The horses & post positions were released tonight, time for me to start studying the horses. Last year I hit a trifecta & won almost $900.
Last couple years I would watch a lot if the prep races, this year I saw Fierceness run once and that is it. I think this year if I wager I will use a local radio host’s picks. I won a $5500 superfecta doing that once.
We do a neighborhood pool where you're drawn a gate number then find out your horse later. I have #11, Forever Young, who doubles as a terrible Rod Stewart song. I highly suggest attending the Derby live if you have never been. It's an absolute blast and impossible for you to be the worst dressed person.
I have decided on Sierra Leone But surprisingly cannot find anything Derby related on my site despite being given two random free bets Trifecta no order: Fierceness/Forever Young/Domestic Product Exacta: Encino/Grand Mo Hopefully tomorrow or early Saturday the full field shows up
Fierceness could be a monster. Won the Florida Derby (that prep race has produced the most Ky Derby winners in history) by 13 lengths, but he seems to be a good race/bad race sort of horse, and lost by 20 lengths last year in the Champagne in the slop at Aqueduct. Could be an off track Saturday depending on how much rain they get in the morning—will definitely be wet tomorrow for the Oaks (filly version of the Derby). If Fierceness doesn't like the off track or breaks poorly, it could set up for Sierra Leone. That horse's trainer, Chad Brown, will definitely win this race someday. I'm interested in the three horses coming out of the Louisiana Derby, Catching Freedom, Track Phantom and Honor Marie. They were beaten by Sierra Leone in the Risen Star, but one of them could certainly turn the tables on Saturday. But, that's only if Fierceness doesn't fire. That's a big if. As for the two Japanese horses, I'll have to see it to believe it. Forever Young has logged more airline miles than Henry Kissinger, but does come in undefeated. Of course, the elephant in the room is the absence of Bob Baffert, the winningest trainer in Ky Derby history. He was once again banned from the race over the positive drug test of the 2021 winner Medina Spirit. It had originally been only a two year ban, but the Churchill brass got an injunction blocking Baffert again. I heard Randy Moss speculate that Churchill kept Baffert out because this is the 150th Run for the Roses and they didn't want to have to give the trophy to a supposed cheater on such a monumental anniversary. I've always loved Bob, but his act has grown tiresome over the years. Nevertheless, he will be waiting in the wings with his colt Muth (Arkansas Derby winner), who will run at Pimlico in the Preakness and could well spoil any horses' chance for a triple crown—however, Fierceness did beat Muth by six lengths last November in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile. If those two hook up in Maryland, it could be an epic race. Sorry if your eyes glazed over during my post. I could write far more, but won't bore you further. I've been a degenerate horse player for longer than most of you have been alive. Anyway, hope you all have fun no matter how you're watching the race or if you'll actually be in attendance in Louisville (I'll be on my computer looking at the Twinspires feed). Finally, if any of you readers would like something fun to peruse, check out Hunter S. Thompson's brilliant lampoon of the 1970 Derby. http://brianb.freeshell.org/a/kddd.pdf
I know nothing of horseracing, but I am always fascinated with the names of the horses! I wonder how or why the names were chosen.
So it looks like like Just a Touch will be my pick. Exacta Box that with Sierra Leone. MrsBrew always likes Eddie Olycyk's picks I see now he has CatchingFreedom as his and a Sierral Leone Exacta so she (I) will be doing that as well Edit: My local radio host has his trifecta pick 2-8 with 2-8-11 with all ($36 at a $.50 bet) so I will give that a try and hope for Forever Young to place. and maybe switch my exacta to a 2-8-11 Exacta some way (2-8 0ver 2-8-11)
Well, names are at the owner's whim, but in many cases they are an offshoot of the names given the sires (fathers) and dams (mothers) of the horse. For example, Honor Marie is named such because his sire was named Honor Code and the dam was named Dame Marie. Another Derby entry is named Catching Freedom because his sire was Constitution. There are also two "Just" horses, Just a Touch and Just Steel, because their sire was triple crown winner Justify. In recent years the names of sports players have been used, especially hockey. Nyquist, named after Gustav Nyquist, won the Derby a few years back and Baffert had a horse named Messier for Mark Messier. A good friend had a nice horse that won about $200k that she named Tule Fog, mostly because he was gray and she went to college in Fresno where that type of fog is prevalent in the winter.
I hate to be so chalky but my top picks are Sierra Leone Catching Freedom Honor Marie Forever Young Fierceness Possible long shots are Mystic Dan and Resilience
Realized today online horse racing betting is legal in MN, so went with a win for Forever Young and a Forever Young/Mystic Dan/Sierra Leone trifecta.
So I figured out why I can't bet. It's a Canadian thing. Sports betting is controlled by one gov't agency. Horse and dog betting is controlled by a different gov't agency. They don't play well with each other so no horses on my sites.
Somehow forgot that the Derby is 5 hrs of talking heads and 2 mins of actual racing. And of course I picked Program Trading to win the turf club at 4-1 sans actual betting
