Kenny McPeek and Corey Lanerie had a nice finish with Eskimo Kisses in second place in the Ashland Stakes!
Are you ready for my favorite fourteen filly face-off on Friday, the 4th? I have a quick breakdown on the facts, fun, food, fashion, feelings and fortune that awaits in the 144th Kentucky Oaks. Please, follow along with my easy outline for the Oaks.
The 143rd Kentucky Derby took place a week ago today! It was every bit as surprising and thrilling as I had imagined. The race dates back to 1875 but aspects of the race’s traditions were in the making so many years prior. Great things were happening in KY that built the foundation of the state’s modern day Thoroughbred greatness. Many of the KY Derby bloodlines and customs were under development at My Old Kentucky Home long before Churchill Downs held its first race.
Happy 4th of July weekend! I hope everyone has some fun plans for the 3 day weekend. I am heading to Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY this evening for the closing night of the 38 day long Spring race meet.
On 7/2/16, Churchill is hosting “Downs After Dark-My Country ‘Tis of Thee”. The theme is patriotic. I spent a good part of my day yesterday planning my dressy red, white and blue attire. In addition to 11 live Thoroughbred races there will be displays of military equipment, thousands of American flags, music by Wildwood and a presentation to honor 4 soldiers.
The 1st race posts at 6 p.m. EST. Gamblers will delight in the mandatory payout of the Single 6 Jackpot which may be around $3 million dollars! To play, bet races 4 thru 9. Other special contests are featured as well. I am especially excited to see the 3 stakes races. These are the Grade 3 Bashford Manor Stakes, the Debutante Stakes and the Kelly’s Landing Overnight Stakes.
The 115th running of the Bashford Manor is a 6 furlong dirt race for 2 year-olds. In race 7, nine horses will compete for their 1st time in a graded stakes race. This race has a purse of $100,000 and posts at 9 p.m. EST.
The 116th running of the Debutante is another 6 furlong dirt race with an equal purse of $100,000. The 8th race is for 2 year-olds as well but they must be fillies. 10 horses are entered. 9:39 p.m. EST is the post time.
The 7th running of the Kelly’s Landing Overnight Stakes is longer at 7 furlongs on the dirt. The purse is $67,000 and participants must be 3 or older. It is the 10th race on the card and features 7 horses. Post time is 10:42 p.m. EST.
In other news, per Equibase there have been as many as 10 horses named Fourth of July. Two of those were quarter horses. The most recent Fourth of July was foaled in March, 2012. He was sired by Street Cry and his dam was Dixie Holiday. The last time he raced at Churchill Downs he won. That was last November. He had a workout at Churchill last week. His jockey is Channing Hill. Wayne M. Catalano trains this horse for Avers Wexler. In 12 starts Fourth of July has 2 wins, 2 times placing and 1 time in third place.
Leave me a comment if you are going to Churchill Downs tonight. I’ll get a ton of pictures to share for those who can’t be there. Have a blessed and happy 4th of July!
Breeders’ Cup week is upon us! There are tons of activities taking place each and every day. See the Keeneland website for details: Breeders’ Cup Events Today, my event was training. I am so thrilled that I am volunteering Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Keeneland.
I will be working in the Chalet Village at Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. This is the 1st time the BC will be held at Keeneland and everyone is so excited for this “Homecoming” experience. Lexington is the Horse Capital of the World. Many of the Thoroughbreds worldwide are bred, born, race, sold, stud and retire here so it is fitting they should hold the World Championships here as well. The Chalet Village consists of several temporary but fine structures right off of the track. The photo above depicts these structures.
My training began in the sales pavilion, shown above. We saw a beautiful video about Keeneland’s passion for the Breeders’ Cup and had several heartfelt and emotional speakers associated with Keeneland and the BC. I was issued an attractive vest for my uniform and my credentials on a lovely lanyard. I am so excited that I can be part of this experience and that I can help others enjoy it as well.
Training wrapped up for me inside the Maker’s Mark Bourbon Lounge. I have several friends that will be seated there for the Championships. I was excited to tell my comrades that they will have access to a patio and be allowed an awesome track view from the turn which is a new experience for them all. I will be attending the post-postion draw for the BC World Championships at 5:30 P.M. EST tomorrow night, 10/26/15, in this room. They will have it all swanked out by then. University of Kentucky’s Mens Basketball Coach, John Calipari, will draw for the BC Distaff and the BC Classic races. We love our Thoroughbreds and our basketball here in Kentucky, also known as, Big Blue Nation!
