Welcome to the 143rd consecutive running of the Kentucky Derby! We have waited a long time to get to this historical moment and the time is upon us this weekend. Who will win The Run For The Roses?
On Saturday, May 6, 2017 the KY Derby will be held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. It is the first leg of The Triple Crown. The other jewels (races) are the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Many of America’s and some international champions have participated in this race since its inauguration in 1875. Few are qualified to even take the chance. This year’s field is restricted to 20 thoroughbreds. They are 3 year-olds who received points in select KY Derby prep stakes on The Road to the KY Derby. The winner is draped in a garland of roses and receives a silver KY Derby trophy. Look at my pictures throughout from my visit this week to the KY Derby Museum, at Churchill Downs.
The 10 furlong (1 and 1/4 mile), Grade 1 dirt race will post at 6:34 P.M. EDT. It is the 12th race on a card of 14. 6 other graded stakes are on the card including the Pat Day Mile. Pat Day spoke at the museum on Sunday. It was unforgettable. He recalled the 25th anniversary of winning the KY Derby with Lil E. Tee. Gates at Churchill open at 8 am with race one posting at 10:30 A.M. and the final race at 8:10 P.M. NBC Sports Network will televise the races from 12 to 2:30 P.M. at which time NBC will pick-up coverage until 7:20 P.M., also all in EDT zone. The $2 million dollar race, presented by Yum brands is sure to be spectacular and surprising. If history repeats itself, it will have one of the highest attendance records of any American race.
There are stand out horses dear to many hearts. Very few defy the nickname of The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports. Secretariat did when he finished in 1:59 2/5 minutes with the track record. That was in 1973 and it stands to this day.
Winning Colors was the winner of the 114th KY Derby. She was the last of only 3 fillies to do so thus far. Regret won in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988. No fillies are entered for 2017. D. Wayne Lukas trained Winning Colors. Churchill is the home track for Lukas. He has been generous with the KY Derby museum for a while. When I was at the museum, on 4/30/17, he had a press conference with his fans. He announced he will be sharing his personal collection of racing memorabilia with the museum. He is such a gentlemen. See his 4 KY Derby rings, 4 KY Derby statues, and his Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and World Champion rings below.
The last 3 to horses win the KY Derby are special to me as well. I am a huge fan of California Chrome, American Pharoah and Nyquist. I have all had the pleasure of visiting all at their respective stud farms since their KY Derby wins. These 3 won from the period of 2014 to 2016, sequentially. I am anticipating fine breeding in their foals.
Enough reminiscing, by order of post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/breeder/and morning-line odds, here is the 143rd KY Derby field:
- Lookin At Lee/Corey J. Lanerie/Steven M. Asmussen/L and N Racing, LLC./Ray Hanson/20-1
- Thunder Snow/Christophe Soumillion/Saeed bin Suroor/Godolphin, LLC., Lessee/Darley/20-1
- Fast and Accurate/Channing Hill/Michael J. Maker/K. Hansen, Skychai Racing LLC., B. Miller and Sand Dollar Stable LLC./John R. Penn/50-1
- Untrapped/Ricardo Santana Jr./Steven M. Asmussen/Michael Langford/Indian Creek and Jonathan Sheppard/30-1
- Always Dreaming/John R. Velazquez/Todd A. Pletcher/MeB Racing, Brooklyn Boyz, Teresa Viola, St. EliasSiena Farm and West Point/Santa Rosa Partners/5-1
- State of Honor/Jose Lezcano/Mark E. Casse/Conrad Farms/Manfred and Penny Conrad/30-1
- Girvin/Mike E. Smith/Joe Sharp/Brad Grady/Bob Austin and John Witte/15-1
- Hence/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen/Calumet Farm/Calumet Farm/15-1
- Irap/Mario Gutierrez/Doug F. O’Neill/Reddam Racing LLC./Aaron and Marie Jones/20-1
