. I was in Barabdos on Belmont day and remember driving to the two sportsbooks that were open, the second of which was an Off Track Betting facility, because I was so certain that EMPIRE MAKER would beat FUNNY CIDE and I really wanted to put a hundy {$100} down on EMPIRE MAKER to win. Only to find out that you can't bet on American horse races in Barbados. After this I was even more certain that EMPIRE MAKER would do it, and of course he did as I watched from a sportsbar on the southern end of Barbados and cursed the winning bet that never was.
But it wasn't to be. The track was off, FUNNY CIDE has a terrible workout that cooked him, and EMPIRE MAKER looked really strong, and having skipped the Preakeness was a much fresher horse. I was in Barabdos on Belmont day and remember driving to the two sportsbooks that were open, the second of which was an Off Track Betting facility, because I was so certain that EMPIRE MAKER would beat FUNNY CIDE and I really wanted to put a hundy {$100} down on EMPIRE MAKER to win. Only to find out that you can't bet on American horse races in Barbados. After this I was even more certain that EMPIRE MAKER would do it, and of course he did as I watched from a sportsbar on the southern end of Barbados and cursed the winning bet that never was.
The Near Misses: War Emblem 2002
Not much to say about this one. WAR EMBLEM wired the field in the Derby {went to the front and stayed there, very uncommon for a Derby to be won that way}, won the Preakness, and then stumbled at the start- never a good thing for a horse that needs to go straight to the lead and win from the front- and faded badly while 71-1 longshot SARAVA won as the biggest longshot in Belmont history. Another triple crown failed bid for trainer Bob Baffert. I remember watching this at my hotel in St. Mary's, Georgia as I was getting dressed to go to the outdoor late afternoon wedding of a good friend- random.
The Near Misses: Charismatic 1999
Amazingly owners Bob & Beverly Lewis would get another shot at the Triple Crown jsut 2 years after SILVER CHARM came agonizingly close in 1997 with the colt CHARISMATIC, who this time was trained by D. Wayne Lukas.
CHARISMATIC took the lead briefly at the top of the stretch but was then beaten, and sadly broke his leg in the last 1/16 of a mile, and jockey Chris Antley immediately recognized it, pulled him up, jumped off, and held up his leg until help arrived. His heroics may very well have saved the horse, who had surgery and recovered.
Good buildup, race starts at 4.30 mark.
And yes, that is Gary Player. I Dunno either...
Not nearly the close call like the two years prior, but the story of the horse getting injured, Antley's heroic efforts, and the horse being saved are what will always be remembered about this race.
CHARISMATIC took the lead briefly at the top of the stretch but was then beaten, and sadly broke his leg in the last 1/16 of a mile, and jockey Chris Antley immediately recognized it, pulled him up, jumped off, and held up his leg until help arrived. His heroics may very well have saved the horse, who had surgery and recovered.
Good buildup, race starts at 4.30 mark.
And yes, that is Gary Player. I Dunno either...
Not nearly the close call like the two years prior, but the story of the horse getting injured, Antley's heroic efforts, and the horse being saved are what will always be remembered about this race.
The Near Misses: Real Quiet 1998
Just the following year after the incredible 1997 Triple Crown bid of SILVER CHARM came the nearest miss of all by REAL QUIET.
Here's the photo finish:
That's all that separated REAL QUIET from the Triple Crown. Amazing. {VICTORY GALLOP was an outstanding horse in his own right}. Heartbreak for trainer Bob Baffert, who lost consecutive triple crown bids by a total of 3/4 of a length + a nose.
Here's the photo finish:
That's all that separated REAL QUIET from the Triple Crown. Amazing. {VICTORY GALLOP was an outstanding horse in his own right}. Heartbreak for trainer Bob Baffert, who lost consecutive triple crown bids by a total of 3/4 of a length + a nose.
The Near Misses: Silver Charm 1997
Here's the 6 near misses since I got really interested in horse racing in the mid 1990s.
I love SILVER CHARM- he'll always be special to me, as he was the first horse I really got emotionally attached to, as at my first Derby in 1997 I bet him across the board at 6-1 and got to watch him win. Anyhow.
His Derby win and Preakness win were both flat out amazing and exhilarating {watch them both, now. It's ok, I'll wait}. He was poised to win the Triple Crown and was owned by Oregon Duck alums and classy and universally respected and liked Bob & Beverly Lewis.
And with 1/8 of a mile to go it looked likes SILVER CHARM had done it. As always, when he got locked in a duel with a horse he looked him in the eye, gutted it out, and never let the other horse get in front of him. And once again he did this to FREE HOUSE, and looked to be home free. The trick is that he never saw TOUCH GOLD flyinig late on the outside, so his remarkable ability wo win a neck and neck duel through sheer will was negated by the fact that TOUCH GOLD flew late way to his outside, and it was too late. So close, less than a length. So sad.
Full coverage shows the tension & buildup,
but for the ADD set the race starts at the 2.40 mark
I love SILVER CHARM- he'll always be special to me, as he was the first horse I really got emotionally attached to, as at my first Derby in 1997 I bet him across the board at 6-1 and got to watch him win. Anyhow.
His Derby win and Preakness win were both flat out amazing and exhilarating {watch them both, now. It's ok, I'll wait}. He was poised to win the Triple Crown and was owned by Oregon Duck alums and classy and universally respected and liked Bob & Beverly Lewis.
And with 1/8 of a mile to go it looked likes SILVER CHARM had done it. As always, when he got locked in a duel with a horse he looked him in the eye, gutted it out, and never let the other horse get in front of him. And once again he did this to FREE HOUSE, and looked to be home free. The trick is that he never saw TOUCH GOLD flyinig late on the outside, so his remarkable ability wo win a neck and neck duel through sheer will was negated by the fact that TOUCH GOLD flew late way to his outside, and it was too late. So close, less than a length. So sad.
Full coverage shows the tension & buildup,
but for the ADD set the race starts at the 2.40 mark
Saturday, May 17, 2008
BIG BROWN Destroys Field, Wins Preakness With Ease
BIG BROWN destroyed the field at the top of the stretch when asked to run by jockey Kent Desormeaux, and in only 10-12 strides went from even with the field to 8 lengths ahead, and like Michael Johnson back in the 90s when he was at the top of his game, Desormeaux shut down BIG BROWN and jogged home, saving energy for the Belmont Stakes in three weeks. One of the most impressive moves I've ever seen a horse make.