Additionally, I will be volunteering this Thursday for the Prelude to the Cup. The Prelude will feature a full day of racing as well beginning at 12:30 P.M. EST. I do not know my task yet for this event. Please, enjoy my pictures from today and follow along this week as I share my Breeders’ Cup experiences and other important and interesting information and photos.
Final Update: American Pharoah for the win, Firing Line in 2nd, and Dortmund in 3rd
UPDATE! International Star just scratched.
I should be sleeping, but I’m blogging. I’m too excited for rest anyway. Tomorrow, Saturday May 2, 2015 at 6:34 p.m. EST is the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby! I wavered on my pick for the Oaks, she showed, but tomorrow it is time to seize the day. I have my sights set on Carpe Diem, he has been my favorite for a long time. Before I get ahead of myself, we need to explore the history, traditions, contenders, and keep it fun.
The Kentucky Derby was ran at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky for the first time in 1875. It is the only race in the Triple Crown that has run consecutively since its beginning. It is also the youngest of the 3 races. The Preakness started in 1867 and took time off from 1891 to 1893. The Belmont began in 1873 but took a break from 1911 to 1912. The first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, ran in 1919.
The Derby is also called The Run for the Roses. The winning horse has received a garland of roses since 1896. The drink of choice is the distinctive, but not delicious, Mint Julep, consisting of bourbon and crushed mint, like booze and toothpaste, yuk. The pie, named for the day, is quite yummy and when I start making You Tube videos I am going to share my version with you. I plan to start the You Tube thing soon as I just got a book on it. The song, of course is, “My Old Kentucky Home”. The fastest Derby horse ever clocked was Secretariat in 1971. Only one other horse has beat the 2 minute mark. That happened in 2001 with Monarchos. This race is 1 and 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) on the dirt. It will be the 11th race of the day at Churchill. The purse is 2 million dollars. There will be 4 trophies issued. A gold trophy goes to the winner and a silver one for each the jockey, trainer, and owner. The side depicts a horseshoe and the top has a mounted horse. Don’t forget the hats. Ladies, be creative. Spend big, make a fashion statement, or make your own hat. Be on the lookout for markdown hats in the Fall and Winter then custom design your hat to match your dress, with a stop at your favorite hobby shop. Go from drab to fab if your mom is good with a glue gun, wire cutters and thread.
Finally, lets get to the horses! Listed by post position the Derby will feature:
Ocho Ocho Ocho
Carpe Diem
Materiality
Tencendur
Danzig Moon
Mubtaahij
scratch
Dortmund
Bolo
Firing Line
scratch
scratch
Itsaknockout
Keen Ice
Frosted
War Story
Mr. Z.
American Pharoah
Upstart
Far Right
Frammento
American Pharoah is the favorite. He lost his first start but has not been defeated since, he is a speed horse but he has to cut to the rail from a great deal away. He is the reining juvenile champion. He is owned by Zayat Stables just as Mr. Z is. They are running side by side and he is also a speed horse. They do have different trainers, the 1st is Bob Baffert ,who took all of his fillies out of the Oaks, and the later is D. Wayne Lukas.
Dortmund is the 2nd favorite. He is sired by 2008 Derby winner Big Brown. He has the experience of 6 races including this very track where he won by over 7 lengths. He is running undefeated, as is Materiality. Only 7 undefeated horses have ever won the Derby. Dortmund is trained by Baffert, as is the favorite. He is also a fan of the speed. I like his position better too. He is one of 3 California horses in the race, including Firing Line and Bolo. Firing Line is also known for speed and finished close 2nd twice to Dortmond but also set a track record for 1 and 1/8 miles at the Sunland Derby of just 1 minute and 47 seconds. He is a steady runner. Bolo, has finished third to Dortmund twice this year.
Carpe Diem and Materiality also have to come out side by side under the same trainer, Todd Pletcher, but are owned by separate groups. Both speed horses they have to be careful not to get in each others way. Carpe Diem has won 4 of 5 races and was 2nd only in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he has shown a lot of versatility in his races. DanzigMoon trailed him at 2nd place in the Bluegrass Stakes. Materiality was the winner of the Florida Derby.
