The field has been announced. Over the next 2 days I'll break down the field to a few contenders and hopefully 1 winner. Sometimes, the best horse wins the Kentucky Derby. But more often than not, the horse with the bigest beyer numbers, most attention from the public waltzes into Churchill Downs and beaten because of his pedigree, preparation or the bad luck that comes with being favored.
1. Archarcharch, J. Court, 10-1
2. Brilliant Speed, J. Rosario, 30-1
3. Twice the Appeal, C. Borel, 30-1
4. Stay Thirsty, R. Dominguez, 30-1
5. Decisive Moment, K. Clark, 50-1
6. Comma To The Top, P. Valenzuela, 30-1
7. Pants On Fire, R. Napravnik, 30-1
8. Dialed In, J. Leparoux, 4-1
9. Derby Kitten, J. Castellano, 30-1
10. Twinspired, M. Smith, 30-1
11. Master of Hounds, G. Gomez, 20-1
12. Santiva, S. Bridgmohan, 30-1
13. Mucho Macho Man, R. Maragh, 12-1
14. Shackleford, J. Castanon, 20-1
15. Midnight Interlude, V. Espinoza, 12-1
16. Animal Kingdom, R. Albarado, 20-1
17. Soldat, A. Garcia, 20-1
18. Uncle Mo, J. Velazquez, 5-1
19. Nehro, C. Nakatani, 6-1
20. Watch Me Go, R. Bejarano, 50-1
1st set of criteria is to eliminate any horse whose last prep race was not 1 1/8th mile. Only one horse fails and that is Derby Kitten.
2nd step and one of the most important is to throw out any horse who didn't finish 4th or better in its final prep race. Preferably 3rd or better. A horse who comes in to the race in bad form doesn't find it. Past history proves it. Dating back to 1962 no horse has finished worse than 4th in its final prep race and has worn the roses. We can safely eliminate Santiva (9th place finish in Bluegrass), Soldat (5th place finsh in the Florida derby), Stay Thirsty (7th place finish in the Florida derby), Watch Me go (6th place in the Illinois derby)
2010 Super Saver Arkansas Derby 2nd
2009 Mine That Bird Sunland Derby 4th
2008 Big Brown Florida Derby 1st
2007 Street Sense Blue Grass 2nd
2006 Barbaro Florida Derby 1st
2005 Giacomo Santa Anita D 4th
2004 Smarty Jones Arkansas Derby 1st
2003 Funny Cide Wood Mememorial 2nd
2002 War Emblem Illinois Derby 1st
2001 Monarchos Wood Memorial 2nd
2000 Fus. Pegasus Wood Memorial 1st
1999 Charismatic Lexington 1st
1998 Real Quiet Santa Anita D 2nd
1997 Silver Charm Santa Anita D 2nd
1996 Grindstone Arkansas Derby 2nd
1995 Thunder Gulch Blue Grass 4th
1994 Go for Gin Wood Memorial 2nd
1993 Sea Hero Blue Grass 4th
1992 Lil E. Tee Arkansas Derby 2nd
1991 Strike the Gold Blue Grass 1st
1990 Unbridled Blue Grass 3rd
1989 Sunday Silence Santa Anita Derby 1st
1988 Winning Colors Santa Anita Derby 1st
1987 Alysheba Blue Grass 3rd
1986 Ferdinand Santa Anita Derby 3rd
1985 Spend a Buck Garden State 1st
1984 Swale Lexington 2nd
1983 Sunny's Halo Arkansas Derby 1st
1982 Gato Del Sol Blue Grass 2nd
1981 Pleasant Colony Wood Memorial 1st
1980 Genuine Risk Wood Memorial 3rd
1979 Spectacular Bid Blue Grass 1st
1978 Affirmed Hollywood Derby 1st
1977 Seattle Slew Wood Memorial 1st
1976 Bold Forbes Wood Memorial 1st
1975 Foolish Pleasure Wood Memorial 1st
1974 Cannonade CD Allowance 1st
1973 Secretariat Wood Memorial 3rd
1972 Riva Ridge Blue Grass 1st
1971 Canonero II Venezuela 3rd
1970 Dust Commander Blue Grass 1st
1969 Majestic Prince CD Allowance 1st
1968 Forward Pass Blue Grass 1st
1967 Proud Clarion Blue Grass 2nd
1966 Kauai King Gov. Gold Cup 1st
1965 Lucky Debonair Blue Grass 1st
1964 Northern Dancer Blue Grass 1st
1963 Chateaugay Blue Grass 1st
1962 Decidedly Blue Grass 2nd
And the field is down to 15. Stay tuned.