Big Brown cruises to victory
That was as impressive a triple crown race as you will ever see.
So now the Belmont awaits, and a shot to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Over the next three weeks there will be an incredible buildup which will become a full on frenzy bu Saturday, June 7th. And that is good for racing, which really needs something good and positive to happen. It would be so good for the sport if BIG BROWN wins the Triple Crown and points towards a showdown with CURLIN at the Breeder's Cup Classic in November, but a mile and a half and a bunch of fresh new horses ain't no joke. In the 29 years since AFFIRMED won the Triple Crown in 1978, ten different horses have won both the Derby and the Preakness but failed to win the Belmont, including 6 in the previous 11 years.
Everyone in horse racing industry will be rooting for BIG BROWN to do it, myself included.
Big Brown cruises to victory
That was as impressive a triple crown race as you will ever see.
So now the Belmont awaits, and a shot to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Over the next three weeks there will be an incredible buildup which will become a full on frenzy bu Saturday, June 7th. And that is good for racing, which really needs something good and positive to happen. It would be so good for the sport if BIG BROWN wins the Triple Crown and points towards a showdown with CURLIN at the Breeder's Cup Classic in November, but a mile and a half and a bunch of fresh new horses ain't no joke. In the 29 years since AFFIRMED won the Triple Crown in 1978, ten different horses have won both the Derby and the Preakness but failed to win the Belmont, including 6 in the previous 11 years.
Everyone in horse racing industry will be rooting for BIG BROWN to do it, myself included.
Can Anyone Beat BIG BROWN?
So if BIG BROWN doesn't do it today, who can or will?
Well, you have to start with GAYEGO, simply because he is the only other Kentucky Derby horse running today, and horses that ran in the Derby have won 20 of the last 22 Preakness Stakes. In those last 22 years, 226 horses have run in the Preakness; 122 of those have been horses exiting the Derby, which is 54%, yet they have won the Preakness a whopping 91% of the time. So the first place to look for any Preakness winner is horses exiting the Derby, and this year GAYEGO is the only other one. Yes, he ran a poor 17th in the Derby, but he had a horrible trip, starting badly, then getting bumped and pushed around, and essentially his Derby was over by the time he rounded the first turn. So if you are inclined to give him another chance after a horrific trip in the Derby, then you can fall back on the fact that this horse had 3 wins in 5 starts before the Derby, had never finished worse than 2nd, won the Arkansas Derby, and has the highest Beyer speed figure {103, Arkansas Derby} of any horse in the race not name BIG BROWN. And at 11-1 there's definitely some value there.
KENTUCKY BEAR is a very talented 3 year old that is yet unproven; he's the least experienced horse in the field with only 3 career starts. He'll probably be 2nd or 3rd choice, but you are definitely betting on the come. He could be like a Bernardini in 2006, who was super talented yet unproven, and romped in his coming out party in the Preakness. On the other hand, he could be a talented horse that is found wanting when running against horses of this caliber.
After that every horse is a longshot of some sort, so you have to find something to get behind. For instance, RACECAR RHAPSODY is a late closer, so if the pace of the race is fast then he has a great chance to come flying late and hit the board.
HEY BYRN is a good horse and with his win in the Holy Bull stakes has a win at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles, something that no other horse besides BIG BROWN has. He has as good a chance as any of the non BIG BROWN horses; the trick is that he drew the outside post, which is a significant disadvantage in this race and lessens the chances of him having a good trip.
MACHO AGAIN is a talented horse, but has never raced more that 7 1/2 furlongs {15/16 of a mile}, so the question is can he get the distance. He's also on the rail, in the 1 hole, which is a disadvantage.
STEVIL has Nick Zito as his trainer, and made a big effort in the Bluegrass, so he could be sitting on a big race. On the other hand, the Bluegrass is run on a synthetic track, so it's hard to say if his effort will translate.
Those are the horses that I think could win if BIG BROWN is off, or who are likely to place or show in the event that BIG BROWN does win today, so I won't get into the others. Not to say they can't hit the board, just that I don't have anything informative to say about them.
I don't really like the race as far as betting, but if I was at Pimlico today I'd probably pick a horse other than BIG BROWN that I think can finish 2nd behind him and even win if he falters, and bet that horse across the board at a nice price. I'd probably go with $10 on GAYEGO across the board, $10 on HEY BYRN across the board as well, and then bet some sort of trifecta box with BIG BROWN on top, GAYEGO, HEY BYRN, RACECAR RHAPSODY, KENTUCKY BEAR, STEVIL, and TRES BORRACHOS in the place and show spots- a $30 1 dollar trifecta ticket, for a total of $90 wagered.
That being said, I hope that BIG BROWN wins today; it would be good for racing, and if there's one thing racing needs right now, it's for something positive and good to happen.
First and foremost, I'm just hoping that they all make it around the track safely today, no matter who wins.
Enjoy the race, and good luck.
Well, you have to start with GAYEGO, simply because he is the only other Kentucky Derby horse running today, and horses that ran in the Derby have won 20 of the last 22 Preakness Stakes. In those last 22 years, 226 horses have run in the Preakness; 122 of those have been horses exiting the Derby, which is 54%, yet they have won the Preakness a whopping 91% of the time. So the first place to look for any Preakness winner is horses exiting the Derby, and this year GAYEGO is the only other one. Yes, he ran a poor 17th in the Derby, but he had a horrible trip, starting badly, then getting bumped and pushed around, and essentially his Derby was over by the time he rounded the first turn. So if you are inclined to give him another chance after a horrific trip in the Derby, then you can fall back on the fact that this horse had 3 wins in 5 starts before the Derby, had never finished worse than 2nd, won the Arkansas Derby, and has the highest Beyer speed figure {103, Arkansas Derby} of any horse in the race not name BIG BROWN. And at 11-1 there's definitely some value there.
KENTUCKY BEAR is a very talented 3 year old that is yet unproven; he's the least experienced horse in the field with only 3 career starts. He'll probably be 2nd or 3rd choice, but you are definitely betting on the come. He could be like a Bernardini in 2006, who was super talented yet unproven, and romped in his coming out party in the Preakness. On the other hand, he could be a talented horse that is found wanting when running against horses of this caliber.
After that every horse is a longshot of some sort, so you have to find something to get behind. For instance, RACECAR RHAPSODY is a late closer, so if the pace of the race is fast then he has a great chance to come flying late and hit the board.