Ocho Ocho Ocho will also speed early. He is sired by 2007 Derby winner, Street Sence. He is right on the rail, so that should get him out in front but I do not think he can keep up the pace for the duration. Far Right isn’t as far out to the right as he was positioned before Pletcher scratched a third horse, and yet another last minute scratch. He is a deep closer, perhaps the strongest closer, so he can probably handle his position. He has run second to American Pharaoh and will benefit from this race being a bit longer. International Star and Keen Ice are closers too. Keen Ice has run third to International Star and looks to be a longshot. He is owned by the lovely Irish, Donegal Racing. International Star is so experienced with 20 to 1 wins. He is sired by 2000 Derby winer, Fusaichi Pegasus. He won the Louisiana Derby. He is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the winningest owners at both Churchill and Keeneland. Frammento was added in when Pletcher pulled a horse out. He has no stakes wins this year. He does have the experienced and derby winning Nick Zito for a trainer.
Frosted could be a pleasant surprise. He had surgery recently to improve his breathing and he is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin who is no newbie to the Derby or major racing. He has the same odds as Upstart, who ran second in the Florida Derby to Materiality.
Other long shots include Tencendur, Itsaknockout, and War Story. Tencendur runs with the pace. Itsaknockout lacks experience and was fourth by a distance in the Florida Derby. International Star has beat out War Story, also a closer, 3 times.
Mubtaahij may have done the best job of staying off the radar. No Middle East horses have won the Derby yet but he has a fighting chance. He is in a good post position. He has talent and won the United Arab Emirates Derby. This will be his first race in the United States.
I gave you my pick. My tipster opted out of a tip, this time, but shared a lot of materials. Two of my experienced and winning friends volunteered their favorite horse for this Derby. They say, go with Firing Line, with Mr. Prospector and Raise a Native on both sides of the pedigree. Looking at recent Derby winners, and his loss by a nose to Dortmund, after a bump, and again by just a nose, to the same, he is ready to win. In his last start he won by over 14 lengths! One winning Derby horse since 2010 has defaulted by this bloodline. That amazing freak of nature was Animal Kingdom in 2010.
As for the fun… I hope everyone does something special to enjoy the Kentucky Derby. Keeneland is hosting the world’s largest party and that is where I will be. Whatever you do, seize the day! Please, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, also ThoroughbredU. Go Carpe Diem! I leave you with 2 great songs:
TGIF rarely has held so much anticipation for me. I can not wait for this Friday, May 1, 2015 and 5:49 p.m. EST! The 141st running of the Kentucky Oaks is going to be a tough race. This Grade I stakes race on the dirt for 3 year old fillies of 1 and 1/8 miles with a million dollar purse is quite the championship of Thoroughbred racing. Who is your favorite? Let’s explore some history, review the contenders and have some fun with this contest of champions.
The Kentucky Oaks ran for the first time the 19th of May in 1875. The track was Churchill Downs, by the name of Louisville Jockey Club, in Louisville, Kentucky. This track first opened that same year and ran only 4 races, those included the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby. These races are the only races that have been ran continuously at the same track and the oldest uninterrupted contests of all sports ever. The founder was Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. His contribution to Thoroughbred racing history could be an entire post on its own. He developed many of the racing rules used today and his stakes racing design is the model the Breeders’ Cup uses. The Oaks is patterned after the British Epsom Oaks. The event is sponsored by Longines, a Swiss watch company, founded in 1832. The Oaks has several traditions. The song of choice is “My Old Kentucky Home” by Stephen Foster, in use as early as 1921. The flower is the Stargazer Lily. Kroger makes a blanket of theses flowers to place upon the winner. This tradition began in 1916 with roses but went to lilies thereafter. Lilies for the fillies! The lilies share the color of the event, pink! The Oaks partnered with Horses and Hope as well as Bright Pink. This is the 7th year this event is committed to supporting these charities that are devoted to breast and ovarian cancer. The drink of the day is the Oaks Lilly. Make one yourself by following the recipe here Oaks Lily . For a fabulous calorie saving and sober drink try a mocktail by substituting the vodka with your favorite sparkling water. The winner is presented with a sterling silver statue. This statue stands 25 inches tall and has a horseshoe on the top and 2 horse heads for handles. The statue is engraved with the name of each winner since the race 1st took place. The statue is kept year round in the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville. It was created in 1924. The winner is also presented with 12 sterling silver julep cups that are engraved too. In most cases these are broken up to be shared by the owner, trainer, jockey and more.
Fourteen horses will race tomorrow. This pool by post position is:
Forever Unbridled
Shook Up
Include Betty
Eskenformoney
Condo Commando
Angela Renee
Lovely Maria
I’m A Chatterbox
Money’soncharlotte
Oceanwave
Sarah Sis
Stellar Wind
Birdatthewire
Puca
Post Position goes from post #1 being the tracks inside rail to #14 being furthest towards the outside rail. Gates #2 through 10 tend to be preferred positions. It is good to keep close to the rail by the 1st turn but best to not get pinned in. It also matters if the horse is a speed horse or a closer where the best position may be.
