2010 Kentucky Derby Daily Onsite Coverage with Tom Dawson
Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1)

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NEWS & Updates - Kentucky Derby 2010

SUPER SAVER & CALVIN 'BO-RAIL'
WIN KENTUCKY DERBY [G1]


AP Photo/Matt Slocum
Calvin Borel has ridden three of the last four Kentucky Derby winners.

SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted May 1, 2010 -  Update 5  - Where have we seen this before? Calvin Borel rides the rail in the slop to win the Kentucky Derby for people with history and connections to the Southwest. Oh yeah, Mine That Bird. Borel didn’t come from the clouds today, but there he was in his old familiar place, super-saving every inch of ground, moving around just one horse at the top of the stretch and rolling unimpeded to the wire. read more...

Click here for bios for the Kentucky Derby-winning owners Bill Casner and Kenny Trout, who reside in Flower Mound and Dallas, respectively.
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted May 1, 2010 -  Update 4  - Must be approaching derby time. The weather is deteriorating. Raining & blowing. But I didn’t come all this way to watch it on a monitor.

A lot of smart people have landed on the same spot for the Derby. Stately Victor. Currently 19-1.
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SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted May 1, 2010 -  Update 3 - The rain has cranked up again which may be good for the front runners. All day, including the 8th race, leaders have been collapsing in the final furlong. In the Humana Distaff, Californian Mona De Momma swept down the preferred outside path to win under Joel Rosario. She was 8 wide but today, who cares? Rally wide to win.

Then about the time you put the front runners on automatic dismissal, somebody wires the field. In the Churchill Downs Stakes, Turf Paradise shipper Atta Boy Roy took them all the way, just holding off the late charge of Grade one winner Warrior’s Reward. On paper, Roy looked much more improbable than his 10-1 odds might suggest. Oh, he had won his share (8 for 17) but his recent form was Turf Paradise and Emerald Downs. This was a tough field, with graded winners and professional racehorses from all over the place. It’s not that he shouldn’t have won, he was an underlay.

The only reason he was 10-1 instead of 25-1 is Calvin Borel. You might remember when Pat Day was king of Churchill. You couldn’t get a price on him for anything. It’s becoming that way with Borel. He’s a good rider anywhere but Shoemaker on this course. His win percentage for the meet is something like 40%. As is customary, Borel stayed on the rail all the way around. No one else has been able to negotiate that path to victory today. His Derby mount is Super Saver, certainly a horse with a chance. At last glance he was co-favored at 8-1. The Borel factor.

No more dirt races until the Derby, something over 2 hours from now. Time to figure out what to do with this menagerie and make a play. It’s really crowded here now. The fashionably late are now the fashionable arrived.
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted May 1, 2010 -  Update 2 - It’s a late arriving Derby crowd this year, perhaps discouraged from an earlier appearance by the well advertised morning rain. Churchill can boast the record for well-dressed people, even in the grandstand. And everybody has a drink in their hand. Everybody! A concessionaire’s delight. I even saw several people in the $1000 mint julep booth. They must use very special ice.

Just heard that we may not get any more rain before the Derby. It is still totally overcast and the wind has started to blow pretty hard. This track dries quickly but it’s still hard to see it getting anything above muddy.

Maybe they should revisit the tactics of 1914. Legend has it that overnight rain turned the track to soup. Track superintendent Tom Young ordered his crew to buy up all the sponges in Louisville and mop up the track by hand. What can be documented is that Old Rosebud won the 1914 Derby, over a track labeled fast.
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SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted May 1, 2010 -  Update 1 - I have just talked to a couple of really top handicappers and analysts who have the same Derby selection.

Both Randy Moss of ESPN and Steve Haskin of the Blood-Horse have put long shot Stately Victor on top.
Randy qualifies it by saying that he does not make his selection with confidence. But he doesn’t find the poorly drawn favorites attractive over a track that could be anything by race time. Haskin just likes the way Stately Victor looks and trains, plus his off-track pedigree.