HEY BYRN is a good horse and with his win in the Holy Bull stakes has a win at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16 miles, something that no other horse besides BIG BROWN has. He has as good a chance as any of the non BIG BROWN horses; the trick is that he drew the outside post, which is a significant disadvantage in this race and lessens the chances of him having a good trip.
MACHO AGAIN is a talented horse, but has never raced more that 7 1/2 furlongs {15/16 of a mile}, so the question is can he get the distance. He's also on the rail, in the 1 hole, which is a disadvantage.
STEVIL has Nick Zito as his trainer, and made a big effort in the Bluegrass, so he could be sitting on a big race. On the other hand, the Bluegrass is run on a synthetic track, so it's hard to say if his effort will translate.
Those are the horses that I think could win if BIG BROWN is off, or who are likely to place or show in the event that BIG BROWN does win today, so I won't get into the others. Not to say they can't hit the board, just that I don't have anything informative to say about them.
I don't really like the race as far as betting, but if I was at Pimlico today I'd probably pick a horse other than BIG BROWN that I think can finish 2nd behind him and even win if he falters, and bet that horse across the board at a nice price. I'd probably go with $10 on GAYEGO across the board, $10 on HEY BYRN across the board as well, and then bet some sort of trifecta box with BIG BROWN on top, GAYEGO, HEY BYRN, RACECAR RHAPSODY, KENTUCKY BEAR, STEVIL, and TRES BORRACHOS in the place and show spots- a $30 1 dollar trifecta ticket, for a total of $90 wagered.
That being said, I hope that BIG BROWN wins today; it would be good for racing, and if there's one thing racing needs right now, it's for something positive and good to happen.
First and foremost, I'm just hoping that they all make it around the track safely today, no matter who wins.
Enjoy the race, and good luck.
Probable? Sure. Sure Thing? No Way.
Solon summed it up best last week when talking about all the buzz about Big Brown and the talk that he would easily win the Preakness and the Triple Crown.
"I've got two words for BIG BROWN," he said. "FUSAICHI PEGASUS".
Wise words from a man who makes it his business to be wise. FUSAICHI PEGASUS was the super horse of 2000, the big favorite at the Kentucky Derby, and won, breaking a 20+ year Derby jinx for the betting favorite. People instantly started talking about how "Fu Peg" was a shoo-in for the Preakness and the Triple Crown as well. FUSAICHI PEGASUS was a massive odds on favorite in the Preakness, and went off at odds of 3/10. He lost to horse named RED BULLET that largely was never heard from again.
The point being that as certain as it appears that BIG BROWN is an absolute lock in today's Preakness, there is no such thing. I believe 8 of the last 20 Preakness favorites have failed to win, including 4 odds on favorites.
So what could prevent him from winning? Well lots of things, actually. For one, he has never raced back in 2 weeks, and it will be the biggest physical test of his career off such a massive effort in the Derby. Second, there is a chance that he could "bounce", a horse racing term for regressing after running career best fast times, which is even more possible considering BIG BROWN's lack of foundation {races under his belt}. Thirdly, racing luck could get him: a bad start, a stumble at the start, getting clipped by another horse and bleeding, he could bleed in his lungs, he could get caught in traffic, the jockey could screw up, etc, etc. Each race is an unknown and anything can happen as the race develops. Everyone knows that BIRDSTONE was not a better horse than SMARTY JONES in the 2004 Belmont, but multiple events during that race conspired to keep the best horse from winning. Lastly, he could just have a bad day, and as strange as it seems, it is possible that he won't "fire" {the equivalent to a runner's final kick or sprint} when asked.
Now I'm not shitting on BIG BROWN {pun intended} and saying that he definitely won't win. I'm just saying that it certainly is not the lock that many are saying it is, especially against 10 other horses. Yes, he is likely to win, and all of the things mentioned above won't phase you if you are a fan of the horse, because he has already broken many horse racing molds thusfar.
One thing is for sure: there sure as shit isn't any value in betting BIG BROWN, who currently is the massive odds-on favorite at 1/9.
I'll write in a little bit about possible betting options/winners in the event BIG BROWN somehow falters.
Here's the field with current odds:
1. Macho Again, 45-1
2. Tres Borrachos, 50-1
3. Icabad Crane
4. Yankee Bravo, 25-1
5. Behindatthebar, Scratch
6. Racecar Rhapsody, 30-1
7. Big Brown, 1-9
8.Kentucky Bear, 16-1
9. Stevil, 45-1
10. Riley Tucker, 35-1
11. Giant Moon, 45-1
12. Hey Byrn, 30-1
"I've got two words for BIG BROWN," he said. "FUSAICHI PEGASUS".
Wise words from a man who makes it his business to be wise. FUSAICHI PEGASUS was the super horse of 2000, the big favorite at the Kentucky Derby, and won, breaking a 20+ year Derby jinx for the betting favorite. People instantly started talking about how "Fu Peg" was a shoo-in for the Preakness and the Triple Crown as well. FUSAICHI PEGASUS was a massive odds on favorite in the Preakness, and went off at odds of 3/10. He lost to horse named RED BULLET that largely was never heard from again.
The point being that as certain as it appears that BIG BROWN is an absolute lock in today's Preakness, there is no such thing. I believe 8 of the last 20 Preakness favorites have failed to win, including 4 odds on favorites.
So what could prevent him from winning? Well lots of things, actually. For one, he has never raced back in 2 weeks, and it will be the biggest physical test of his career off such a massive effort in the Derby. Second, there is a chance that he could "bounce", a horse racing term for regressing after running career best fast times, which is even more possible considering BIG BROWN's lack of foundation {races under his belt}. Thirdly, racing luck could get him: a bad start, a stumble at the start, getting clipped by another horse and bleeding, he could bleed in his lungs, he could get caught in traffic, the jockey could screw up, etc, etc. Each race is an unknown and anything can happen as the race develops. Everyone knows that BIRDSTONE was not a better horse than SMARTY JONES in the 2004 Belmont, but multiple events during that race conspired to keep the best horse from winning. Lastly, he could just have a bad day, and as strange as it seems, it is possible that he won't "fire" {the equivalent to a runner's final kick or sprint} when asked.
Now I'm not shitting on BIG BROWN {pun intended} and saying that he definitely won't win. I'm just saying that it certainly is not the lock that many are saying it is, especially against 10 other horses. Yes, he is likely to win, and all of the things mentioned above won't phase you if you are a fan of the horse, because he has already broken many horse racing molds thusfar.
