2013 Kentucky Derby 139th Edition: congrats to Orb (Shug, Joel, Phipps/Janney)

[Glimmerglass]

re: John Velazquez return from injury

I cannot say that these are the most confident remarks regarding being fit to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Source DRF: Velazquez returns to race-riding

[JV] finishing last aboard the slow-starting first-time starter Armelda in the fifth race at Belmont Park. It was Velazquez’s first mount since suffering a cracked rib and chipping a bone in his wrist in a spill at Aqueduct on April 7.

On Thursday night, Velazquez was scheduled to fly to Kentucky, where he was to ride two horses on Friday at Churchill Downs, including Dreaming of Julia in the Kentucky Oaks, and four horses on Saturday, including Verrazano in the Kentucky Derby and Point of Entry in the Woodford Reserve.

Asked about his fitness level, Velazquez said, “I’m pretty fit. I’m not fit to ride a whole card, but I’m fit to ride what I’m going to ride.”

[Glimmerglass]

Of course the media is working every angel of the Derby by trying to illustrate trends and the like. Example from the - (graphic chart) The Wall Street Journal “Run in New York, Loose in Louisville”

The last 18 Derby runners to run their last prep race in New York all went on to finish out of the money (worse than third) at Churchill Downs. [The exception being] the gelding Funny Cide winning the Kentucky Derby in 2003.

This is a bad omen for Verrazano, the second choice at 4-1 in Saturday’s Derby, who won April’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in Queens. Verrazano, named after the bridge, is unbeaten in five career races but will have to avoid a traffic jam in the Derby, breaking from the 14th post. The Wood’s second-and third-place finishers (Normandy Invasion and Vyjack) also hope to break the New York jinx.

[Glimmerglass]

Interesting: bloodline info with distance success

http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-derby-pedigree-analysis-who-bred-distance

Best: Charming Kitten & Fear the Kitten
Close second - Golden Soul

Worst: Mylute

[dreamswept]

[QUOTE=FatDinah;6968346]
Does anyone know if Lava Man will be coming as a pony?[/QUOTE]

Nope, Coach stayed home. The pony this year is Leandro’s pony horse, Satire. He’s adorably cute too.

[CVPeg]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;6968585]
re: John Velazquez return from injury

I cannot say that these are the most confident remarks regarding being fit to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Source DRF: Velazquez returns to race-riding[/QUOTE]

Ewwww…

[Glimmerglass]

The familiar face of Dr. Larry Bramladge won’t be seen this weekend after a spill at Churchill Downs; per a tweet by Jay Privman:

Dr. Larry Bramlage, injured Thurs, being kept in hospital for weekend for observation. Dr. Mary Scollay will be AAEP’s On-Call vet.

[Glimmerglass]

Ed Fountaine /NY Post has their annual nifty Derby bettors guide for those who haven’t been following the runners too closely.

[CVPeg]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;6969122]
Ed Fountaine /NY Post has their annual nifty Derby bettors guide for those who hasn’t been following the runners too closely.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! …and had to switch the print layout to landscape!!

[Glimmerglass]

Just 19 horses starting! Black Onyx SCRATCHED after the cut-off to get Fear the Kitten in.

Tweet from DRF

Trainer Kelly Breen will give media briefing in the next hour to discuss Black Onyx scratch from @KentuckyDerby; more details to come

AE Fear The Kitten, out of Derby because Black Onyx had not been scratched by the 9:30 deadline, stuck w/out his shot in

[Vibrant_Black]

@Drvmb1ggl3;6968028

Do NBC have plans to show the Woodford Reserve as part of their coverage? That’s the race of the day right there… two of the best horses in the world facing-off.

Hello all
In past years many of the undercard races were shown.

An FYI -
Live-streaming of the Oaks today & Derby tomorrow here:
http://stream.nbcsports.com/liveextra/
5pm today, 11am & 4pm tomorrow.

[Real_Rush]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;6969335]
Just 19 horses starting! Black Onyx SCRATCHED after the cut-off to get Fear the Kitten in.

Tweet from DRF[/QUOTE]

Dammit! I was so hoping Fear the Kitten would make it in. He was on my fantasy trifecta list.

[Glimmerglass]

Note the actual post position remain unchanged as the 1st PP will simply go unfilled.

The inside post, the position from which Black Onyx had been schedule to start, will be left open in the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers said. The remaining horses will break from the post positions they drew at Wednesday’s post draw.

[LearnToFly]

I have a Derby marketing/odds question that might be stupid-

Since the Derby probably sees a dramatic increase over other races/meets in the number of bettors that don’t have much experience, do horses with good names end up with better odds at post?

[shezabrazenmare]

A blah race. No fillies! And no super horse(s). Where are the Affirmed and Alydar horses? Give us great horses racing against great horses. And give us the great fillies.

[CVPeg]

[QUOTE=LearnToFly;6969451]
I have a Derby marketing/odds question that might be stupid-

Since the Derby probably sees a dramatic increase over other races/meets in the number of bettors that don’t have much experience, do horses with good names end up with better odds at post?[/QUOTE]

Probably - at least know one thing that happens at Saratoga - where a lot of people are there for fun, and to be seen. If a horse has a common name in it, like “Mikey” or “Elizabeth”, the odds seem to drop, as every Mikey or Elizabeth or everyone who has a son/daughter/niece/nephew/mother/father/friend with the name will bet it.

[DeucesWild11]

No superhorses? A blah race??? Clearly you didn’t do your research into this race. What about orb? Read a little bit about him. Might be a superhorses but he has a lot of history in his trainer and connections.

Verrazano is unbeaten. What are you expecting from a superhorses?

Revolutionary is a horse who has faced some troubling rides AND WON. and he has Borel, master of the rail.

How about goldencents? Lots of speed in a horse that had a pretty good looking SA derby.

Do some research before commenting.

[Glimmerglass]

The PP 1 being now open actually sets up Revolutionary - who was going to be on the rail quickly - quite nicely. Just saying

[Glimmerglass]

What about the Coolmore runner?

Lines of Battle had been quarantined since arriving Wednesday, while Giant Finish, a very late addition to the Derby lineup, vanned to Churchill Downs from his Maryland base Thursday.

Lines of Battle jogged a mile and then galloped a mile and appeared to get a little stressed out and hot during the lengthy session that concluded several minutes after the general population was allowed on the track at 6 a.m. Lines of Battle was allowed to stretch out into a two-minute lick during the final three furlongs of his gallop.

[NMK]

That rail ride is going to be WET and tiring…the weather is surely going to change a lot of plans for tomorrow.

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=NMK;6969574]
That rail ride is going to be WET and tiring…the weather is surely going to change a lot of plans for tomorrow.[/QUOTE]

Don’t forget this year - no umbrellas along with no cameras with detachable lenses. Because there’s no need to stay dry or have a keep sake.

Complaint aside it’s worth reciting that Calvin is a master at riding in the wet and Revolutionary has won on an off-track …