| It has been called "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports" | | | | distances faster in his final prep. |
| and, of course, "The Run for The Roses". The | | | | |
| Kentucky Derby is my favorite sporting event of the | | | | - I Want Revenge posted a BULLET workout (fastest |
| year and a GREAT EXCUSE TO WEAR A | | | | of the day) on Tuesday, working 4 furlongs in 41.2 |
| SEERSUCKER SUIT! | | | | seconds - the fastest of 49 other horses. |
| | | | |
| My success in picking the actual winner has been | | | | Who I am fearful of |
| rocky, at best. I attended my first Derby in 1993 and | | | | |
| haven't missed one since. For several years I | | | | #16 - Pioneer of the Nile |
| doubted that I would ever cash a ticket on the winner, | | | | - Career best Beyer of 96. Not fast enough?? |
| but that all changed in 2006 with Barbaro. Ridden by | | | | - Trainer Baffert has won three Derbies and he is |
| my favorite jockey, Edgar Prado, I had been pulling for | | | | talking a good game. |
| Barbaro well in advance of the 132nd edition of the | | | | - Never raced on dirt before. Can he handle the |
| greatest horse race in the world. | | | | Churchill Downs dirt track? |
| | | | - Garrett Gomez, the best jockey in America, chose |
| That win snapped my 0 for 13 losing streak. | | | | this horse over Dunkirk. |
| The following year brought Street Sense. I had him | | | | |
| too. Two in a row! My fortunes had changed and I | | | | #15 - Dunkirk |
| was convinced that I was poised to pick the winner | | | | - Only three lifetime races. But Big Brown was lightly |
| each and every year from now on. | | | | raced too. Look how that turned out? |
| Last year, Kentucky Derby 134, brought me back | | | | - How long can trainer Todd Pletcher's drought at the |
| down to earth. I went with Pyro. Big Brown ROLLED. | | | | Derby last? |
| (On a side note: I went to the Belmont Stakes, | | | | - Edgar Prado is onboard. I hate to bet against MY |
| convinced that I was about to see Big Brown win | | | | MAN! |
| the first triple crown since Affirmed in 1978. That | | | | - His Tomlinson Figure for 1 ¼ miles is only 281. I |
| didn't work out too well...) | | | | Want Revenge is 331 and Pioneer Of The Nile is 328. |
| This year, I am going with...... | | | | The higher the better. |
| #13 - I Want Revenge | | | | |
| | | | #6 - Friesan Fire |
| I Want Revenge, coincidentally, has the same | | | | - Larry Jones charge comes out of a good post |
| connections as Big Brown. Even though that fact | | | | position (6) and is fresh after posting a bullet workout |
| alone makes me nervous (two years in a row for the | | | | of his own on Monday. This was very similar to two |
| same ownership team?), I still think he is just too good. | | | | other horses Larry Jones trained for the Derby |
| The young hotshot of Animal Planet's "Jockeys" show, | | | | recently: Hard Spun - second in 2007, and Eight Belles - |
| Joe Talamo, takes the reigns in the biggest race of his | | | | second in 2008. |
| life. | | | | - He has shown the ability to run well on an off track. |
| | | | Could it be soft on Derby Day? |
| Why I think he will win | | | | |
| | | | | #7 - Papa Clem |
| - He has the highest lifetime Beyer speed figure (113) in | | | | - Could he be peaking at the right time? |
| the field, by far. | | | | - Winner of the Arkansas Derby. |
| | | | | - Upward Beyer speed figure trend. |
| - The horse had an incredibly difficult trip in its last race, | | | | |
| the Wood Memorial, but was able to post and | | | | Post time is 6:24 (coverage begins at 4 pm on NBC). |
| impressive last to first win. This experience should | | | | Hopefully, at 6:26 I will be enjoying a tall frosty Mint |
| come in handy in a 20 horse field that is traditionally | | | | Julep while celebrating the victory of I Want Revenge. |
| crowded around the turns. | | | | |
| | | | | UPDATE |
| - The Louisville Courier Journal came up with an | | | | I Want Revenge scratched from the Kentucky Derby |
| interesting predictor of Derby success several years | | | | early on Saturday morning with some slight |
| ago. In a horse's final 1 1/8 mile prep race, he should run | | | | lameness. My official Derby pick then became |
| the final eighth in under 13 seconds and the final 3/8 in | | | | Dunkirk (at about 6-1 odds). Mine That Bird pulled off |
| under 38 seconds. This is a measure of stamina. In the | | | | a MAJOR UPSET at over 50-1 odds....on to Baltimore |
| Wood, I Want Revenge ran his last 1/8 in 11.91 and the | | | | and the Preakness. |
| last 3/8 in 36.37. Only Hold Me Back ran both of those | | | | |