One thing is for sure: there sure as shit isn't any value in betting BIG BROWN, who currently is the massive odds-on favorite at 1/9.
I'll write in a little bit about possible betting options/winners in the event BIG BROWN somehow falters.
Here's the field with current odds:
1. Macho Again, 45-1
2. Tres Borrachos, 50-1
3. Icabad Crane
4. Yankee Bravo, 25-1
5. Behindatthebar, Scratch
6. Racecar Rhapsody, 30-1
7. Big Brown, 1-9
8.Kentucky Bear, 16-1
9. Stevil, 45-1
10. Riley Tucker, 35-1
11. Giant Moon, 45-1
12. Hey Byrn, 30-1
Monday, May 12, 2008
Haskin's Derby Recaps
Per usual, the best writing on the Derby last week came from The Bloodhorse's Steve Haskin.
The first is more a recap of the race, a commentary on Eight Belles and PETA, and a review of his thoughts going into the Derby.
The second is a great telling about Big Brown and his connections, with lots of good inside info. The second is an especially good read and worth 5 minutes of your time to learn up on the horse & trainer history and journey to the center stage that they currently occupy.
I have a couple more things to throw up from our experience last week, and then it's on to this Saturday's Preakness Stakes.
The first is more a recap of the race, a commentary on Eight Belles and PETA, and a review of his thoughts going into the Derby.
The second is a great telling about Big Brown and his connections, with lots of good inside info. The second is an especially good read and worth 5 minutes of your time to learn up on the horse & trainer history and journey to the center stage that they currently occupy.
I have a couple more things to throw up from our experience last week, and then it's on to this Saturday's Preakness Stakes.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Roses That They Run For In The Run For The Roses
Why is the Kentucky Derby called "The Run For the Roses"? Well, the Derby winner received a floral arrangement of roses as far back as 1896. In 1904 the red rose became the official flower of the Derby, and in 1925 sportswriter Bill Corum dubbed the Kentucky Derby "the run for the roses". The garland, or blanket of roses, has been draped over the winner's neck every year since 1932.
You would think that each year the garland of roses would be made at some exclusive, private, fancy high society club.
You'd be wrong.
It's made inside a Kroger.
Yup, you heard it right. The Kentucky Derby winner's garland of roses is made the night before the race in a Kroger.
Suck on that, Publix!
I knew it was made at Kroger, and that it moved around the city to different Kroger's each year, but I had never stopped into see it being made. As it happened, this year it was being assembled at the Middletown Kroger, which just so happened to be right next to where we ate dinner on Friday night.
So after a late dinner we went in to check it out. It was late, and they were almost finished, so the crowd/line wasn't too bad, and we were able to see it up close and personal as they put the finishing touches on it.
There was a crew of half a dozen ladies who meticulously created the garland, and another couple who stood by and answered any and all questions that people had. They even handed out a little brochure explaining all you would want to know, as well as a ziploc bag with a couple rose petals from the actual roses being used for the blanket.
Before this year they used a smaller rose and there were 554 of them in the garland; this year they switched to a larger rose called the "Freedom Rose" {makes you wonder if it used to be called the French rose, but they renamed it, but I digress}, and this year there were I believe 436 such roses in the garland.
Pretty cool.
"Yeah that is pretty cool", you say.
"But, Kanu- you know what would be way cooler? If you had a tandem of septuagenarians setup at the end of aisle 7 under a tailgaiting tent playing a cover of the song "Spooky" by Dusty Springfield on a little mat of fake grass. Now that would be some off the chain shit right there."
Funny you should ask...
Yeah, these two dudes pretty much took a fun experience and turned it up to, and dare I say even past, 11.
Finest endcap display aisle 7 has ever seen
Here they are again with their smooth loungy version of "My Old Kentucky Home"
Yeah, it was that awesome.
Cool to finally see this little slice of local Americana flavor after 10 trips to the Derby. Even cooler was seeing it again about 20 hours later, as 5 men and a 4 man Kentucky State Trooper security detail carried it from the winners circle back to the clubhouse, passing right in front of us in the paddock.
Six women to make it from hand, nine men to escort it around.
I have tried in vain to find a photo of BIG BROWN in the winner's circle with the blanket of roses draped over his neck. You would think it would be the easiest thing in the world, as it is one of the traditionally famous Derby moments, but i can't find it anywhere {official site, DRF, Bloodhorse, Thoroughbred Times, ESPN, Louisville Courier Journal, all 3 local Louisville TV stations, etc}. Anyhow, if you come across a photo please let me know where I can find such a photo to add to this story.
***Update***
Thanks to commenter xprider, who hipped me to this ESPN article which tells that BIG BROWN doesn't like flowers, got a little freaked out after winning the Florida Derby when they tried to lay the blanket of orchids over his neck, so his handlers decided against laying the garland of roses around his neck. I can tell you without question that the line {emphasis mine}...
Nevin and Blum dutifully held the flowers for a moment, then dropped the blanket on the ground to join the party, leaving the most hallowed floral arrangement in sports laying on the infield for a few hours before it was rescued by a state trooper.
... is a journalistic fabrication because we saw with our own eyes the garland being escorted through the paddock about 10 minutes after the race.
Anyhow, here's the closest that's been found, with the two people to the right of the horse holding up the garland:
Now I feel sorry for those ladies at Kroger who spent over 6 hours assembling that thing by hand, although I guess it's cool that it is hanging on the side of the wall in BIG BROWN's stall in Barn 22 at CD.
***Update 2***
This article in the Louisville Courier-Journal goes into detail about the garland of roses, BIG BROWN's aversion to them, and the journey that the roses took from Kroger to Barn 22.
You would think that each year the garland of roses would be made at some exclusive, private, fancy high society club.
You'd be wrong.
It's made inside a Kroger.
Yup, you heard it right. The Kentucky Derby winner's garland of roses is made the night before the race in a Kroger.
Suck on that, Publix!
I knew it was made at Kroger, and that it moved around the city to different Kroger's each year, but I had never stopped into see it being made. As it happened, this year it was being assembled at the Middletown Kroger, which just so happened to be right next to where we ate dinner on Friday night.
So after a late dinner we went in to check it out. It was late, and they were almost finished, so the crowd/line wasn't too bad, and we were able to see it up close and personal as they put the finishing touches on it.
