The 150th Kentucky Derby

The first early Derby preps happened this past weekend. Here’s a link to TVG’s updated Derby horse rankings.
The 150th Kentucky Derby goes to the post on Saturday, May 4th, 2024 at 6:57 p.m., EST. NBC still has the TV coverage contract for this year. It’s set to expire after the 2025 race.

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Won't make it for the derby, but I am planning to get to Churchill downs this year. My trip last year got cancelled when the rest of the spring meet got moved to Ellis Park.

 

We’re a mere 35 days away from the 150th Kentucky Derby!
This is a sunrise picture of the new paddock right behind the Twin Spires. Fierceness is the current front runner by virtue of his win yesterday in the 100 point Florida Detby, however…the last round of 100 point preps are this Saturday the 6th. The Wood Memorial at Aqueduct (NY), The Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland (Lexington, KY) and the Santa Anita Derby (CA) will thin the field considerably down to the 20 horse limit. All of these races have produced multiple Derby winners over the decades.
The 150th Run For The Roses is Saturday, May 4th, 2024. Post time is usually approximately 6:45, EST.

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/triple-crown/road-to-the-kentucky-derby/2024

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/triple-crown/kentucky-derby-prep-races/2024

 

As I’m typing this, I’m awaiting the 7 p.m., Eastern start of the Santa Anita Derby. Should have the results by the time I’m finished poking the dumbphone.
Earlier today, the Bill Mott trained Resilience stalked the pacesetters, then crushed them around second turn to win the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct. It’s Mott’s second Wood win and HOF Jockey John Velasquez’s fifth. Mott won the Derby in 2019. Velazquez has won it three times: 2011 (Animal Kingdom), 2017 (Always Dreaming), and 2020 (Authentic).
Just finished watching 6-5 favorite Sierra Leone rally from a horrible start (he wasn’t too keen on going into the starting gate to begin with) to pass all but the horse behind him to win the Blue Grass Stakes in Lexington. There haven’t been too many recent Derby winners from the Blue Grass, but this horse went from ninth to first and was still pulling away at the wire. That’s the kind of talent and grit it takes go an extra 1/8th of a mile and pick off twice that many runners. It’s a lot tougher to recover from a bad start versus 20 teenagers instead of 10. We’ll see.

 

And Stronghold wins the Santa Anita Derby and is bound for Louisville!
I’ll post updated odds as soon as they are available.
It’s Derby Time in Kentucky!

 

Here are the track’s “experts” picks for the 150th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. Not odds, just each one’s top 10 for both the Oaks and Derby. I’ll look for some definitive odds shortly. 26 days until the most exciting two minutes in sports!
I’m actually going as a civilian this year, not in my previous role as photojournalist.

 

A new assessment of the potential runners for the 150th Derby.

https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/Kentucky_Derby_2024_Early_full_field_odds_and_analysis_123

 

Here’s a really good one.
I am by no means a handicapper.
The Daily Racing Form might as well be published in Urdu as far as I’m concerned.
But.
One thing I do look at, usually on the prep race replays, is who’s running fastest and hardest close to the lead at the finish. Another 1/8th of a mile makes a huge difference at Churchill Downs. It’s the first time these teenage horses have had to run hard for “a mile and a kwatta.”

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Update on the favorite.

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All the gang’s here!

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I'll be downtown Saturday afternoon so give me a couple picks and I'll walk across the Eads bridge (into Illinois) and place a wager or two