Kentucky Derby 148

The final prep races have been run, and "The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports" will occur at approximately 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 7th, 2022 at 700 Central Avenue in Louisville. This will be the first post-COVID-19 Derby, with no attendance restrictions. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter, trained by 56 year old Steve Asmussen, who's won just about every major American thoroughbred race except the Kentucky Derby. There are currently 28 possibles for the 20 starting positions, depending upon injuries and decisions to bypass the race (which isn't likely). The most recent addition to the likely field of 20 is Tawny Port, the surprise winner of Keeneland's Lexington Stakes on April 16th, was on the outside looking in until collecting the 20 Derby points available to the Grade Three Stakes winner. Trainer Brad Cox, a Louisville native, also has Cyberknife in the Run For The Roses. The 42 year old Cox is a rising young star in the game. His entries always bear watching. The two most interesting storylines involve more seasoned trainers. Bob Baffert will not be saddling any horses at Churchill Downs for the foreseeable future. He exhausted all of his legal appeals a few weeks ago challenging his suspension from the track for last year's initial winner, Medina's Spirit, testing positive for the banned substance betamethasone after the race. His suspension runs until 2023. It's a long shot, but 86 year old HOF'er D. Wayne Lukas has his first potential Derby starter in four years with Ethereal Road. The horse hasn't won, but he's got the breeding to perform better at the longer mile and a quarter distance. He's also big...1300 pounds and 16.3 hands (almost 5 and a half feet). Lukas last won the Derby with Charismatic in 1999.
Here's the latest on the probable field of 20 from the Daily Racing Form. They have not updated it to reflect that Morello is out as of yesterday (4/24) due to a sore hoof from hitting the gate at the start of the April 9th Wood Memorial at New York's Aqueduct.

https://www.drf.com/derby-watch#derby-watch

 

If you're like me, and balk at splurging on a once-in-a-lifetime experience like attending the Derby, there are always more reasonable alternatives. The cheapest way to get into Churchill Downs on Derby Day is the $80 Infield General Admission route...little to no chance you'll see a horse (unless you get there at oh-darky-thirty to sprint to a spot by the chain link fence near the rail). You can get a mint julep and make wagers, but the rest is pretty primitive.

However...

The Kentucky Derby Museum, adjacent to the Executive Gate right at the track's address, 700 Central Ave., is a must do anytime you're in Louisville. It's easy to find. It's the semicircular entrance with a statue of Barbaro out front. "The Greatest Race," the museum's 18 minute film and the Historic Walking Tour are worth the $17 adult admission price alone. The film is shown in a large, oval shaped theater with a 360 degree, overhead screen. You must stand, because it goes around the screen in 4K high resolution with incredible surround sound audio that includes many of the things you would actually hear if you were there in person. It's great. The rest of the museum is excellent as well. There's a partial section of an actual starting gate near the entrance. It's only closed six days a year, except for closing early some days for rare private parties. Their busiest day is the Sunday after the Derby. 100% disclosure: I'm a rabid baseball fan, so I really prefer the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory downtown on West Main St.

I prefer to go to the track as a civilian on one of the Saturdays AFTER the Derby. You get the same weather, atmosphere and feel of what it's like on Oaks or Derby, MINUS the traffic, parking and crowd hassles. They're still making mint juleps from scratch instead of a mix, you can still get them in an official Derby Mint Julep glass, and the overpriced gift shops have a decent amount of Derby items on sale. One recent problem: the track switches to night racing for the second Saturday in May, but goes back to the day schedule on the third...Preakness Stakes day. In my opinion, that's the best alternative to paying obscene dollars for the Oaks, Derby or, when it's here, the Breeders' Cup.

Lastly, there's a Derby week experience that's not well known or advertised outside of the Louisville metropolitan area. I'm attaching a link to a free newspaper article about it. "Dawn At The Downs" may be the best bargain Churchill Downs experience available. And it's (sshhh) still free...so far, unless you wanna splurge for breakfast or really, really aren't a "morning" person and hate waking up early for almost any reason. This might be worth making an exception for. Personally, instead of forking over $41 for breakfast at the track, I'd wait and go over to Wagner's, as mentioned in the article. They shot one scene from "Secretariat" there. It has character, and it's very affordable.

https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...-derby-week-love-leter-louisville/7304138001/

If you're ever in Louisville for whatever reasons, try to shake loose from whatever non-recreational purpose you might be here for and try to squeeze in at least one of these experiences. Even breakfast or lunch at Wagner's will do (it's probably the least time consuming), and you'll at least get to see the outside of the Twin Spires while you're there.

 

I visited the museum last summer and really enjoyed it. I bought my kid this sweet souvenir.

 

Nice! I’ve never seen that one before. Then again, I haven’t had occasion to shop for young’uns in awhile. I try to catch things on sale when I visit the gift shop, but it’s very iffy I’ll find something reduced that fits me, apparel wise. But they do have some neat stuff for the kiddoes. I really love the film and the way it’s shown. The use of natural sound is very, very good. The tour is decent too. Glad you got to make it down there.

 

If you’re so inclined, Derby Week morning works are live on YouTube. Derby horses wear yellow saddle cloths; Oaks horses wear pink saddle cloths.

 

It's almost post time! I'm going with Messier, who's not finished worse than second, and has won 3 preps. D. Wayne Lukas, unfortunately, had to scratch his entry, Ethereal Road, but he won his fifth Kentucky Oaks yesterday with Secret Oath. He last won the Oaks in 1990. Happy Derby everyone!

 

@jumpkutz so the Derby was crazy! What was going through your mind?

 

Honestly, it was probably my favorite Derby ever. I noted the horse who made a beeline for the rail right after the start and thought to myself “well, that’s smart. He might be there at the end.” Then I kind of lost him, along with everybody else, until the final sixteenth. If you’re starting from the 14 or 15 hole or higher, you’ve got to consider that tactic, even if your horse has early speed. I also love the owner and trainer storylines. Eric Reed is the typical Kentucky-based trainer just making a living and having fun with his clients, along with winning a race or two here and there. It’s nice to see a small time Bluegrass native grab the big prize. He looks, talks and acts like the he prototypical Kentucky thoroughbred trainer, most of whom never sniff a Derby horse, much less get into the field. Owner Rick Dawson is an Oklahoman who got hooked on racing while working in Owensboro, KY, out in the neck of the woods I’m from. And finding the folks holding win tickets wasn’t too difficult!

 

Made many a trip to Owensboro. It’s where my daughter played futsal. Glad to hear a smaller trainer come good. It was a wild race.