There was a crew of half a dozen ladies who meticulously created the garland, and another couple who stood by and answered any and all questions that people had. They even handed out a little brochure explaining all you would want to know, as well as a ziploc bag with a couple rose petals from the actual roses being used for the blanket.
Before this year they used a smaller rose and there were 554 of them in the garland; this year they switched to a larger rose called the "Freedom Rose" {makes you wonder if it used to be called the French rose, but they renamed it, but I digress}, and this year there were I believe 436 such roses in the garland.
Pretty cool.
"Yeah that is pretty cool", you say.
"But, Kanu- you know what would be way cooler? If you had a tandem of septuagenarians setup at the end of aisle 7 under a tailgaiting tent playing a cover of the song "Spooky" by Dusty Springfield on a little mat of fake grass. Now that would be some off the chain shit right there."
Funny you should ask...
Yeah, these two dudes pretty much took a fun experience and turned it up to, and dare I say even past, 11.
Finest endcap display aisle 7 has ever seen
Here they are again with their smooth loungy version of "My Old Kentucky Home"
Yeah, it was that awesome.
Cool to finally see this little slice of local Americana flavor after 10 trips to the Derby. Even cooler was seeing it again about 20 hours later, as 5 men and a 4 man Kentucky State Trooper security detail carried it from the winners circle back to the clubhouse, passing right in front of us in the paddock.
Six women to make it from hand, nine men to escort it around.
I have tried in vain to find a photo of BIG BROWN in the winner's circle with the blanket of roses draped over his neck. You would think it would be the easiest thing in the world, as it is one of the traditionally famous Derby moments, but i can't find it anywhere {official site, DRF, Bloodhorse, Thoroughbred Times, ESPN, Louisville Courier Journal, all 3 local Louisville TV stations, etc}. Anyhow, if you come across a photo please let me know where I can find such a photo to add to this story.
***Update***
Thanks to commenter xprider, who hipped me to this ESPN article which tells that BIG BROWN doesn't like flowers, got a little freaked out after winning the Florida Derby when they tried to lay the blanket of orchids over his neck, so his handlers decided against laying the garland of roses around his neck. I can tell you without question that the line {emphasis mine}...
Nevin and Blum dutifully held the flowers for a moment, then dropped the blanket on the ground to join the party, leaving the most hallowed floral arrangement in sports laying on the infield for a few hours before it was rescued by a state trooper.
... is a journalistic fabrication because we saw with our own eyes the garland being escorted through the paddock about 10 minutes after the race.
Anyhow, here's the closest that's been found, with the two people to the right of the horse holding up the garland:
Now I feel sorry for those ladies at Kroger who spent over 6 hours assembling that thing by hand, although I guess it's cool that it is hanging on the side of the wall in BIG BROWN's stall in Barn 22 at CD.
***Update 2***
This article in the Louisville Courier-Journal goes into detail about the garland of roses, BIG BROWN's aversion to them, and the journey that the roses took from Kroger to Barn 22.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Kentucky Derby 134: Bonita's Big Day
Bonita had such an outstanding first Derby on Saturday that it's worth retelling.
Rollin' in the back of the Sequoia to CD with her pimped out hat
The first thing we did once inside CD was run into the Julep Man, and 2 minutes later Bonita had her first Julep.
$18 of tasty sweetness
The 7th race went off just after we arrived at the track, but once we got settled over in the paddock we went to get some bets in on the 8th race, and she made not only her first bet at the track but her first lifetime sports wager of any kind. And she did it all by herself, with no help {it's tricky saying everything correctly when you're new to it}.
If she's in Gamblers Anonymous in 5 years, this moment is to blame
She didn't win that race, but little did she realize at the time it didn't matter much at all.
Shortly thereafter, she met this dude from Scotland and got a feel for how you literally meet people from all over the world who come to CD on the 1st Saturday in May just to go to the Derby
She let him slide for being a Sir Alex Ferguson fan
Her bet on a horse named GOLDENBALLS in the 9th didn't work out either, so it was on to the Derby. She bet $5 across the board on BIG BROWN because he was the 20 horse and 20 is her favorite number. She also bet $5 to win on EIGHT BELLES because she was a girl taking on the boys. At that point I said "why don't you put them together and do a $5 exacta box with 5 and 20? Fatefully she said "OK, that sounds good."
You'll notice that as we watched the race and BIG BROWN crossed the wire first, the video goes all crazy. That's because I dropped it as I picked Bonita up, gave her a big bear hug, and said "you just won the Derby!!!".
We were on cloud nine, until about 2 minutes later when we realized that EIGHT BELLES finished 2nd and not only did she have the winner across the board but she also hit the exacta.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
BIG BROWN paid 6.80 to win, 5.00 to place and 4.80 to show for a $2 bet, so her $15 on him across the board returned $ 41.50. Furthermore, the exacta paid $141.60 for $2, so her $10 spent on the $5 exacta box turned into a nice $354, for a total return of $395.50 on $30 of wagers. Even better, she put down a pair of $20 win bets on BIG BROWN for her mama and grandma back in San Jose, respectively, so they both won as well and will be getting $68 back, each.
Very impressive that she stuck to her plan and didn't cave to the group peer pressure, as all of the rest of us were riding with Colonel John, and of all of us she knew the least about horse racing. She also gladly participated in our tradition of buying everyone a celebratory mint julep if you win big, and so instead of winding down, the party continued.
Bonita with the Julep Man
But we weren't done yet. There are 2 races after the Derby, which I call the 'Gamblers Anonymous' races, as they offer a chance for losers to try to win it all back and instead give CD more of their money. The thing is that the races are kind of crap, not stakes races but an allowance race and a maiden race, so the vast majority of the crowd starts to leave after the Derby. So as we went to the bathroom we saw the entrance for grandstand section 118, which is right near the finish line, and we decided to just walk in an act like we belonged. It worked perfectly, and the next thing you knew we were setup in a box in section 118 about 25 yards from the track. I immediately realized that this was a nice side benefit to dressing up for Derby, as we looked like we belonged, whereas the Arsenal kit untucked, shorts, and flip flop route of years past might not have got us into the high cotton section.
We went back and got everyone else, and then watched the 11th race from our new big pimpin' digs.
The queen of section 118 and her court, minus the court jester
After the 11th race, we realized that we could do even better, as the section was 60% empty, so we moved down to a box in the front row. We were now about 6 feet from the track- the only thing separating us from the outside rail was the small walkway used by jockeys and others to get from the winners circle to the walkway back to the paddock area. We were now about 20 yards from the CD finish line, and in the front row. Ballin' hard.