- Gunnevera/Javier Castellano/Antonio Sano/Peacock Racing Stables, LLC./Brandywine Farm and Steven Upchurch/15-1
- Battle of Midway/Flavien Pratt/Jerry Hollendorfer/Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm, LLC./Thor-Bred Stables, LLC./30-1
- Sonneteer/Kent j. Desormeaux/J. Keith Desormeaux/Calumet Farm/ Calumet Farm/50-1
- J Boys Echo/Luis Saez/Dale L. Romans/Albaugh Family Stable/Betz, Blackburn, J. Betz, Ramsby, CNHHNK/20-1
- Classic Empire/Julien R. Leparoux/Mark E. Casse/John C. Oxley/Steven and Brad Nicholson/4-1
- McCraken/Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr./Ian R. Wilkes/Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC./Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC./5-1
- Tapwrit/Jose L. Ortiz/Todd A. Pletcher/Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert LaPenta/My Meadowview LLC./20-1
- Irish War Cry/Rajiv Maragh/H. Graham Motion/Isabelle deTomaso/Isabelle deTomaso/6-1
- Gormley/Victor Espinoza/John A. Shirreffs/Mr. and Mrs. Jerome S. Moss/Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate/15-1
- Practical Joke/Joel Rosario/Chad C. Brown/Kiaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence/Whispering Oaks/20-1
- Patch/Tyler Gaffalione/Todd A. Pletcher/Calumet Farm/Calumet Farm/30-1
Lookin At Lee is a KY bred Keeneland Sales Grad. He is sired by Lookin At Lucky who finished 6th in the 2010 Ky Derby and his dam is Langara Lass. Lookin At Lee has 2 wins in 9 starts. He did not win any of his 6 graded stakes but he finished 2nd and 3rd twice each. Post 1 has not turned out a winner since 1996.
Thunder Snow is a foreign bred and based horse. He made his first trip to the United States for this race. He is Irish bred, born to an Australian bred sire, Helmet and a Great Britain dam, Eastern Joy. He got his Ky Derby points winning the UAE Derby in Dubai at Meydan. He has won 4 of 8 races.
Fast and Accurate is a grey (via the Tapit line) Pennsylvania bred, Keeneland Grad. Hansen and It’s Heidi’s Dance are his bloodline. He has won the last 3 of his 6 starts. Only his last race was a graded stakes, the G3 Spiral which is where he got his points. He has never won on a dirt track.
Untrapped is another Keeneland Grad. He was bred in KY, the offspring of Trappe Shot and Exit Three. He won only his maiden in 6 starts. He was 6th his last time out at the Arkansas Derby.
Always Dreaming, also a KY bred Keeneland Grad was born to Bodemeister and Above Perfection. Bodeimeister finished 2nd in the KY Derby in 2012. Always Dreaming was very impressive when he scored his 3 wins in 5 starts in the Florida Derby. He won by 5 lengths.
State of Honor is an Ontario bred who had his 6 first races at Woodbine before shipping to Florida for his last 4 races. To Honor and Serve is his sire and State Cup, his dam. The only race he has won is his maiden but he finished in the top 2nd or 3rd in all 3 of his KY Derby prep stakes. He is an early speed horse. Can he keep up the endurance?
Girvin is KY Bred. He is a Keeneland Sales grad and I visited his sire’s home not too long ago, Darby Dan Farm. He is the son of Tale of Ekati, 4th in the 2008 KY Derby and Catch the Moon. Girvin has won 3 of 4 career starts. The last 2 were wins in KY prep races. He has more Ky Derby points than the favorite.
Hence is the first of an outstanding 3 contenders from Calumet Farm! I quite like the come-back they are riding. Hence is a KY bred colt of Street Boss and Floating Island. Hence has won 2 of his 6 starts. His last time out he won the G3 Sunland Derby, he was 2nd in his only start at Churchill. His damsire is A. P. Indy sired by Seattle Slew, former Triple Crown greatness. Nice pedigree in this one.
Irap was living at Keeneland during the recent Spring meet. I was able to visit him at his barn. He surprised many when he broke his maiden in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes. He has had 7 other starts. His sire is Tiznow and his dam is Silken Cat. He is both a KY bred and a Keeneland Grad.
