I am digging around in the SI Vault today. I was wondering when was the last time a jockey made the cover of SI. It's been a while, almost twenty years since Julie Krone was featured.
There have been ten covers with jockey profiles, Hartack and Cauthen made the cover twice.
If you haven't visited the Sports Illustrated Vault (thanks to Jessica at Railbird for making me aware of it) and you are a student of horse racing history, you are really missing something.
Here's one of the very few articles I could find on the upset winner of the 1972 Preakness Bee Bee Bee . Bee Bee Bee was the terror of Timonium, he once won a race there by 17 lengths but that meant little before he went up against Riva Ridge, Key To The Mint and No Le Hace in the Preakness with the equally obscure Eldon Nelson aboard.
Worse than finding an article about this relatively recent Preakness, for the life of me I have never been able to find a picture of Bee Bee Bee anywhere on line, an obscurity he does not deserve as any racing fan, long in the tooth, like me knows.
Casino Drive impresses by winning the Peter Pan in just his second start and will try to win the Belmont in his third. The pedigree says yes but once again I smell a reckless owner.
Big Brown wins the Kentucky Derby in his fourth and will try to win the Triple Crown undefeated in six, Seattle Slew did it in nine starts. Is it reckless? Could very well be.
Eight Belles dies, at the hands of a reckless owner, trying to win the Kentucky Derby coming off wins in the Fantasy and Honeybee Stakes, two widely recognized Derby preps.
Are fast Beyers all that count? Not according to Beyer in this column he wrote last year .
So why do fillies appear so rarely in the U.S. Triple Crown races? Many years
ago I talked with the late trainer Angel Penna -- who twice won the Arc de
Triomphe with fillies -- about gender in thoroughbred racing. His explanation
was a revelation. Just as with adolescent boys and girls, Penna said, young
horses develop at different rates. As 2-year-olds, colts and fillies are
relatively equal in strength. But by the spring of their 3-year-old year, the
colts have spurted ahead in their development. The fillies don't catch up until
the fall. Penna's theory has held true over the years. Female
racehorses can beat males late in their 3-year-old season or when they are
older
Misinformation, common sense and cops with binoculars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lk4l1UIjzo
It's going to get nasty.
I took a stroll through the PETA website this morning, the headlines cover everything from anal electrocution of foxes and chinchillas to make fur coats to the "killing" of Eight Belles.
There are storm clouds forming over the Preakness, PETA is planning protests and people like this PETA member who paid Gabriel Saez a visit at Delaware Park are likely to be there.
I am a member of Peta; Today May5th,I was at delaware race track To call Jocky
of eight bells horse killer. asst,trainer called me stupid an to shut up.he also
told me to craw under a rock and die. I said some choice words back .these are
the type of people that are takeing care and making decisions on where they run.
I only pray that something is done to stop this curelty
OK, so the spelling and punctuation could be better (who am I to point a finger there) but this is the kind of fervor that is a major public relations nightmare for the sport.
Here are a few excerpts from comments on a posting called Time to Rein in the KHRA that highlight some of the extremes on both sides, as well as some sobering comments from people in the industry.
***
This one has nothing good to say about Churchill Downs but offers an interesting way PETA might get involved in getting the track surface changed at Churchill Downs. Who knows maybe this guy works for the gaming industry:
I live in Lexington, Kentucky, am an avid horse racing fan, and on many
levels disappointed with Chruchill Downs. They epitomize corporate greed in
virtually everything they do.I too agree poly or cushion track should be mandated. Keeneland Race Course and Turfway Park have already installed the surface. Churchill Downs for many reasons is resistant saying the main reason is the ‘tradition’ surrounding the Kentucky Derby.
You may not know this, but one of the most traditional portions of the Kentucky Derby is the singing of My Old Kentucky Home, the State song. However, in order to be politically correct the song was change to rewrite the words “the darkies are gay” as it is demeaning towards African Americans. A song older than the Kentucky Derby can be changed to come into the mainstream, yet the surface the horses run on
cannot.If you want to be effective on this issue, you need know what is the motivating factor to those you are trying to court. Expanded Gaming. The Governor is trying to run legislation to allow for a constitutional amendment, which would allow for slot machines at all race tracks and selected other sites. Unfortunately, opposition is stalling his vision to add needed revenue to a strapped budget.
I have to believe if PETA supported the Governor’s expanded gaming legislation, which allowed for a gaming license and a share of gaming revenues for tracks which installed and raced on poly track would become a very economically motivating factor for Churchill Downs.
My guess is 30 days after legislation passed; a new surface would be under construction… Identify what you want, plan a strategy and execute. You can get what you want here; you just need to know how to leverage your support.
***
I love this one from a woman who sounded pretty knowledgeable otherwise:
The greatest horse of the last century, Man O' War, was not technically a full blooded Thoroughbred.
Huh?
***
This one is sadly naive:
What PETA should be fighting is how a veterinarian is giving a diagnosis of a
horse in two minutes right on the track and than administering euthanasia to the
horse. The horse should be given some type of pain meds, brought in an ambulance
to a clinic and given a full prognosis. If there is nothing the vets can do
there, than putting the horse down is a viable option. Putting a horse down with
a white cape right down on the track is the inhumane of carrying out there
business
Yeah, so Eight Belles should suffer for another two hours while they X-ray her two broken ankles and then euthanize her! Now that one is plain dumb.
***
The theme of not racing or riding two year olds comes up repeated especially from people who seem to know something about horses:
The main reason for the injuries is the simple fact that THEY RIDE THEM MUCH
TOO YOUNG! Horse have growth plates in their legs, and should not be ridden
before 2 years of age. Not even then if their plates aren't sufficiently closed.