She must be in the front row- eat your heart out Bob Ueker
It got even better. We then watched the 12th race up close and personal, and although we all lost- a horse named FOOLISH PLEASURE won- after the winners circle ceremony, the owners walked right in front of us carrying their silver platter which they received from the track for winning. As they walked by we all offered our congratulations and I asked if I could take a picture of them with the plate. The owner took the plate from his daughter and handed it to us and said "here, you hold it!" {they were tipsy and high on life with the euphoria of winning a race at CD on Derby day}. We settled on a picture of Bonita and the owner's daughter holding up the silver plate that was inscribed with "Congratulations FOOLISH PLEASURE May 3, 2008"
How many people get to do this???
At long last the races were all over and it was time to go home. But not before we stopped off at the betting window to cash Bonita's winning tickets.
Turned $70 into $531.50 in 2 minutes, 1.86 seconds
Then as we walked past the paddock she walked down into the paddock to check it out. She was on such a roll who was going to stop her?
Shez in yer paddock takin picturzzz!
And her big day didn't end at the track. That night we all ended up at Cracker Barrell of all places, so she got to try a bunch of signature Southern foods, none of which she had ever had and some of which she had never heard of: chicken n' dumplings, fried okra, collard greens, grits, and homemade cornbread. She even played the little wooden triangle with the golf tee elimination game.
Cracker Barrel 1, Bonita's arteries 0
So suffice to say that Bonita had a pretty memorable day at her first Derby.
And yes, I know that I'm a lucky man.
And no, I don't know what she sees in me, either.
Rollin' in the back of the Sequoia to CD with her pimped out hat
The first thing we did once inside CD was run into the Julep Man, and 2 minutes later Bonita had her first Julep.
$18 of tasty sweetness
The 7th race went off just after we arrived at the track, but once we got settled over in the paddock we went to get some bets in on the 8th race, and she made not only her first bet at the track but her first lifetime sports wager of any kind. And she did it all by herself, with no help {it's tricky saying everything correctly when you're new to it}.
If she's in Gamblers Anonymous in 5 years, this moment is to blame
She didn't win that race, but little did she realize at the time it didn't matter much at all.
Shortly thereafter, she met this dude from Scotland and got a feel for how you literally meet people from all over the world who come to CD on the 1st Saturday in May just to go to the Derby
She let him slide for being a Sir Alex Ferguson fan
Her bet on a horse named GOLDENBALLS in the 9th didn't work out either, so it was on to the Derby. She bet $5 across the board on BIG BROWN because he was the 20 horse and 20 is her favorite number. She also bet $5 to win on EIGHT BELLES because she was a girl taking on the boys. At that point I said "why don't you put them together and do a $5 exacta box with 5 and 20? Fatefully she said "OK, that sounds good."
You'll notice that as we watched the race and BIG BROWN crossed the wire first, the video goes all crazy. That's because I dropped it as I picked Bonita up, gave her a big bear hug, and said "you just won the Derby!!!".
We were on cloud nine, until about 2 minutes later when we realized that EIGHT BELLES finished 2nd and not only did she have the winner across the board but she also hit the exacta.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
BIG BROWN paid 6.80 to win, 5.00 to place and 4.80 to show for a $2 bet, so her $15 on him across the board returned $ 41.50. Furthermore, the exacta paid $141.60 for $2, so her $10 spent on the $5 exacta box turned into a nice $354, for a total return of $395.50 on $30 of wagers. Even better, she put down a pair of $20 win bets on BIG BROWN for her mama and grandma back in San Jose, respectively, so they both won as well and will be getting $68 back, each.
Very impressive that she stuck to her plan and didn't cave to the group peer pressure, as all of the rest of us were riding with Colonel John, and of all of us she knew the least about horse racing. She also gladly participated in our tradition of buying everyone a celebratory mint julep if you win big, and so instead of winding down, the party continued.
Bonita with the Julep Man
But we weren't done yet. There are 2 races after the Derby, which I call the 'Gamblers Anonymous' races, as they offer a chance for losers to try to win it all back and instead give CD more of their money. The thing is that the races are kind of crap, not stakes races but an allowance race and a maiden race, so the vast majority of the crowd starts to leave after the Derby. So as we went to the bathroom we saw the entrance for grandstand section 118, which is right near the finish line, and we decided to just walk in an act like we belonged. It worked perfectly, and the next thing you knew we were setup in a box in section 118 about 25 yards from the track. I immediately realized that this was a nice side benefit to dressing up for Derby, as we looked like we belonged, whereas the Arsenal kit untucked, shorts, and flip flop route of years past might not have got us into the high cotton section.
We went back and got everyone else, and then watched the 11th race from our new big pimpin' digs.
The queen of section 118 and her court, minus the court jester
After the 11th race, we realized that we could do even better, as the section was 60% empty, so we moved down to a box in the front row. We were now about 6 feet from the track- the only thing separating us from the outside rail was the small walkway used by jockeys and others to get from the winners circle to the walkway back to the paddock area. We were now about 20 yards from the CD finish line, and in the front row. Ballin' hard.
She must be in the front row- eat your heart out Bob Ueker
It got even better. We then watched the 12th race up close and personal, and although we all lost- a horse named FOOLISH PLEASURE won- after the winners circle ceremony, the owners walked right in front of us carrying their silver platter which they received from the track for winning. As they walked by we all offered our congratulations and I asked if I could take a picture of them with the plate. The owner took the plate from his daughter and handed it to us and said "here, you hold it!" {they were tipsy and high on life with the euphoria of winning a race at CD on Derby day}. We settled on a picture of Bonita and the owner's daughter holding up the silver plate that was inscribed with "Congratulations FOOLISH PLEASURE May 3, 2008"
How many people get to do this???
At long last the races were all over and it was time to go home. But not before we stopped off at the betting window to cash Bonita's winning tickets.
Turned $70 into $531.50 in 2 minutes, 1.86 seconds
Then as we walked past the paddock she walked down into the paddock to check it out. She was on such a roll who was going to stop her?
Shez in yer paddock takin picturzzz!
And her big day didn't end at the track. That night we all ended up at Cracker Barrell of all places, so she got to try a bunch of signature Southern foods, none of which she had ever had and some of which she had never heard of: chicken n' dumplings, fried okra, collard greens, grits, and homemade cornbread. She even played the little wooden triangle with the golf tee elimination game.
