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May 1, 2015June 5, 2015

Derby Dreaming

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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. Danzig Moon 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:

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April 30, 2015May 1, 2015

Get Stoked For The Oaks

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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!

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March 6, 2015March 6, 2015

Cabin Fever

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My staycation began with the fallout of over 17 inches of snow. Winter has not been kind in The Horse Capital of the World. Being stuck in the house gave me plenty of time to scour over the horses in contention for The Run For The Roses. While I warmed myself ,with my mother’s homemade potato soup, in my grandmother’s tea cup, I related my Irish pedigree with those hoping to make their mark in the 141st running of The Kentucky Derby.

Ireland is so important to Thoroughbred racing. They have a climate, lush grass, and limestone rich soil much like Kentucky. The Byerley Turk who used to race and battle in Ireland was one of the three stallions from which all Thoroughbreds descended. Horse racing can be traced to Ireland as far back as the 3rd century. At the time, the sport was chariot racing. The horses were raced in the area of Cuireach, an Irish Gaelic word for “place of the running horse”. The horses still run there, now called Curragh Racecourse , in County Kildare. It is the headquarters of flat racing in Ireland. Ancient Kings raced there in the early 18th century. This property includes over 1, 500 acres of facilities for training and is considered one of the finest places to train worldwide. Over 26% of all Thoroughbreds in Ireland train there. Ireland is the largest producer of Thoroughbreds in Europe and the 4th largest producer in the world. This track is run by The Turf Club founded in 1790. Like The Jockey Club, in the United States, this body governs the rules of racing and works for the well being and improvement of the industry. There are 26 racecourses in Ireland. They have their own Triple Crown made up of the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Irish Derby, and the Irish St. Leger. They are preparing for the 150th Irish Derby now. It is a three day event that kicks off on my birthday, June 26th. In addition to a winning horse they pick the most stylish lady and award her as well!

We are just eleven days away from my favorite holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, and only fifty seven days from The Kentucky Derby! Warmer weather is just a wee bit away. Twenty horses will run in the Kentucky Derby. Currently, we are tracking 46 contenders. The last of the final fourteen, of the original thirty-five, qualifying races begin tomorrow. The final races end on April 11 with Oaklawn Park Arlington Derby and Keeneland’s Lexington race. I have my eye on a few horses and I see some luck of the Irish in them.

Donegal Racing has 3 horses in contention, Keen Ice, Rock Shandy, and Danny Boy. They are ranked 12th, 24th, and 38th. Donegal Racing is a partnership that started in 2008 and managed by Jerry Crawford. The name Donegal is both a family name and of the Irish County of their origin. They chose their silks to show their heritage and they like to give their horses Irish names. This groups’ Paddy O’ Prado was third in the 2010 Kentucky Derby as was their Dullahan in 2012.

Lucky Player is ranked 10th. Nothing says Irish like that name, and that is all that appears to have any Emerald Isle connection. He is trained by Steve Asmussen. Formerly, he trained the greats Curlin and Rachel Alexandra.

Finally, there are the offspring of Giant’s Causeway. This horse is an international famed sire. He was born in Kentucky but raced and began his life as a stud in Ireland. He is now back in Kentucky at Coolmore Stud. There is a natural wonder in Ireland named Giant’s Causeway, formed by a volcanic eruption. In 14th place for a chance at the Kentucky Derby is Carpe Diem. That is Latin for “seize the day”, the title of one of my favorite Avenged Sevenfold songs. He won 1st place in the Breeders’ Futurity, at Keeneland, this past October and 2nd place at San Anita Park’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile the next month. He is my favorite so far. #41 ranked Tough Customer is also a colt of Giant’s Causeway.

If you are trapped indoors, like me, please enjoy The Road to the Kentucky Derby and my mom’s potato soup recipe:

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/road

Potato Soup

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January 29, 2015January 29, 2015

Pony Pub

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Yes, another field trip! Following my morning workout today I visited the Coffee Pub, with a friend, for a smoothie. The smoothie was delicious but I was so much more surprised by the history of this place, and the dedication the owner has towards honoring the building’s equestrian past.

Not to far from my favorite racetrack in Lexington, KY sits this breakfast and lunch restaurant. It is located in South Elkhorn Village, named for a nearby creek. The old stone building became The Coffee Pub in 2005. The stone house was constructed in the late 1800s. The former occupant used this building as a tack shop business. The shop carried all the various gear needed for horses from 1985 until the early 2000s.

The restaurant is best noted for its breakfast menu. I was excited by the sandwiches. They are called Thorough-Breads. Most are named for famous race horses. They offer the Seattle Slew-Rueben, the Sea Biscuit, the Ruffian, the Secretariat, the Funnycide, the Big Brown, the Mr. Prospector, and the Easy Goer. The interior is very shabby chic with a lot of horse decorations. My curiosity was peaked and I had to dig deeper.

The South Elkhorn Village was a community that started in 1783 around the end of the Revolutionary War. At the time, it was part of Virginia. The city became Lexington in 1775. The name, Lexington, came following The Battle of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. In 1792, this area was no longer part of Virginia when it became the state of Kentucky. Shortly after that, this stone building was erected here.

It is so nice to see a place rich in heritage find modern purpose and still remember and share its place in Thoroughbred history.

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