It's like putting a soldier's pack on a kid of about 6 years of age, since we
figure one year of human life is equal to 4 years in an equine's life. So many
of the horses "break down" in one way or another mainly because they're just not
mature enough physically, or mentally,***
A former disgruntled jockey:
I was a jockey for many years and you people are crazy to blame the rider.
He/or she is not to blame at all. Put the blame squarely where it belongs, on
the trainer. Horses tell them when something is wrong and they do not listen.
They pump them full of drugs and mask them with other drugs so it does not
appear in their urine tests. All the trainers want is that "one more race" and
they could care less. They treat them like machines and there is always another
waiting in the wings. I could tell many horror stories from behind the scenes of
racing but there is not enough room on here
***
Exceller and Ferdinard are proof of what this lady is saying:
Horse racing needs to come to terms with the unacceptably high loss of life
on the racetrack, both during races and training hours, its abusive use of
medication (Eight Belles ran on adjunct medication & lasix), and it's total
lack of concern that the majority of these horses will go to slaughter after
they have run their guts out for their owners and fans. The United Pegasus
Foundation has saved many millionaire horses from feed lots. It has gone on for
too long and I pray that the loss of this great filly, Eight Belles helps to
turn this sport around
***
Hmmm...true but probably a coincidence(maybe):
I believe that Rick Porter the Owner of Eight Belles, also owned Round
Pond. I seem to remember that Round Pond broke down too.
***
This one makes it sound like someone should write a tragic opera called "Eight Belles".
Excuse Mr/Ms Commenter. dying on the track is not glorious:
Eight Belles went out in glory. She died doing what she was born to do, she
was running because she loved it, and all of her instincts told her she should
try her hardest to win that race.
After reading the large numbers of articles today about that freak accident at Churchill Downs the other day, I am beginning to think that Derby 134 may very well turn out to be racing’s equivalent of Chernobyl or the near meltdown at Three Mile Island (TMI).
The aftermath of TMI turned the tide of public opinion against nuclear energy, it was that change in public opinion by a public that had not paid much attention to nuclear power before that still affects America’s energy policy today.
The management at TMI reassured everyone that they were aware of the problem, there was no imminent danger, and that they could fix it. The truth was they didn’t have a clue how much damage was done and no idea how to fix it.
I think racing has reached the point of critical mass, that point in time, that we all knew was coming, where drugs, commercial breeding practices and the arrogance of the industry has caused a reaction that cannot be stopped.
Will the next high profile breakdown very well cause a meltdown?
I think if you took a Geiger counter onto the backstretch at Churchill Downs where Eight Belles went down, you might very well hear it clicking.
Churchill Downs and the industry don’t know how much damage has been done and they don’t know how to fix it. Industry leaders make these statements about assessing synthetic tracks and they consider banning drugs but it’s too little too late, it's obvious they are clueless.
The fact that you can't bet Churchill Downs on a ADW owned by Churchill Downs speaks volumes about how the interested parties in this industry work together.
As a fan of almost 40 years I think major damage has already been done and they’d better act quickly before Churchill Downs comes to be known as Chernobyl Downs.
They Thought Greenpeace Were a Bunch of Loonies Too
I notice how dismissive many in the racing community are of the recent actions of PETA.
Don’t get me wrong, a lot of what they are saying shows a great ignorance of the industry but I remember when most people thought Greenpeace were a bunch of loonies too.
I remember the news footage of just five or six people in a boat rushing out to quietly protest underwater nuclear testing or whale hunting. But if you look at the results they were able to produce by influencing public opinion through the media you would not laugh so quickly at the 12 people protesting in front of the KHRA.
Just the fact that they managed to get 25 000 names on an electronic petition in 48 hours gives you an idea of the number of people aligned against the sport. Just take a look at our petition for changes to the Breeders Cup, under 200 signature in a matter of months. What does that tell you?
It tells me they are better organized and better at influencing public opinion than you give them credit for. And greater damage will be done when PETA protests at the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes and if there is an injury or a breakdown in either one of those races put your lead-lined Fruit of the Looms on , you are going to need them.
Warning: This is an attempt at satire. It pokes fun at two well-known columnists, their head shots and the bloggers who gossip about them, ad nauseum , in private e-mail streams.
Girl, did you read Ray Paulick’s article today on ESPN.com , let me tell you he was talking some trash about those nice folks at IEAH who own Big Brown and who by an accident of birth have names that happen to end in I and O. He didn’t come right out and say it but honey I was having Soprano flashbacks before I finished reading it.
You know I worry about Ray. I worried about him every since he left (got fired?) from that editor-in-chief gig he had at the Blood Horse. I worried that he couldn’t find another job and that he’d have to apply for unemployment (by the way Ray somebody at the Blood Horse still hits that’s posting with regularity, who did you piss off there?) And now I worry that Ray has totally lost it, look at that picture of him on ESPN.com. Girl, he’s looks like he’s been out in the sun too much, use some sun block, the sun is nothing to play with. And speaking of things you shouldn't play with he should watch out what he says, he can’t imply things like that, someone might take offense.
And girl that poor Paul Moran, my blogging buddy Patrick called him a moron, because of that nice article he wrote about that awful Rick Porter. I guess calling him a moron was some kind of clever play on words, I didn’t get it.
But I defended Paul, yes I did, I said he had a valid point calling that man arrogant, now half the TBA thinks I am a moron too but I don’t care.
Paul is OK with me, even though he comes off as an elitist, honey I can't make up my mind who's more of an elitist, him or Obama.