Cracker Barrel 1, Bonita's arteries 0
So suffice to say that Bonita had a pretty memorable day at her first Derby.
And yes, I know that I'm a lucky man.
And no, I don't know what she sees in me, either.
Eight Belles, R.I.P.
Some shots from the not at all fun part of Saturday.
Trainer Larry Jones leading EIGHT BELLES into the paddock area.
We were about 8 feet away from her, and my God what a beautiful animal she was. She was also the biggest filly I have ever seen. Normally fillies are visibally smaller than colts, but she was as big as if not bigger than most of the boys. Unlike most women on Craigslist claiming it, she was really and truly a BBW.
Jockey Gabriel Saez leads EIGHT BELLES out to the track
I'm a bit of a lefty, but I want to take a minute to say what a stupid bunch of ignorant glory hunting douchebags the folks over at PETA are for coming out and demanding that Gabriel Saez be suspended for "killing" EIGHT BELLES. I guess I missed the part where he pulled out his machete and slit her throat after crossing the wire. The fact that they would seek the spotlight without as much as taking the time to ask anyone who knows anything at all about horse racing before saying such ignorant shit as she was "doubtlessly injured before the finish" among other complete ignorant things. They have absolutely no idea what they are talking about and are just using a tragic accident to seek the spotlight and glamorize themselves, and as someone who is pretty into horse racing, it pisses me off. So eat a dick, PETA.
I also want to say that it was very classy and thoughtful for NBC track reporter Donna Brothers to pick Saez up on the track and give him a ride back around the track and through the paddock to the jockey's room. Brothers was right there on the scene and is visibly shaken up, as was Saez, but he was still gracious enough to toss one of his pairs of goggles to a fan as they went past us.
As we left the track it felt eerie looking over at the stall in the paddock where she saddled up, which was now completely empty, in more ways than one.
What an empty feeling
I don't want to write a book about all the ethical questions floating around right now, but this was an accident and it happens in horse racing all the time, albeit 99% of the time not when millions of people are watching but rather a few hundred. FYI the statistics available show that there are between 1.5 and 2 fatalities per 1000 starts in thoroughbred horse racing in the United States. I would be interested to see how that compared to boxing, wrestling, or the newly popular mixed martial arts and ultimate fighting.
At the end of the day, no one "killed" EIGHT BELLES, she misstepped and broke down, and as cold as it is to say it, it is a part of racing. You are talking about 1600 pound animals who run 35 miles per hour and whose ankles are the same size as yours and mine. Think about that for a minute and let that sink in.
The problem lies not in what most people are talking about, the problem lies in the breeding of thoroughbreds. Years ago they were bred for strength, stamina and speed, but the last few decades they have been bred purely for speed and speed only, and as a result the entire breed has become even more fragile. Why? Because with syndication in the 70s there is now so many hundreds of millions of dollars in the breeding industry, that they want speed, speed, speed. The breed has been inbred too much to accomplish this, and the result is the we inevitably will see more fatal breakdowns because the breed just keeps getting less strong and more fragile with each passing generation. The introduction of synthetic racing surfaces seems to be cutting way down on fatal breakdowns, and I truly believe that we will see the Kentucky Derby run on a synthetic track in our lifetimes. But the only way to really address the situation is through breeding, and like with so many other things in this world there seems to be so much money at stake that those who control it will likely never change, as they are making too many millions of dollars doing what they are doing and are unlikely to fundamentally change and make less money in order to do the right thing for the breed as a whole.
It's tragic and I know alot of non-horse racing people like to poke fun at it, just like they did in backlash to the Barbaro media circus, but people in racing get very emotionally attached to these animals and it is heartbreaking to see them suffer and even die. Hell we're just racing fans and 3 different dudes in our group had tears in our eyes, myself included, when the word swept through CD on Saturday- I cannot even imagine the emotions felt by those really close to the animal- the people who bred her, who raised her, who broke her, who worked with her every day, who trained her, and who owned her, and that they all went from total & complete euphoria for the animal to utter and complete sadness & loss in the span of about 2 minutes. Imagine your dog dying when you were a kid and then multiply that by a 1000 or so. And no I don't want to see zoomed in still images or shots from the blimp cam and get all Joe Theisman with it; there's no point- it's just another instance of unnecessary injury porn.
And people snark about the owners being millionaires and making money off the horses. Look, most people in the racing game are already millionaires, and each and every one of them would rather that any of their horses would never win a dollar and be healthy than sacrifice their lives to win them a bunch of money.
After the Barbaro thing, as well as some other breakdowns in the last few years, including George Washington in last year's Breeders Cup Classic, I have changed my prerace thought pattern from "man I hope my horse wins" to "I just hope that they all get around safely and get out of the race healthy".
R.I.P. EIGHT BELLES, a beautiful champion filly who lost her life doing what she loved, and doing it well.
Trainer Larry Jones leading EIGHT BELLES into the paddock area.
We were about 8 feet away from her, and my God what a beautiful animal she was. She was also the biggest filly I have ever seen. Normally fillies are visibally smaller than colts, but she was as big as if not bigger than most of the boys. Unlike most women on Craigslist claiming it, she was really and truly a BBW.
Jockey Gabriel Saez leads EIGHT BELLES out to the track
I'm a bit of a lefty, but I want to take a minute to say what a stupid bunch of ignorant glory hunting douchebags the folks over at PETA are for coming out and demanding that Gabriel Saez be suspended for "killing" EIGHT BELLES. I guess I missed the part where he pulled out his machete and slit her throat after crossing the wire. The fact that they would seek the spotlight without as much as taking the time to ask anyone who knows anything at all about horse racing before saying such ignorant shit as she was "doubtlessly injured before the finish" among other complete ignorant things. They have absolutely no idea what they are talking about and are just using a tragic accident to seek the spotlight and glamorize themselves, and as someone who is pretty into horse racing, it pisses me off. So eat a dick, PETA.
I also want to say that it was very classy and thoughtful for NBC track reporter Donna Brothers to pick Saez up on the track and give him a ride back around the track and through the paddock to the jockey's room. Brothers was right there on the scene and is visibly shaken up, as was Saez, but he was still gracious enough to toss one of his pairs of goggles to a fan as they went past us.
As we left the track it felt eerie looking over at the stall in the paddock where she saddled up, which was now completely empty, in more ways than one.