The prep schedule for the Oaks began at Churchill Downs in September and ended in April at Keeneland, also in Kentucky. Keeneland featured 3 qualifying races. The horses were ranked on a points system. Most races were Grade I, II, or III. The points ranged from 10-4-2-1 (for win, place, show, or fourth) to 50-20-10-5 and 100-40-20-10 depending on the race. The top score makers are Condo Commando, I’m a Chatterbox, Stellar Wind, Birdatthewire, and Lovely Maria. These are actually the favorites this evening as well, but not in this order. The favorite is Stellar Wind. Larry Jones is the trainer of both post 7 and 8. He was pleased enough just saying “I’m not a good 13 person”, but it should be interesting to see how theses two top fillies compete. Todd Pletcher is training both 4 and 6. Horses 5,8, and 7 all come from the Storm Cat line of the great Secretariat. This line has never produced a Derby winner. The favorite, at post 12, is a Curlin daughter. Posts 2 and 10 are both grey beauties. Last year’s winning trainer with Untapable was Steve Asmussen who has post # 2 this time.
Thoroughbred U for me is my own racing industry study program. I hope you can learn from my blog as well. I am far from handicapping for others and my tipster sent me plenty of info but not a tip. I am going to go with #8, I’m a Chatterbox! This is my pick and not to be confused with a tip, this time.
Don’t forget to wear your pink! My mom and I custom designed a pink lily hat to match my dress. I will talk a bit more about hat design in my next post, all about the Kentucky Derby! Have fun tomorrow. I will be at Keenland’s party on the lawn to celebrate and watch the racing on some big screens.
Update: Lovely Maria, Shook Up and I’m A Chatterbox was the order of the day!
March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. At least, that is how the English proverb goes. That expression of weather lore is about as undependable as the previous month’s groundhog forecasting. Despite all the crazy predictions Spring officially arrived on the 20th this month and I am so happy to see it. On these final days of March, there is still a rapidly interchanging coolness to the air but today the sun and flowers are out. Since I last blogged, I have enjoyed all of the joy that March brings, St. Patrick’s Day, March Madness, and a quick getaway to the Great Smoky Mountains. Now just days away from April I am so excited for Keeneland’s Spring Meet!
My favorite holiday is St. Patrick’s Day. I am a marshal annually in the local parade. This year’s Grand Marshal was Tom Hammond. He was born in Lexington, KY and he is a sportscaster on the national level. He has a degree in animal science, specializing in equine genetics. He has done the broadcasting for the Kentucky Derby and many times for the Breeders’ Cup, for which he won an Emmy. He has other Emmys as well and was a former play-by-play announcer for Southeastern Conference basketball. Him and his wife, Sheilagh were very nice. I talked to the about my blog and they even posed for some pictures. Also, making a repeat performance this year as St. Patrick himself was, Sean McLaughlin. He was nice enough to snap a selfie with me. Sean is the brother of Thoroughbred trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin. Kiaran has trained some big winners, including the Breeders’ Cup, Dubai World Cup, the Kentucky Derby, and the Belmont Stakes. Horses he worked with have won many awards including the number 1 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Ranking and U.S. Horse of the Year. Currently, he is training Kentucky Derby contender, Frosted, owned by Godolphin. This horse in ranked lucky 13 for May 2015’s Run for the Roses.
That brings us to March Madness. My University of Kentucky Wildcats are on fire. The men’s basketball team has won the SEC tournament and made it to the Final Four, in the NCAA tournament, with an undefeated season (38-0). Go CATS!
Basketball has the best fans and since we can’t all pack into the same stadiums I like to travel during the tournaments. I have found Las Vegas, NV does a fantastic job of highlighting the tourney. I also feel that Gatlinburg, TN has that little Vegas feel. I had a great time meeting new fans, representing my CATS, and taking in all the games among the endless variety of restaurants that fun town has to offer. No racetrack though.
That was OK because now it is about time for the Spring meet! New dress and jewelry bought (check), got my hair done today (woot woot), and my raincoat and umbrella will match (ugh, rains a lot this time of the year), means I am ready to roll. Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, KY will start live racing at 1:05 p.m. on Friday, April 3rd, 2015. Don’t be late, McLaughlin is the trainer for Dickinson, listed in the very first race of the day. This is a Maiden Special Weight race. The 3 year old horse however did stumble at Aqueduct on 3/22/15 while racing and did not finish so I am unsure if she is race day ready. I have a lot of work to do handicapping and so do you.