Whatever, I don’t mind and I don’t mind that he deletes comments on his blog that he does not like. I really need someone to look up to now after the way Paulick has been acting.
But I wish Paul would change that picture on his blog, really honey it is awful, he looks pained or constipated or something, I can’t decide which but it is not flattering at all.
Britney Spears needs one, some of those people at PETA may need one and personally I think George Bush could benefit immensely from daily sessions. Here we are two days after the Derby and there are more than a few fans who are wondering if they need one. Why do we love a game that at times appears to be so cruel?
Derby 134 with its fatal breakdown, notorious winning trainer and the additional damage done to the game's image, makes me want to find a shrink who can explain to me why I love a game that hurts this much.
Am I a masochist? I don't think so, I don't own one piece of black leather. Ok, I have a black leather belt but I only use it to hold up my pants.
Yeah I listened to Ian Drury and the Blockheads a lot in the 70s and I loved “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick( It’s Nice to Be a Lunatic)" but that can't be it. Am I in an emotionally abusive relationship with a horse?
Well if this is an abusive relationship, give me another whack because I am staying in it.
Why, because I get some kind of intangible satisfaction that I can’t put my finger on.
It’s not enlightenment, anyone who reads this blog knows that but it is almost Zen-like.
So maybe I do need a psychiatrist but one thing I know for sure is that in just his fourth start, breaking from a post position on Central Avenue with 150, 0000 people screaming in his ears, going five wide all the way around and stepping on the rest of the field much like you step on a cockroach, Big Brown does not need one.
The Philadelphia Enquirer put Big Brown’s picture on the front of the sports section, at the bottom! Mercifully they put the picture of Eight Belles breakdown inside.
That tells you how much respect and interest the press has for racing here in Philadelphia. The headline in the sports section was something about the Philadelphia Flyers making the final four.
I will say this although I risk the ire of Alan and Teresa but hockey is a stupid game in my opinion, it’s just a bunch of guys who look like they got a load in their “depends” skating around elbowing each other and getting offended about it. It actually might be more interesting if they did have a load in their pants.
I can only compare yesterday to when someone has a heart attack and dies at a wedding, all you can do is look on the spectacle, dumbfounded and helpless.
The pall is starting to lift here.
I actually made money on the Derby, I had 20 bucks to win on Big Brown and I had the $1 exacta which paid $70. The Derby is one of those few races where you can key the favorite at 5-2 with all and still have a good chance of making a nice profit.
My sense of humor is also returning, I have strength to start picking on Todd again, that always cheers me up.
What explains some of the really bad performances yesterday, Monba finished last, not only did Todd get his sad hat trick (three last place finishes in a row), but Monba did it in a spectacular fashion , beaten almost 50 lengths.
I am all for the Blue Grass being relegated to a Grade 2 after yesterday, in spite of its' illustrious history. While they are at it they might as well downgrade the Santa Anita Derby too, if you look at the chart for the Derby, the poly prep winners all performed dismally.
Even Edgar picked the wrong horse, yes Adriano outperformed Monba but both were getting a good look at the behind of that turtle called Tale of Ekati.
I hate to admit it but the Florida Derby has now become the most important prep with both Barbaro and Big Brown using it as a springboard to the Derby. The big question is whether Gulfstream will be open next spring so that can run it.
Shane Sellers appearance on the Today show was postponed for reasons unknown to me but Trish Psarreas told me it was rescheduled for this morning or tomorrow morning.
I expected to read more about Eight Belles than Big Brown in the blogs this morning and I was not surprised but the lack of enthusiasm for Big Brown, the horse not the trainer, is curious and disappointing. Do not let your disdain for Dutrow blind you to the brilliance of this colt.
What we saw yesterday was historic assuming this is not 1968 all over again. We have, in my opinion, seen one of the greatest horses to ever look through a bridle. For this colt to equal Regret's and Clyde Van Dusen's accomplishments in an age where 40,000 foals are born each year is nothing short of incredible. Is this a weak crop? In my opinion undoubtedly yes and forgive me for saying this but the fact that the gallant filly Eight Belles finished second confirms it, if you distain Dutrow, save some of your distain for the greedy Porter and Jones who threw a very good grade two winning filly to the wolves.
So drink your Kool-Aid like I did bloggers and enjoy the ride, you may just see something that has not been done since 1978.
They toll for me and anyone who loves this game.
How many more days like this can this sport survive?
Is this the sport of kings or a cruel and primitive blood sport like cock fighting?
Porter and Jones murdered that filly, it wasn't a freak accident, if it wasn't murder it was a form involuntary manslaughter, to me it was criminal.
Shall we build a mausoleum at the gates of Churchill Downs for Barbaro, Eight Belles and the next one?
Is the breed being destroyed for the sake of speed?
Barbaro, George Washington and Pine Island and Eight Belles, read the writing on the wall.
No Respect:
Tale of Ekati at 35-1, I can't remember the last time a Wood winner saw these kind of odds. Slow time or not he did beat War Pass didn't he?
Gayego at 19-1 out of post 19. . hmmm. Post is tough but if he was in the 10 hole he would be 8-1. Seems a little weird, he did win the Arkansas Derby didn't he and beat Z Fortune who is 18-1?
Proper Respect:
Anak Nakal and Z Humor at 60-1, seems right.
The more Bailey talks, the more I like Big Brown. He just picked Colonel John to beat Big Brown by a half a length.
Did you know that Buzzard's Bay and Flashy Bull failed from post 20? The more they talk, the more I like Big Brown.
I am loving the ads for the Adena Racing Ventures ads, Frank selling it to the masses of course the ad doesn't mention the 103 million he lost for MEC in the last few years. I actually like the Hank Goldberg skits with Hank and his change purse at the window.