What an empty feeling
I don't want to write a book about all the ethical questions floating around right now, but this was an accident and it happens in horse racing all the time, albeit 99% of the time not when millions of people are watching but rather a few hundred. FYI the statistics available show that there are between 1.5 and 2 fatalities per 1000 starts in thoroughbred horse racing in the United States. I would be interested to see how that compared to boxing, wrestling, or the newly popular mixed martial arts and ultimate fighting.
At the end of the day, no one "killed" EIGHT BELLES, she misstepped and broke down, and as cold as it is to say it, it is a part of racing. You are talking about 1600 pound animals who run 35 miles per hour and whose ankles are the same size as yours and mine. Think about that for a minute and let that sink in.
The problem lies not in what most people are talking about, the problem lies in the breeding of thoroughbreds. Years ago they were bred for strength, stamina and speed, but the last few decades they have been bred purely for speed and speed only, and as a result the entire breed has become even more fragile. Why? Because with syndication in the 70s there is now so many hundreds of millions of dollars in the breeding industry, that they want speed, speed, speed. The breed has been inbred too much to accomplish this, and the result is the we inevitably will see more fatal breakdowns because the breed just keeps getting less strong and more fragile with each passing generation. The introduction of synthetic racing surfaces seems to be cutting way down on fatal breakdowns, and I truly believe that we will see the Kentucky Derby run on a synthetic track in our lifetimes. But the only way to really address the situation is through breeding, and like with so many other things in this world there seems to be so much money at stake that those who control it will likely never change, as they are making too many millions of dollars doing what they are doing and are unlikely to fundamentally change and make less money in order to do the right thing for the breed as a whole.
It's tragic and I know alot of non-horse racing people like to poke fun at it, just like they did in backlash to the Barbaro media circus, but people in racing get very emotionally attached to these animals and it is heartbreaking to see them suffer and even die. Hell we're just racing fans and 3 different dudes in our group had tears in our eyes, myself included, when the word swept through CD on Saturday- I cannot even imagine the emotions felt by those really close to the animal- the people who bred her, who raised her, who broke her, who worked with her every day, who trained her, and who owned her, and that they all went from total & complete euphoria for the animal to utter and complete sadness & loss in the span of about 2 minutes. Imagine your dog dying when you were a kid and then multiply that by a 1000 or so. And no I don't want to see zoomed in still images or shots from the blimp cam and get all Joe Theisman with it; there's no point- it's just another instance of unnecessary injury porn.
And people snark about the owners being millionaires and making money off the horses. Look, most people in the racing game are already millionaires, and each and every one of them would rather that any of their horses would never win a dollar and be healthy than sacrifice their lives to win them a bunch of money.
After the Barbaro thing, as well as some other breakdowns in the last few years, including George Washington in last year's Breeders Cup Classic, I have changed my prerace thought pattern from "man I hope my horse wins" to "I just hope that they all get around safely and get out of the race healthy".
R.I.P. EIGHT BELLES, a beautiful champion filly who lost her life doing what she loved, and doing it well.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The 134th Kentucky Derby: Our View
Here's the Derby as seen from the paddock with the always excellent on track announcer {Durkin does the call for NBC but the permanent CD announcer does all the calls at the track, even the Derby}.
Don't mind the moron who says "looks like he's {BB} laboring a bit"
as they cross the wire the first time. Focus on the genius who says
"he's {BB} a fucking freak" at the top of the stretch.
No we didn't see it live, because there are only 51,000 seats at Churchill Downs but there were 157,700 people at Derby this year, and we don't roll in the high cotton like that {read: grandstand tickets are fucking expensive}.
Also, note the flags in that video. That's the reason the finishing time wasn't super fast- 2:01.82 - because the horses ran directly into that significant headwind twice, first from the gate to the first turn and then again down the stretch. So if, IF, Big Brown goes on to be some sort of horse racing legend, and someone years from now tries to act all smart and say "yeah, but his Derby was slow", then you can call that person out and everyone will look at you like you really know what you are talking about, which if you are like me, would be nice for a change.
Don't mind the moron who says "looks like he's {BB} laboring a bit"
as they cross the wire the first time. Focus on the genius who says
"he's {BB} a fucking freak" at the top of the stretch.
No we didn't see it live, because there are only 51,000 seats at Churchill Downs but there were 157,700 people at Derby this year, and we don't roll in the high cotton like that {read: grandstand tickets are fucking expensive}.
Also, note the flags in that video. That's the reason the finishing time wasn't super fast- 2:01.82 - because the horses ran directly into that significant headwind twice, first from the gate to the first turn and then again down the stretch. So if, IF, Big Brown goes on to be some sort of horse racing legend, and someone years from now tries to act all smart and say "yeah, but his Derby was slow", then you can call that person out and everyone will look at you like you really know what you are talking about, which if you are like me, would be nice for a change.
Behind The Scenes With Big Brown At Derby 134
Here he is walking into the paddock to get saddled up. On the way in he stopped in front of us and laid a massive big brown himself.
Big Brown is led into the paddock to gear up
And here is is walking back out to the track during the playing of "My Old Kentucky Home"
Desormeaux leads Big Brown from the paddock to the track
Something I have never seen: on walk out, Desormeaux had to circle Big Brown 5 or 6 times, and as he was the final horse there was a huge crowd behind him- everyone else inside the rails in the paddock. Later we learned that the 18 horse, Recapturetheglory, had thrown his rider and this was the cause of the delay. Anyhow, despite the chaotic circumstances, and so many people so close to him, Big Brown remained calm, cool, and collected- very impressive.
And about 10 minutes after that, he ran into the history books as the winner of the 134th Kentucky Derby, and only the 7th undefeated Derby winner.
Big Brown is led into the paddock to gear up
And here is is walking back out to the track during the playing of "My Old Kentucky Home"
Desormeaux leads Big Brown from the paddock to the track
Something I have never seen: on walk out, Desormeaux had to circle Big Brown 5 or 6 times, and as he was the final horse there was a huge crowd behind him- everyone else inside the rails in the paddock. Later we learned that the 18 horse, Recapturetheglory, had thrown his rider and this was the cause of the delay. Anyhow, despite the chaotic circumstances, and so many people so close to him, Big Brown remained calm, cool, and collected- very impressive.
And about 10 minutes after that, he ran into the history books as the winner of the 134th Kentucky Derby, and only the 7th undefeated Derby winner.
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