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I know we don't have a lot of horse players on this forum, but even casual fans tend to pay attention to the Kentucky Derby every year. So, with that hope in mind, here's an introduction to ten of the likely twenty horses that will comprimise this year's cast of players.
Tapit. If you like to bet horses because they're gray, this is your horse. If you like to bet horses with names that carry dirty connotations, think taking a piss and bet the ranch. If talented horses trained by talented trainers appeal to you, then this one is worth a sheckel or two. He just won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct going from last to first on a track in which closers had trouble all day long. He's trained by Michael Dickinson, a mad genius from England, who was able to take a horse who had not run in two years and win the Breeder's Cup Mile. He's never run a horse in the Derby, so you've got to pay attention when he finally chooses to put one there.
The Cliff's Edge. This one's trained by Nick Zito who, along with Bob Baffert and Wayne Lukas, have dominated the Derby for the past fifteen years. He won the Blue Grass Stakes Saturday and earned the highest speed figure (111) of any horse going into the Derby. The likely favorite.
Smarty Jones. The only horse in the past thirty years to go into the Derby undefeated and with as many wins as Seattle Slew is.... Smarty Jones. He's not bred for the classic distance of a mile and a quarter, but he just keeps winning as the races go longer. He won Saturday's Arkansas Derby, and as a consequence, has a chance to win a 5 million dollar bonus (put up by Oaklawn Park) if he wins the Kentucky Derby. He's a Pennsylvania bred, ridden by a no name jockey, and is not well respected by the horse racing media. He's this year's Funny Cide, with his nuts intact.
Lion Heart. A front runner with a lot of heart, he was just beaten by a half of a length by the Cliff's Edge in the Blue Grass. In both of his prep races before the Derby, he was forced to run at a fast pace early, and still was able to run with the closers at the end of the race, just to get nipped at the wire. His big problem is that there is likely to be other front runners in the Derby who will force him to run too fast too early.
Castledale. An Irish horse who had been running on the turf but who was switched over to the dirt for the Santa Anita Derby and stunned most by winning it. Trained by Jeff "Moon" Mullins, who has never won a Derby to date.
Pollard's Vision. Named after the jockey for Sea Biscuit because, like Red Pollard, he can't see out of one of his eyes. He won the Illinois Derby (the same race won by War Emblem prior to his Derby win) going wire to wire, and is trained by Todd Pletcher, a great trainer who has yet to win the Derby.
Friend's Lake. Winner of the Florida Derby who is taking the unusual approach of not running in an April prep race before the Kentucky Derby. He's regally bred but the running time of the Florida Derby was so slow that he will likely be dismissed by many. Don't overlook him - he beat both Tapit and The Cliff's Edge in the Florida Derby.
Imperialism. Finished a very troubled third in the Santa Anita Derby and might have won the race if another horse had not come over and impeded his path home. He's a former claimer, trained by a twenty one year old woman, who might make a better rags to riches story than Smarty Jones.
Wimbledon. Trained by Bob Baffert, this horse looked like a sure fire favorite for the Derby after he won the Louisiana Derby. However, they're still looking to see if he finished the Santa Anita Derby. Baffert loves the spotlight of the Derby and will likely enter him in it despite that dismal showing in California.
Master David. Trained by Robert Frankel, America's most successful trainer over the past five years (in terms of number of stakes wins) and the trainer of last year's triple crown spolier, Empire Maker, he just ran second to Tapit in the Wood Memorial.
Tapit. If you like to bet horses because they're gray, this is your horse. If you like to bet horses with names that carry dirty connotations, think taking a piss and bet the ranch. If talented horses trained by talented trainers appeal to you, then this one is worth a sheckel or two. He just won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct going from last to first on a track in which closers had trouble all day long. He's trained by Michael Dickinson, a mad genius from England, who was able to take a horse who had not run in two years and win the Breeder's Cup Mile. He's never run a horse in the Derby, so you've got to pay attention when he finally chooses to put one there.
The Cliff's Edge. This one's trained by Nick Zito who, along with Bob Baffert and Wayne Lukas, have dominated the Derby for the past fifteen years. He won the Blue Grass Stakes Saturday and earned the highest speed figure (111) of any horse going into the Derby. The likely favorite.
Smarty Jones. The only horse in the past thirty years to go into the Derby undefeated and with as many wins as Seattle Slew is.... Smarty Jones. He's not bred for the classic distance of a mile and a quarter, but he just keeps winning as the races go longer. He won Saturday's Arkansas Derby, and as a consequence, has a chance to win a 5 million dollar bonus (put up by Oaklawn Park) if he wins the Kentucky Derby. He's a Pennsylvania bred, ridden by a no name jockey, and is not well respected by the horse racing media. He's this year's Funny Cide, with his nuts intact.
Lion Heart. A front runner with a lot of heart, he was just beaten by a half of a length by the Cliff's Edge in the Blue Grass. In both of his prep races before the Derby, he was forced to run at a fast pace early, and still was able to run with the closers at the end of the race, just to get nipped at the wire. His big problem is that there is likely to be other front runners in the Derby who will force him to run too fast too early.
Castledale. An Irish horse who had been running on the turf but who was switched over to the dirt for the Santa Anita Derby and stunned most by winning it. Trained by Jeff "Moon" Mullins, who has never won a Derby to date.
Pollard's Vision. Named after the jockey for Sea Biscuit because, like Red Pollard, he can't see out of one of his eyes. He won the Illinois Derby (the same race won by War Emblem prior to his Derby win) going wire to wire, and is trained by Todd Pletcher, a great trainer who has yet to win the Derby.
Friend's Lake. Winner of the Florida Derby who is taking the unusual approach of not running in an April prep race before the Kentucky Derby. He's regally bred but the running time of the Florida Derby was so slow that he will likely be dismissed by many. Don't overlook him - he beat both Tapit and The Cliff's Edge in the Florida Derby.
Imperialism. Finished a very troubled third in the Santa Anita Derby and might have won the race if another horse had not come over and impeded his path home. He's a former claimer, trained by a twenty one year old woman, who might make a better rags to riches story than Smarty Jones.
Wimbledon. Trained by Bob Baffert, this horse looked like a sure fire favorite for the Derby after he won the Louisiana Derby. However, they're still looking to see if he finished the Santa Anita Derby. Baffert loves the spotlight of the Derby and will likely enter him in it despite that dismal showing in California.
Master David. Trained by Robert Frankel, America's most successful trainer over the past five years (in terms of number of stakes wins) and the trainer of last year's triple crown spolier, Empire Maker, he just ran second to Tapit in the Wood Memorial.
Would be hard to get by the Jockey Club censors though.
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