West Point Thoroughbreds is noticebly absent in the entries so far today.
TwinSpires.com servers are performing well, no problem since you can only bet races 9 and 10 online. Philly PhoneBet servers are crashing under the traffic, can't get a bet in online.
Losing money so far here I was alive in the Pick 6 with Elite Squadron but Todd just got me in the La Troienne.
Jeanine is interviewing Todd who says he sneaking in under the radar this year. He's sneaky all right in more ways than one, the hair was perfect as usual not a follicle rustled in the breeze. He tried to crack a smile at the end of interview but he couldn't manage it; what a cold fish, give me a Dutrow interview any day.
From The Racing Post
HENRYTHENAVIGATOR became trainer Aidan O'Brien's fifth winner of the 2,000 Guineas this afternoon, denying hot favourite New Approach by a nose in the 200th running of the colts' Classic at Newmarket.
In the process, the son of Kingmambo ensured a terrific start for the new O'Brien-Johnny Murtagh partnership.
Murtagh, winning his second 2,000 Guineas following Rock Of Gibraltar, also for O'Brien, in 2002, came to challenge the long-time leader New Approach at the 1f pole, and held on to score, despite the runner-up's never-say-die attitude.
Watch out where the Huskies go and don’t eat the yellow snowSome good advice from Frank Zappa, it’s short and sweet, it’s sound advice, and it’s common sense and with that being said, I say don't ignore the obvious like I did with Barbaro and Smarty Jones.
As you may know by now, handicapping the Derby ain't easy.
That's why you may have noticed that I refrain from subjecting you (as much as humanly possible) to how I have come up with my many Derby winners (Charismatic, Monarchos, the list goes on and on). Figures, fractions, track surfaces, post positions, please . . all you can do is make an educated guess.
That's why while I had the opportunity, I figured I'd ask someone who has actually ridden in the Kentucky Derby (14 times to be exact) who he thinks will win this year's edition of the Classic.
So I asked Trish Psarreas, the co-author of Shane's Sellers new book Freedom's Rein, if she would ask Shane if he wouldn’t mind guest blogging here on Not To The Swift.
As you already know I am not shy and besides that I have no shame but after reading this post with it's shameless plugs for Shane's appearance on the Today Show Saturday morning and his new book I, for one, am in a state of shock.
Thanks guys!!
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When John approached Shane Sellers and me (Tricia Psarreas) to write a guest posting on his blog, we were elated. We both love The Race Is Not Always to the Swift, so this seemed like a very cool opportunity. But alas, Shane is in New York City right now getting ready for his appearance on Saturday morning’s The Today Show, so we had to do things a bit differently. Plus, John is the blogger around here, so we’re going to leave the blogging to him and just share what we do best: one of our typical phone conversations.
Trish: So Shane, Derby is coming and there’s only one thing on people’s minds: Are you ready to go on The Today Show Saturday morning?
Shane: That was a shameless plug if I ever heard one. (laughs)
Trish: It sure was, but when it comes to The Today Show, I’m pretty shameless. (laughs) Okay, not that I got that out of my system, the real question on everyone’s minds is who do you think is going to win this year’s Derby?
Shane: Well, that’s a tough question. If you read my book (not you, Trish), you’ll see that Calvin Borel is my top pick when it comes to almost anything. That man can ride.
Trish: Plus, the nickname Calvin Bo-Rail is just as clever as any of the horse’s names.
Shane: (laughs) Now don’t you start making wagers based on fun names again.
Trish: (laughs) Lesson learned! As far as riding abilities go, I think you’re definitely right about Calvin. But what are the chances of him winning two years in a row?
Shane: Now you’re thinking. It could happen, but the odds of winning Derby twice in a row are slim.
Trish: So who do you think will be his top contender?
Shane: If I had to put my money on it, I’d bet on Shaun Bridgmohan riding on Pyro because of Steve Asmussen. Or maybe Robby Albarado on Z Fortune because of Steve Asmussen.
Trish: So basically, you’re just all about Steve Asmussen. (laughs)
Shane: (laughs) I sure am. I leave the gambling up to you, Trish, but if I put my money on it, it would be either on Calvin or one of Steve’s horses.
Trish: Thanks for the tip, Shane. I may have to put my money where your mouth is now. (laughs)
Shane: I knew you would. (laughs) So, anything else you want to ask me, Trish?
Trish: Just one more question. As someone who rode in 14 consecutive derbies, what advice would you give to any betters who are as torn between contenders as you are?
Shane: When it comes to the Kentucky Derby or any other big race, don’t place any weight on handicapping. Chances are the weights you see on paper aren’t real, so you might as well use Trish’s philosophy and bet on the horses with the best names.
Trish: Thanks for that, Shane. (laughs) And thanks for letting John’s readers in on one of our conversations.
Shane: It was my pleasure.
Trish: See you from the other end of my TV Saturday!
Shane: I’ll try to wave to you! (laughs)
There you have it, folks. Stick with Shane and go with one of Asmussen’s horses or Calvin Borel on Denis of Cork. And since I really like the name Denis of Cork, you know who my pick is, too.
Happy betting, everyone, and thanks for sharing some of your space with us, John!
- Trish
Does Mike Battaglia’s line on Big Truck at 50-1 seem out of whack to you?
