Let’s not forget how the experts believed a son of Bold Ruler could not win the Derby until Secretariat taught them a thing or two or three.
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“I think speed figures have become one of the biggest jokes in horse racing”, Dale Romans, trainer for Blue Grass Stakes victor Brody’s Cause, said this week. And there’s a horse with the terrific name Suddenbreakingnews, and another one named Oscar Nominated. And by those numbers, this year’s Derby field is not exactly a distinguished crop. “But there’s no question, with the size of the Kentucky Derby field and the quality of the horses, the first step is the toughest”.
Nyquist left from the same spot when he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile previous year at Keeneland, part of his 7-0 career record. She ran 1⅛ miles in 1:50.53 and paid $11.40, $5.40 and $3.80 for her fifth win in six starts.
Cameron, co-host of “The Big Show” with Matthew Laurence on WLXG 1300 AM, also serves as an owner, trainer, and breeder at the Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, where he has worked for 30 years. Last year, the winners of those same 14 preps averaged a 98.1.
Mor Spirit is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who has four Derby wins on his resume including the first leg of last year’s American Pharoah Triple Crown triumph. “I remember a year ago I had the 18 with American Pharoah”.
It wasn’t just Pharoah.
Mor Spirit needed a strong stretch run to edge Exaggerator for second place at the San Felipe Stakes, but was subsequently blown away by Exaggerator on a sloppy track at the Santa Anita Derby, once again settling for a second-place finish.
“I’m optimistic we’re going to win, ” he said.
In the weeks before Belmont, O’Neill was given a 45-day suspension because one of his horses was found to have an elevated level of carbon dioxide after a race in 2010, which can indicate that the horse was given a “milkshake”, a mix of baking soda, sugar and electrolytes delivered through a tube down a horse’s nose to combat fatigue. Exotic, over at the betting window?
Who’s there: Vivid said almost 30% of people buying tickets on the resale market come from Kentucky or neighboring Indiana. When the winning horse enters the winner’s circle, a garland comprised of 400 “Freedom” roses will be draped over the horse. None will be born until next year and won’t be eligible to run in the Derby until 2020.
“It just depends on which ones you look at”, Romans said.
To watch the Derby, you simply have to connect your Samsung smartphone to the Gear VR, download the NextVR app, and navigate to the NBC channel.
As I sorted through the 20 horses – eliminating some and becoming intrigued by others – I came to one obvious conclusion. “I’m glad of that because I need a target in front of me”.
These figures may also be part of the reason – pedigree being another – that undefeated Nyquist probably won’t be a prohibitive favorite.
After sustaining his first career defeat in the Florida Derby on April 2, the once high-flying Mohaymen couldn’t have dropped off the Kentucky Derby radar faster had Gulfstream Park been located in the Bermuda Triangle.
Nyquist has won at four different racecourses, criss-crossing America twice.
On the other hand, Nyquist has almost as many Grade I wins (four) as the rest of the field combined (six).
American Pharoah put to an end 37 years of waiting for a horse that could add the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to the Kentucky Derby, and Doug O’Neill’s Nyquist at least fits the bill as a horse who can go some way to replacing last season’s equine comet.
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Unfortunately, watching the race on the NextVR won’t give you any deeper insight into which horse you should bet your kid’s college fund on.
