147th Kentucky Derby

Sorry I'm late y'all. The post position draw was this morning. Full field of 20 three year old colts going a mile and a kwatta. The prohibitive favorite is Godolphin Stable's Essential Quality, who has won all five of his career starts, only two of which since he turned 3. I'm rooting for O Besos, a 20-1 long shot trained by my neighbor Greg Foley, who has only his second Derby horse in his career. Last year (well, in September) he saddled another long shot, Major Fed, who finished 10th.
Post time Saturday is 6:57 p.m. on an NBC affiliate near you.

https://www.kentuckyderby.com/horse...-about-the-2021-kentucky-derby-post-positions

 

I saw this morning that the Derby was this Saturday and I thought "How can that be?! Jump hasn't told me how to sound smart about it yet!" Thanks for coming through with your summary today.

 

My local track opened their season today. They got new owners so its no longer Fairmount park. Its now FanDuel sports book & horse racing. The track's days were numbered without the new money, so I'll accept the new name, but it's always Fairmount to me.

So if you find yourself in Collinsville Illinois on a Tuesday afternoon I'll be the guy drinking $2 beers, but losing every race. I'll take the losses for the cheap drinks.

 

Nobody carries the U of A Flag like Bob Baffert, Bear Down BB!!!!! #7thDerby

 

A rare, gorgeous 48 hour weather period made this one of the best Oaks-Derby experiences in a very long time. My Derby pick, O Besos, finished a very respectable fifth, and was in a position to contend at the top of the stretch in the final turn for home. Marcelino Pedroza took him straight to the rail out of the 6 hole, in what I thought was an excellent tactical and strategic move to save ground, and give the son of 2013 winner Orb a great chance to win. There were a lot of very close finishes over both days, including a dead heat in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, the mile and an eighth race that historically precedes the Derby. But what else can you say about Bob Baffert? Just like in September with Authentic, nobody was really talking much about his Derby horse, or giving it much of a chance. Now he’s passed Calumet Farm’s legendary Ben Jones for most Derby wins by a trainer, with his seventh. Medina Spirit was 12-1 at post time, but would have been much, much higher had anybody but Baffert been his trainer. History made.

 

So I took my 5 year old with me to the track yesterday. I let him bet 4 races. He picked winners in 3 of 4. He turned the 8 bucks I gave him into $21. I on the other hand got crushed and lost way more then 8 dollars. So its official, I know less about horse racing then a 5 year old.