Here’s one of only two horses in the race who has beaten War Pass, the other Tale of Ekati at 15-1 seems reasonable to me, and Battaglia makes him 50-1 and Anak Nakal who has done nothing this year 30-1? He makes Pyro the third choice at 6-1 and from that I assume he’s throwing his Bluegrass out. Well who was struggling over the poly right next to Pyro and finished just a a neck behind him, yep it was Big Truck. Something about this doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. And don’t forget last fall Tagg was quoted as saying he thought Big Truck was better than both Tale of Ekati and even Funny Cide, Tagg usually doesn’t run them where they don’t belong; I say Big Truck hits the board.
A Well Kept Secret If You Ask Me
I logged into TwinSpires.com this morning to see if there was any progress in the dispute with the horsemen, there isn’t any. But according to TwinsSpires they will be taking bets on the Oaks, Early Times and Derby so all is not lost. They could be doing a better job of communicating this to their customers though; a mass email would be nice.
Blog Coverage
This is the first derby in my lifetime where I can honestly say I spent more time reading the blogs (both mainstream and amateur) than regular news accounts.
Granted there are just too many to read most days, especially the ones that simply regurgitate the news, and maybe I am not being objective since I blog, but with the addition of The Rail, which I think really is the best of the lot, and the DRF blogs and even the Blood Horse blogs, which of the three I like the least, the coverage in the blogs seems to be eclipsing the regular media.
What do you think, are the blogs crowding out the mainstream press?
I am taking a little poll over on the sidebar.
Colonel John's number three position in the draw has driven his DIBZ price up by $57, someone took the offer at $205 and now the next best offer on the Colonel is $299.
It looks like buyers don't see Big Brown at number sixteen in the draw as a negative, the offer at $285 was taken and the next best offer is now $300. Some brave soul out put a bid $150 up; would you like to take odds on who might hit that bid?
Pyro's price keeps creeping up, reservations sold at $149, the offer is now $200. Pyro is number five in this evening's draw.
Adriano who will draw 12th is attracting attention, the last reservations sold at $147.
Gayego who will draw last has stalled at $71, it's very likely he will have the one or two post so whoever bought him at $71 probably regrets it now.
My two DIBZ reservations on Denis of Cork and Z Fortune are trading flat at the moment. Z Fortune will choose fourth and Denis of Cork is fourteenth. I am comfortable with that because if either of them win, I am going to the Derby next year.
I asked my British friend Peter of Kentuckydvds.com fame if he’d like to guest blog and give us an Englishman’s perspective on the Derby.
Peter dragged himself away from the telly and a Chelsea vs Liverpool soccer game in London to write this post about the greatest four minutes in sport.
(Update: Chelsea won and also caused the delay in the Derby Post Position Draw on ESPN, I hope you're happy with yourself Peter!!)
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So just what is the world's most famous flat race?
It depends who you ask - and what country you're in at the time. Wherever you are, the answer will either be "The Durby" or "The Darby", preceded respectively by Kentucky and Epsom. I'm sure the race in England is a much bigger deal on the world stage than many Americans give it credit for, and apart from a brief rerun on TVG the next day (usually at some ungodly hour in the morning) you would never find out the result unless you went searching for it online.
But there is a lot about the Epsom race and its traditions that the Kentucky Derby has been influenced by, and without which it simply wouldn't exist in its present form. The British race has a 95 year head start, although at 134, the American version has become a truly historic event of the highest order. Tradition has to be earned, and Churchill Downs is without doubt the place to be on the first Saturday in May. But on the first Saturday in June the focus of a large part of the industry will cross the pond for the 229th running of the Epsom Derby.
Despite being the relative newcomer, the Kentucky Derby has been the worldwide centerpiece of the modern racing calendar for over 100 years. The Churchill brothers (John & Henry - how cool is that?) had no idea that their family name would become synonymous with horse racing history in America when they unloaded a troublesome piece of land that was part of Kentucky's declining stock farms to Col. M. Lewis Clark. Only a year after this acquisition, Clark's newly formed Louisville Jockey Club served as host to an estimated 10,000 spectators for the first Kentucky Derby in 1875.
It wasn't until a Louisville local newspaper used the name "Churchill Downs" in an article about the ninth running of the Derby that the historic track got its name. Churchill (co-incidentally one of the most famous family names in England) was coupled with Downs, from an English term for an expanse of grassy upland used for grazing and racing. Clark, who studied racing in Europe for two years before settling in Kentucky, had fashioned his club after the great races of England. His first challenge race was the Clark Handicap which he modeled on the English St. Leger, followed by the Kentucky Oaks after the Epsom Oaks for three-year-old fillies and the Kentucky Derby after the Epsom Derby.
The Epsom Derby has been run every year since 1780 on the flat at Epsom Downs, Surrey - about 15 miles south of London. Unlike its Kentucky counterpart, the Epsom Derby is actually the second race in the British Triple Crown series, with the other legs being made up by the Two Thousand Guineas and the St. Leger.
Epsom Downs has been a site of horse racing and informal meets for several hundred years. In 1779, Edward Smith Stanley, the 12th Earl of Derby, established a race called the Epsom Oaks, which was run by fillies on the flat. The race turned out to be hugely successful, and in the next year, the first Epsom Derby was run. The Epsom Derby is open to both colts and fillies, and it has been won by six fillies in its history.
An interesting fact about both races is that no Kentucky Derby winner has ever run - so has ever won - the Epsom Derby. Why would they? What owner in their right mind would forgo the chance of a shot at the American Triple Crown to try and win a race overseas, no matter how prestigious?
But before you dismiss the likelihood of it ever happening, consider this - all it would take is a strange brew of owners and trainers who hold both races in equally high esteem for it to happen.