Gunnevera also representing both KY and Keeneland is the product of Dialed In, 8th in the 2011 KY Derby and the late Unbridled Rage by Unbridled, winner of the 1990 KY Derby. Gunnevera was bottle raised, his dam passed away. He has 4 wins of 9 career races. His last 6 were all graded stakes where he finished in the top 3 or better except for once in 5th. A lot of people are hot for this one. Even his 3rd place finish in the Florida Derby was 3rd for a race record.
Battle of Midway is a KY bred colt of Smart Strike and Rigoletta. He has won half of his 4 starts. He has never finished worse than 3rd and that is why he scored his points. All of his races took place at Santa Anita in California. I hope he enjoys his return to KY!
Sonneteer made the cut with the least amount of points. This horse has yet to break his maiden. He is 0 for 10 but he got his points finishing 2nd and 4th in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby respectively. Sonneteer was born in KY to Midnight Lute and Ours. His jockey, Desormeaux has won the KY Derby 3 times.
J Boys Echo was born in KY and sold at Keeneland. J Boys Echo’s parents are Mineshaft and Letgomyecho. J Boys Echo got his start at Churchill. He broke his maiden and had his last start both at Keeneland. I was suprised at his 4th place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes after he performed equal and then better in his other 3 KY Derby preps. His damsire is Menifee, 2nd in the 1999 KY Derby for jockey, Pat Day.
Classic Empire is the favorite and my favorite as well. He got his start at Churchill and broke his maiden there his 2nd time out, in the G3 Bashford Manor Stakes. I was pretty hooked right then and there as I was present at the track that day. He went on to amaze winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the 2016 Eclipse Award for Champion 2 Year-Old Colt. He has won 5 of his 7 starts, several graded stakes and prep races. His sire is Pioneerof the Nile, father of Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah. His dam is Sambuca Classica. Classic Empire is a KY, Keeneland Grad.
McCraken housed in a Keeneland barn during the past Spring meet. I watched him workout and get a bath. He is a KY boy, born to Ghostzapper and Ivory Empress. He was first in 4 of 5 starts so I was disappointed when he finished 3rd in the Blue Grass Stakes. That and his 2 first place finishes in other preps were enough to get him to the KY Derby. I’d like to see him finish strong again.
Tapwrit is a grey child of Tapit and Appealing Zophie. He showed promise early selling as a yearling for $1.2 million dollars. Born in KY his last start was his first local race where he was surprisingly 5th in the Blue Grass after nice 1st and 2nd place finishes in his other 2 preps.
Irish War Cry, I love the name, is from New Jersey. He has finished 1st in 4 races and unfortunately 7th in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. His first place finish in the Wood Memorial Stakes may suggest things are looking up for this colt. His sire is Curlin and his dam is Irish Sovereign. Curlin was 3rd in the 2007 KY Derby.
Gormley is a Keeneland Grad, KY bred. He is the offspring of Malibu Moon and Race to Urga. His jockey, Espinoza, has won 2 of the last 3 KY Derbys. Gormley has won 4 of 6 starts. He was 1st his last time out. That was the Santa Anita Derby. All of his races have been in California. He was 3rd on the KY Derby leaderboard.
Practical Joke has won half of his 6 starts. He was born in KY and auctioned at Keeneland. He was born to Into Mischief and Halo Humor. He started off winning his first 3 races making him a multiple graded stakes winner. He has finished 3rd, then 2nd twice in his last 3 races. He recently finished 2nd in the Blue Grass Stakes.
Patch is proven tough. He had an eye removed due to an ulcer but he has not had that stop him from racing in one of the world’s most famous races. He has won 2 of his 3 starts and he had a nice 2nd place finish in the Louisiana Derby his last time out. Patch is the KY bred colt of Union Rags and Windyindy.
Will the statue get fresh paint? It is a tradition at Churchill Downs to paint this centrally located jockey statue in the colors of the KY Derby winners silks and leave it on display until the following year. Nyquist wore the colors of his owners, Reddham Racing, LLC., when he won in 2016. Only Irap is associated with those silks this year. I’m hoping to see a blue and yellow checkerboard myself! Grab a Mint Julep, the official drink, eat some burgoo to stay warm, my favorite KY race food and strike up “My Old Kentucky Home” the song of the KY Derby while enjoying history in the making.
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