Jessica Chapel / Railbird

Kentucky Derby

Oh, Hey …

Kentucky Confidential returns for Kentucky Derby week on Sunday.

Speaking of the Derby, this year’s historical criteria spreadsheet is running a little late, but can be found here next week. [5/2/12 UPDATED! Now with post positions, equipment changes, jockey changes ...]

The Spaceman is a little more on the ball: Gene Kershner is out with his annual contender spreadsheet, which includes info like historical post position stats. (That’s the kind of stuff that can really help you geek out.) Bonus: He tracked down the saddlecloth colors for this year’s Derby AE list.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike Watchmaker wrote about the decline in triple-digit Beyer speed figures in Derby prep races. Bodemeister did get a 108 for the Arkansas Derby (see all the prep race results), but this year’s Derby prospects haven’t reversed the trend I posted about last year.

Posted in Racing on April 26, 2012 / Tagged Derby Contenders, Kentucky Derby, Speed Figures, Spreadsheets, Stats / 2 comments

This Again?

OMG:

“They’ve turned the Kentucky Derby into a guessing game,” [Thoro-Graph proprietor Jerry Brown] fumed. “The introduction of synthetic tracks has created mass confusion among handicappers. In the Derby, you’re left to guess whether a horse can handle dirt after running on synthetics.

“This is an absurd situation to create for people who bet the game seriously. It’s tough enough to beat it with good information and rational thinking, but now you have situations where it turns a race into pure guesswork.”

Actually, the synthetic-to-dirt surface switch seems to be one of the more predictable elements in handicapping the Kentucky Derby in recent years.

1:30 PM Addendum: Dean smartly notes on Pull the Pocket that when it comes to assessing surface changes, handicapping principles still apply, but “the questions you have to analyze just might be a little different.”

Posted in Racing on May 19, 2011 / Tagged Handicapping, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Speed Figures, Thoro-Graph / 2 comments

The Rule Breaker

What Kentucky Derby rules? Animal Kingdom took care of any that remained before yesterday’s race with his surprise win at Churchill Downs. Although Team Valor’s colt did run as a 2-year-old, as has every Kentucky Derby winner since 1882, he was the first since Exterminator in 1918 to win with a mere four career starts, and he was the first since Needles in 1956 to win off a six-week layoff. He’s the fifth straight Derby winner to prep with only two starts as a 3-year-old, neither of those a Grade 1, and his Beyer speed figure of 103 is the lowest since Giacomo was given 100 in 2005.

Animal Kingdom was also making his first start on dirt in the Derby, coming off a win in the Spiral Stakes over the Polytrack at Turfway. I’ve argued several times here over the past four years, sometimes with stats, that synthetic surface-prepped horses are viable Derby contenders. Next year, such horses shouldn’t be throw-outs for anyone on the basis of surface.

Some photos from Saturday at Churchill …

Mucho Macho Man leaving the barn for the Derby.

Cheering for the Derby starters as they exit the gap.

Midnight Interlude and Shackleford waiting to begin the walk over.

The clubhouse crowd.

Animal Kingdom in the post parade.

Dialed In, the 5-1 favorite, after finishing eighth in the Derby.

Steve Asmussen and Corey Nakatani discussing Nehro’s second-place finish.

Animal Kingdom heading to the winner’s circle.

Posted in Racing on May 8, 2011 / Tagged Animal Kingdom, Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby, Photos, Synthetic Surfaces / 3 comments