In the early 90s there was the case of Arazi. A storming performance in the Breeder's Cup had set him up as one of the favourites for the Kentucky Derby. This horse had the "strange brew" of being co-owned by an American (Allen Paulson) and the Dubai Sheik Rashid al Maktoum, together with a French trainer in Francois Boutin. It was reported that the Sheik and the trainer favoured passing up the Triple Crown in the United States to attempt to become the first champion of both the Kentucky Derby and the Epsom Derby. Naturally, the American owner thought this proposal was nuts - and the whole scheme floundered when Arazi finished 8th in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. But the idea for a unique shot at horse racing infamy is still out there. With the Triple Crown appearing to become more and more elusive, who can say it will never happen if the right international mix of owners and trainers collide?
Something to ponder while you're sipping your (American) mint julep this Saturday!
I just remembered I have to go to the supermarket and get some spearmint.
If you’re like me, spearmint is not one of those things you spend much time thinking about. It’s usually found in the far reaches of the produce section somewhere between the arugula and the kohlrabi. But on Saturday afternoon when I push the Absolut to one side and the Crown Royal to the other (yes I voted for Hillary) to reach for that dusty bottle of Maker’s Mark to make my mint julep, one of the things I am going to need is spearmint.
I am normally a vodka drinker but one of the many pleasant side effects of bourbon consumption on Derby day is a noticeable increase in my confidence and mental clarity. After two mint juleps that race I was going to pass as unhandicap-able looks playable, after three I can clearly see how Anak Nakal could win the Derby.
A mint julep is a cocktail steeped in tradition, while the basic ingredients are few: bourbon, sugar, a little water, crushed ice and mint, there are many different techniques employed in its' preparation. The Missouri Mint Julep is actually made a six days ahead of time and allowed to age. The Mississippi Mint Julep can be made same day but must include some grated nutmeg on top. I think I’ll just opt for the standard Kentucky Mint Julep which can be made same day as long as you leave the ice in long enough for the glass to “frost”.
This year I may develop my own version of the drink, I think I’ll call it the Philadelphia Mint Julep. It’s the same as the Kentucky Mint Julep but it is served on a scrapple coaster.
My hat is off to Churchill Downs for this unique marketing idea.
I got DIBZ on Denis of Cork and Z Fortune and I am not selling. The bid on Big Brown is $150 but the offer is $285, looks like there's some room in-between there. You can still get in on Visionnaire for $50.
CHICAGO, April 28, 2008 – FirstDIBZ™ (www.firstdibz.com) has partnered with Churchill Downs Incorporated to launch the first-ever horse racing forward marketplace, guaranteeing third-floor clubhouse access to Kentucky Derby 135 in May 2009 for those who pick the winning horse in 2008.
The unique FirstDIBZ platform allows users to purchase tradable reservations known as ‘DIBZ™’ for a particular horse, and if that horse wins the Kentucky Derby, they will be guaranteed face value tickets to the third-floor clubhouse for next year’s event. There are a limited amount of reserved clubhouse seats available.
“FirstDIBZ provides horse racing fans with the ultimate challenge, the opportunity to guarantee themselves premium seating at the first leg of the 2009 Triple Crown by picking the winning horse in the 2008 Kentucky Derby,” said Mike Mossholder, vice president of sales for Churchill Downs. “We are excited about the opportunities the FirstDIBZ marketplace creates for Thoroughbred racing, including the opportunity to provide disabled jockeys with financial support.”
Proceeds from the Pick the '08 Kentucky Derby Winner marketplace will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, a special division of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s nonprofit 501 (c) (3) subsidiary NTRA Charities, to aid the nation's permanently disabled jockeys with their health care and daily living expenses.
DIBZ™ start as low as $50 for each Kentucky Derby contender, such as Big Brown and Colonel John. Once the initial offerings of DIBZ are purchased, users have the option of holding on to them or trading them in the open marketplace. The marketplace will close at post time for the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on May 3, 2008.
“The Pick the '08 Kentucky Derby Winner is the latest example that demonstrates our flexibility to create innovative marketplaces that meet consumer demand,” said Rick Harmon, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FirstDIBZ. “We are dedicated to continuing to expand our product offering, providing advanced access to the most popular events, technologies and products.”
For more information on FirstDIBZ, log onto www.firstdibz.com
When we last left our hero, he was on the outside looking in.
The Derby trail had been one pothole after another and it appeared that mercifully the fans would be spared another year of watching him enter horses in the Derby who usually brought up the rear.
Ah but the racing gods are cruel and apparently they love to torture this crafty conditioner with his ridiculous dry cleaning bills and perfect hair, so the god Polytrakus granted Todd three wishes, their names were Monba, Cowboy Cal and Behindatthebar.
Meanwhile the lowly bettors, who fled the land of Polytrakus and took their dime superfecta money elsewhere, have to watch two more of Pletcher’s cheap suits cluttering up the stretch in Louisville.
Pletcher has a knack for winning but the flip side always seems to happen in the Derby with his horses finishing last or damn close to last on many occasions.
Should Cowboy Cal or Monba finish last, Pletcher can add two new records to his resume that he didn’t count on, he will be the first trainer in modern times to finish last in the Derby for three consecutive years and to finish last five times.
Even his mentor, Wayne Lukas who entered many horses that did not belong only managed two last place finishers, Deeds Not Words in 1997 and Total Departure in 1983 and three next to last finishes, Althea, Capote and Honor and Glory.
“Any time a Derby field isn't strong enough to scare off the girls, you've got trouble."
Who does this Pepper's Pride think she is?
If all I ever did was run in restricted state-bred races in New Mexico I could have won a 100 of them in a row!
I need to get back together with Bailey and straighten this Pepper's Pride out. Yeah but Bailey is busy these days with that gig at ESPN, he's what they call a commentator, I heard they actually pay him for that. He's supposed to pick winners, if you ask me he should have kept the day job!