Happy Easter to all and I hope you have a great time at the track! If you have any great tips, please share. Thank you.
We all want to be fashionable at the races but, come to think of it, so do the horses and jockeys. So, what is all that stuff they are wearing? There is a pretty specific uniform for both the jockey and the Thoroughbred.
The jockey will wear an outfit that is suitable for safety, sport, identification, and fashion. The basic uniform consists of a helmet, goggles, underclothing, vest, silks, pants, boots, and riding crop. The helmet is required for safety. It must protect the jockey from injury during a fall. It will be fitted with a cover to match the particular silks worn. The jockey may wear multiple layers of goggles, to easily switch out, for a clear view on a muddy track. Underpants are optional and even carry a great deal of superstition for some riders. Ladies stockings may be worn to protect against cooler weather as well. The vest is vented for cooling and padded for safety. It is worn under the silks. The silks are also known as the colours. This article of clothing is a fitted jacket. The horse owner must design and register the appearance of the silks with the National Jockey Club, in the United States. This silk is recognized as belonging to that owner. The registration may be kept for varied time frames. Other countries have their own registration organizations. For over a hundred years the National Jockey Club has been approving, or disapproving if distasteful, the silks for each horse owner. Originally, these jackets were made of silk. Mostly, other lightweight fabrics such as Lycra, nylon, synthetics and polyester are used today. The jockey must be kept comfortable. The pants are white breeches. Riding boots are worn on the jockey’s feet. The jockey may or may not choose to carry a riding crop.
The horse too wears a particular set of gear, more commonly known as tack. Typically, the horse wears various shoes, a blanket or saddle cloth, saddle pad, a saddle, a girth and surcingle, stirrup irons, a bridle with a yoke and fork, a martingale, a numbered saddle cloth and sometimes a tongue strap/tie and blinkers. Each track has rules on the horse shoes. The saddle pad and blanket keep the saddle comfy and in place. The girth and surcingle attach between the yoke and the horses front legs and then all under the saddle to keep it from slipping. The martingale goes over the neck and to the girth. The numbered saddle cloth may be color coded to match the number the horse is racing under. Stirrup irons are where the jockey’s feet go. The bridle fits over the horses head and has a whole range of parts. The bridle is attached to the reins. The bit, and maybe a tongue strap, fit in the horses mouth. These elements help with control of the horse. Blinkers may be worn over the eyes to limit the horses range of vision so it does not get spooked.
So now we know a little more about the emperor’s new clothes. Holy Roman Emperor wore this tack. He is a stallion at Coolmore Stud in Ireland. Born in 2004 he was sired by L’On Vite and his dam was Danehill whose damsire was the great Secretariat. Check out this great beauty on YouTube below.
I am so excited that the Keeneland Sale starts tomorrow. This will be the 57th January sale for horses of all ages at Keeneland. There are 1,610 horses up for auction. I can not wait to see all the beautiful horses and furthermore all the people who travel worldwide to come to this 4 day event. Keeneland has the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house that sells more winners than any other company. There will be all sorts of people there including celebrities. Some people are there strictly for business and others for pleasure. I will be there for both. I need a lot of pictures for this blog and I’m hoping for more insider information from all of the experts that will be there. That brings me to the question, what to wear?
It is going to be a cold week in Lexington, KY. When I say cold, I mean the high temperatures are still freezing. While it is easy enough to make a day at the sales pavilion’s bar area, if you want to be in the action, it is better to go walk around through the stalls and paddocks leading up to the pavilion. This complicates the selection of attire. To be fashionable and weather ready can take some planning.
At the races, I generally chose to dress up a bit, especially if I score access to a preferred room or box seat. The sales are a little different. I need shoes that look good but can handle dirt, mud, manure, snow, straw, etc. Fortunately, equestrian boots must have been the ladies shoe of Christmas 2014. Boots were everywhere, even in grocery stores. A place at the mall was even monogramming beautiful boots. As for clothes, I will see the celebrity wives in cute skirts but I blend in a bit better in pants, even jeans. The January sale is probably best dressed for with accessories. Scarves are wonderful. My favorite designer, by far, is Ralph Lauren. Laurel Burch and Mudpie make some great equestrian pieces too. Who is your favorite designer?
I think Maxwell the pig for GEICO said it best, “boots and pants”! See if this doesn’t get stuck in your head every time you dress! Have fun at the sale. Share your stories with me.