1. Archarcharch, J. Court, 10-1
2. Brilliant Speed, J. Rosario, 30-1
3. Twice the Appeal, C. Borel, 30-1
5. Decisive Moment, K. Clark, 50-1
6. Comma To The Top, P. Valenzuela, 30-1
7. Pants On Fire, R. Napravnik, 30-1
8. Dialed In, J. Leparoux, 4-1
10. Twinspired, M. Smith, 30-1
11. Master of Hounds, G. Gomez, 20-1
13. Mucho Macho Man, R. Maragh, 12-1
14. Shackleford, J. Castanon, 20-1
15. Midnight Interlude, V. Espinoza, 12-1
16. Animal Kingdom, R. Albarado, 20-1
18. Uncle Mo, J. Velazquez, 5-1
19. Nehro, C. Nakatani, 6-1
1. Archarcharch, J. Court, 10-1
2. Brilliant Speed, J. Rosario, 30-1
3. Twice the Appeal, C. Borel, 30-1
4. Stay Thirsty, R. Dominguez, 30-1
5. Decisive Moment, K. Clark, 50-1
6. Comma To The Top, P. Valenzuela, 30-1
7. Pants On Fire, R. Napravnik, 30-1
8. Dialed In, J. Leparoux, 4-1
9. Derby Kitten, J. Castellano, 30-1
10. Twinspired, M. Smith, 30-1
11. Master of Hounds, G. Gomez, 20-1
12. Santiva, S. Bridgmohan, 30-1
13. Mucho Macho Man, R. Maragh, 12-1
14. Shackleford, J. Castanon, 20-1
15. Midnight Interlude, V. Espinoza, 12-1
16. Animal Kingdom, R. Albarado, 20-1
17. Soldat, A. Garcia, 20-1
18. Uncle Mo, J. Velazquez, 5-1
19. Nehro, C. Nakatani, 6-1
20. Watch Me Go, R. Bejarano, 50-1
1st set of criteria is to eliminate any horse whose last prep race was not 1 1/8th mile. Only one horse fails and that is Derby Kitten.
2nd step and one of the most important is to throw out any horse who didn't finish 4th or better in its final prep race. Preferably 3rd or better. A horse who comes in to the race in bad form doesn't find it. Past history proves it. Dating back to 1962 no horse has finished worse than 4th in its final prep race and has worn the roses. We can safely eliminate Santiva (9th place finish in Bluegrass), Soldat (5th place finsh in the Florida derby), Stay Thirsty (7th place finish in the Florida derby), Watch Me go (6th place in the Illinois derby)
2010 Super Saver Arkansas Derby 2nd
2009 Mine That Bird Sunland Derby 4th
2008 Big Brown Florida Derby 1st
2007 Street Sense Blue Grass 2nd
2006 Barbaro Florida Derby 1st
2005 Giacomo Santa Anita D 4th
2004 Smarty Jones Arkansas Derby 1st
2003 Funny Cide Wood Mememorial 2nd
2002 War Emblem Illinois Derby 1st
2001 Monarchos Wood Memorial 2nd
2000 Fus. Pegasus Wood Memorial 1st
1999 Charismatic Lexington 1st
1998 Real Quiet Santa Anita D 2nd
1997 Silver Charm Santa Anita D 2nd
1996 Grindstone Arkansas Derby 2nd
1995 Thunder Gulch Blue Grass 4th
1994 Go for Gin Wood Memorial 2nd
1993 Sea Hero Blue Grass 4th
1992 Lil E. Tee Arkansas Derby 2nd
1991 Strike the Gold Blue Grass 1st
1990 Unbridled Blue Grass 3rd
1989 Sunday Silence Santa Anita Derby 1st
1988 Winning Colors Santa Anita Derby 1st
1987 Alysheba Blue Grass 3rd
1986 Ferdinand Santa Anita Derby 3rd
1985 Spend a Buck Garden State 1st
1984 Swale Lexington 2nd
1983 Sunny's Halo Arkansas Derby 1st
1982 Gato Del Sol Blue Grass 2nd
1981 Pleasant Colony Wood Memorial 1st
1980 Genuine Risk Wood Memorial 3rd
1979 Spectacular Bid Blue Grass 1st
1978 Affirmed Hollywood Derby 1st
1977 Seattle Slew Wood Memorial 1st
1976 Bold Forbes Wood Memorial 1st
1975 Foolish Pleasure Wood Memorial 1st
1974 Cannonade CD Allowance 1st
1973 Secretariat Wood Memorial 3rd
1972 Riva Ridge Blue Grass 1st
1971 Canonero II Venezuela 3rd
1970 Dust Commander Blue Grass 1st
1969 Majestic Prince CD Allowance 1st
1968 Forward Pass Blue Grass 1st
1967 Proud Clarion Blue Grass 2nd
1966 Kauai King Gov. Gold Cup 1st
1965 Lucky Debonair Blue Grass 1st
1964 Northern Dancer Blue Grass 1st
1963 Chateaugay Blue Grass 1st
1962 Decidedly Blue Grass 2nd
And the field is down to 15. Stay tuned.
1. Archarcharch, J. Court, 10-1
2. Brilliant Speed, J. Rosario, 30-1
3. Twice the Appeal, C. Borel, 30-1
5. Decisive Moment, K. Clark, 50-1
6. Comma To The Top, P. Valenzuela, 30-1
7. Pants On Fire, R. Napravnik, 30-1
8. Dialed In, J. Leparoux, 4-1
10. Twinspired, M. Smith, 30-1
11. Master of Hounds, G. Gomez, 20-1
13. Mucho Macho Man, R. Maragh, 12-1
14. Shackleford, J. Castanon, 20-1
15. Midnight Interlude, V. Espinoza, 12-1
16. Animal Kingdom, R. Albarado, 20-1
18. Uncle Mo, J. Velazquez, 5-1
19. Nehro, C. Nakatani, 6-1
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