Maybe I should get him on the phone, we could hop a flight out west and stop that Chili Pepper or whatever her name is from breaking my record.
Once again my thanks to Peter over at Kentuckydvds.com for this one of Cigar enjoying his retirement at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Like it or not Richard Dutrow is probably right.
"If he breaks clean, it's a mismatch to me on paper."
If you landed here from a link on The Rail, welcome to the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance (TBA), you have happened on my blog which is called The Race Is Not Always to the Swift (my review of Shane Sellers book is below).
If you’re new to horse racing blogs and you’re feeling a little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz right now, don’t worry. There are no wicked witches or flying monkeys here, just a bunch of overly enthusiastic horse racing fans with blogs and YouTube accounts, I assure you, we are opinionated but we are harmless.
What you will find here is what I like to call alternative content, the stuff you won’t read in the Blood Horse or the Daily Racing Form. For instance, if you’ve ever wondered what type of hair gel Todd Pletcher uses or if Demi O’Byrne googles himself you are in the right place.
We are obsessed with the mundane and the ordinary and we are not ashamed of it. We begin our sentences with conjunctions, we misspell words, sometimes we may even appear slightly Dyslexic. We’ve been called dreadful by Stephen Crist and journalistic wannabes by others but none of this discourages us, we’re simply too stupid, self-absorbed and crazy about the game to care what the mainstream press thinks of us.
So if you’re a New York Times reader and you think you are going to find all the news that’s fit to print here I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed, click away now while there is still time. But if you’re an enthusiastic racing fan like me, you may just think you have attained Nirvana, you haven’t. But you have found a place with some kindred souls.
Maybe you’re a little startled and disoriented right now, well I am just as startled as you are, imagine my surprise when I saw my little blog in the New York Times. But as Andy Warhol said, everybody should be famous for fifteen minutes.
I guess my fifteen minutes are up.
Did Calvin Borel Just Flip Me The Bird?
My thanks to my British buddy Peter over at Kentuckydvds.com for this picture of Calvin Borel. Peter like me has an offbeat sense of humor and he sent me this snap he took of Calvin Borel while he was at Keeneland recently.
Horse Players Continue To Get Steamrolled at Philly Park
I stopped by Philadelphia Park recently with two motives, one was to fund my PhoneBet account which through no fault of my own was in a precarious state and the other was to check on the status of the standalone casino that is supposed to replace the current Racino which was butchered to accommodate the slots players.
Right now I am unsure who is taking bets on the Derby. So I am preparing myself for the unexpected by making sure both my ADW accounts are flush with cash. I would assume the situation will be resolved by Derby day, I don’t think the interested parties can be stupid enough to let fighting over signal and takes to go on, right. We won’t see a rehash of the YouBet mess last year will we? If all else fails there is always Bodog and if fans are forced over to Bodog the industry gets what it deserves, this infighting at the expense of the fans is stupid.
I was a little early and had some time to kill so I walked around to see what was new. As I have mentioned many times, the grandstand at Philly Park was butchered to accommodate the slots players but they had left a small area just off the paddock for the horseplayers but to my dismay I now see that that area has been converted over to slots.
From the picture above you can see the standalone casino is barely started, they are still pushing dirt around and there is no structural steel on site or in place at the moment. It’s going to be a long wait for racing fans in Philly.
Atlantic City Fans Refuse To Let the Track Die
Fellow blogger Teresa visited Atlantic City Race Course (ACRC) yesterday and has a great posting about her visit here. I haven’t been to ACRC in many moons but a posting I wrote about it last August continues to get regular comments. It seems ACRC fans are a hardly lot who refuse to let go. This is the latest comment.
The NJ horse industry generates an estimated $160 million dollars in local, state and federal taxes as well as $1.1 billion dollars in economic impact and nearly 14,000 jobs. As a horse farm owner (not race horses, show) many horse owners are leaving NJ because of the lack of support by state officials.
Working with the NJ Equine Advisory Board, the state's equine industry is growing smaller daily, saving AC Race Track may not be the overall answer to saving the states equine industry but it will make a hugh impact on many horsemen deciding whether to stay or leave.
I haul horses to the tracks, most owners hate the idea of racing at the Meadowlands, congestion, mysterious nose bleeds, etc. AC is an easier commute, less congestion and cleaner air.
NJ WAS the premier horse state (hench the state animal), let's keep it that way.
I have to admit there were many times while I was reading Shane Seller’s memoir, Freedom’s Rein that I couldn't get the movie Mommie Dearest out of my head.
In this autobiography co-written with Trish Psarreas, Sellers begins by recounting his childhood in rural Louisiana. These early years can only be described as a Cajun version of Mommie Dearest, an emotional gumbo of alcoholism, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual infidelity and undiagnosed mental illness swirling around in a stew of distorted emotions with a sprinkling of good intentions thrown in.
The perpetrator of this abuse is Seller’s father, a sadistic and unstable man who reeks emotional havoc on his family and thought nothing of purposely starving the family pet to death while the kids watched; he also fathered a child by Seller’s teenage sweetheart.
Ironically it was Seller’s father who encouraged his riding and and eventually his talents take him to Evangeline Downs where he and fellow Cajun Calvin Borel learn some important lessons, like how crippled horses run a lot better if you use a buzzer on them.
Sellers moves onto Fairmount Park near St. Louis where he becomes leading rider while learning at the feet of local legend David Gall. This success eventually means a move onto Chicago and finally the the big time in Kentucky.
Along the way Sellers gets married and starts a family, hoping love and family will ease the pain of his childhood.
But the stresses of constant reducing takes its' physical and emotional toll. Sellers recounts the gory details of how he kept his weight down and how the industry turns a blind eye to the anorexia and bulimia reducing causes.
The book is full of interesting details about the rituals of flipping, right down to the type of plumbing best for heaving bowls. Apparently flipping in the toilets at Churchill is frowned upon since regurgitated hamburgers tend to clog up the toilets.
Sellers speaks at length about the politics of riding at Churchill Downs and his crusade to get better insurance coverage and higher riding weights for jockeys and how many big name jockeys paid lip service to the idea of striking to get better benefits but wouldn't follow through when push came to shove. Sellers also indicts the Jockey’s Guild for playing ball with the industry to the detriment of riders.
During this time, Sellers butts heads with many of the sports' luminaries including a surprisingly self-serving and sanctimonious Pat Day. But Sellers saves his harshest criticisms for the legendary Wayne Lukas, who is portrayed as a crass and almost inhuman man who considers his horses and the jockeys who rode them to be expendable.
While Sellers counted stars like Mike Smith, Mark Guidry, Robby Albarado and Jerry Bailey as friends, eventually most of these friendships suffer as Sellers felt betrayed by his fellow riders in the battle with the powers that be over insurance and weight issues.
A injury to his knee brings a stellar career crashing down around him and despite earning millions during his career, Sellers is almost broke in the months after he stopped riding.
Seller’s family disintegrates under the pressures of physical rehab for his knee, his abuse of pain killers, the emotional baggage of his childhood and his desire to overcome the odds and get back in the saddle.
He buys a farm in Louisiana and retreats into himself but in his loneliness he finally becomes totally emotionally unhinged. With the help of Psarreas, he seeks the help of a psychiatrist and goes into drug and alcohol rehab.
For many of Seller's critics this book explains a lot of the behavior that has made him such a lightning rod in the industry. It documents how the emotional damage inflicted in childhood continues to damage lives decades later.
In the end, Freedom's Rein is the story of how Shane Sellers comes to terms with his inner demons and then comes to terms with those demons that are still haunting the backstretch today.
I wonder where Joe Drape of the New York Times got the idea for it? By the way that's me in grandstand and now Secretariat and me are on the cover of a book.
I have come full circle!
Geez Joe, I am not asking for royalties but you could send me a free copy, maybe I'll say something nice about it on my blog.
Speaking of free copies, my autographed copy of Freedom's Rein arrived in the mail yesterday.
Brace yourself for another one of my book reviews!
Here it is the Monday after the last Derby prep and I can’t help but notice the lack of buzz among the bloggers about the Coolmore Lexington. The industry may be concerned about the possible effects inhaling poly has on horses and riders, it should also note the effect that poly preps are having on the fans.
Where there should be a noticeable Derby buzz today, the results of this year's poly preps has left the blogging community noticeably drowsy. What are bloggers talking about today, anything but the Coolmore Lexington, which turned out to be more of a Preakness prep, if Todd is to be believed?
Atoned on poly did a very good imitation of Big Truck on poly. Tomcito couldn’t translate his South American or Florida form on the synthetic surface either?
The result, Behindatthebar and the rest of the field from this Derby prep are not going to the Derby. Can somebody tell me why they call it a Derby prep?
Warning: Lack of Steroids May Cause Drowsiness
Delaware Park opened on Saturday (steroid ban in place) with the usual fare of five horse fields and Ramon Dominquez riding one 3-5 shot after another.
I read over on the discussion boards that there is something like 600 vacant stalls on the Delaware backside, waiting for shippers from Florida and elsewhere who may never show up. Why should owners absorb the extra costs of testing in Delaware when they can run at Philly Park or Presque Isle Downs for more money? This might be one of those glaring examples of the need for uniformity in the industry.
Stale Graded Earnings Make for a Twenty Horse Field
I don’t remember who said it, maybe it was Patrick, but I think it would be a good idea to put a freshness date on the graded earnings used for getting into the Derby.
The $400K Z Humor earned in the Delta Jackpot G3 is starting to grow mold while Anak Nakal is as stale as a Clinton stump speech right now.
Show Me the Guineas
The Racing Post is reporting that New Approach will not go in the Epsom Derby regardless of how he does in the 2000 Guineas; he will be pointed for the Irish 2000 Guineas instead.
War Pass will always be remembered for his speed and with the news of a fractured sesamoid he will now be remembered as a another talented but brittle colt. The newest poster boy for how frail the breed has become.
The injury most likely occurred in the one race where he really had to run, the Wood.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for his connections or for anyone who had a little bet on him over at Bodog in the Kentucky Derby Futures; for the connections no Derby and no possibility of swiftly sending him off to stud since the breeding season is almost over.
With no real financial reason to retire him right away, they may have to keep him in training with a chance of making the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile or maybe the Sprint.
Zito says he’ll be out a few months, if that’s more than three months we won’t see War Pass again.
What do you think, is the next stop for War Pass Lane's End?
The latest TBA Poll asks that question.
I am now in the habit of watching the races from Australia on Friday nights, the terminology they use takes a while to figure out and I am still learning but the quality of racing is very good and form seems very consistent to me, unfortunately I usually doze off early in the program (the first race usually goes off around 9:30PM EDT).
Last night, they ran the Golden Slipper which is the richest race in the world for two-year olds ($3,500,000 AUS) and I was hoping to stay awake for it but I didn't make it.
The Slipper was won by Sebring, the story is here.
Check out this ad for the Golden Slipper, it's the kind of imaginative and entertaining stuff we should see more of over here.