They just posted the Derby odds with $3.6 million in the pool. Stately Victor is currently 17-1. Lookin at Lucky is the co-favorite at 8-1. That’s how wide open the market is. Sidney’s Candy is 10-1. My original thought after the draw was that playing the two morning line choices in an exacta was a poor choice in a confusing field. But now, both have decent straight prices and the $2 exacta box 1-20 comes back $85 & 90.  read more ....
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted May 1, 2010 - Well, the weatherman was half right. Just like my exactas. It wasn’t supposed to start raining until 10:00 AM, but when I heard the thunder roll at 5:30, I knew we were on a different timetable. By the time I got here at seven, it was raining straight down.

The rain caused the situation to be quieter than usual this morning but one could still see what was poised to happen. Folks are lined up to secure the best spots in the infield and grandstand nooks. The $40 general admission fee doesn’t get you a seat or a sightline. Every curb and lawn within a two square mile radius turns into a parking lot, with residents charging anywhere from $5 to $50 a car, depending on proximity. There are enterprising folks using golf carts to ferry people from parking to grandstand for $10 per ride. Golf carts on the street aren’t legal, but if it helps to move people along, the law generally looks the other way. There is any number of street merchants selling both authentic and knock-off goods. Business suffers when people scurry by the stands to seek shelter.

Churchill track superintendent Butch Lehr took every precaution. He prepared the track after yesterday’s racing, and then sealed it. Training was cancelled this morning. It is totally overcast with a steady drizzle and standing water on the track. No choice but to start sloppy and see what happens from there. This track will dry fast with any help from breeze and sun, but right now, neither is present. The 3rd and 5th races have been taken off the grass. The stakes are still on and if history holds, will stay on unless the grass comes up by the roots. Look for those who can handle the bog.

Its 90 minutes before first post. I’m going to brave the elements to seek intelligence.
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted April 30, 2010 - Update 3: An outstanding Friday was capped by an absolutely brilliant renewal of the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks. Favored Blind Luck got there but she never had the lead until the final jump. While the photo sign was up, the huge crowd let out a gasp each time the replay was shown. I was standing right on the wire and I couldn’t be sure who had won. It was a very tough beat for Evening Jewel who has twice lost grade ones this spring to Blind Luck, each by a nose. She looked a winner at the eighth pole but Blind Luck just kept coming, as she always does. This is the third Kentucky Oaks win for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who was previously successful in 1991 & 1996. In the post race press conference, he was non-committal regarding her next race, particularly as to whether she will follow the Rachel Alexandra model and take on the boys.

The official crowd was announced as 116,046, an Oaks day record. I hope you were tuned in yesterday when we pointed out Doubles Partner in the American Turf. They bet him down from 10-1 to 9-2, but I’ve never met anyone who tore up an $11.20 winner. It was a lost weekend for Setsuko, who was excluded from the Derby, then ran fourth in this race as the favorite. Trainer Dick Mandella said that jockey Rafael Bejarano told him that the colt was “lost out there”. Mandella also said that he wasn’t going to be in any hurry to put Setsuko back on the grass.
 
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted April 30, 2010 - Update 2: They just ran the Alysheba Stakes, named for the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner. That will always be a special Derby for me as it was won by Clarence Scharbauer whom I had known in the quarter horse business since the early 70’s. It was also the first Derby I covered for ESPN. Today, there were three alums from last year’s Derby. They were Chocolate Candy (5th), Friesan Fire (18th) and Flying Private (19th). Flying Private got the best of that group, finishing second for trainer Wayne Lukas at 11-1. The winner was Arson Squad, the oldest horse in the race at age 7. He’ll likely be back for Churchill’s premier handicap event, the Grade 1 Stephen Foster, in June.

Rachel Alexandra’s owner Jess Jackson was in the press box following her race. The most important thing he said was that she was not going to retire. Here’s what trainer Steve Asmussen has to say about the race:
“She’s just not been as fast as last summer. She ran a good race, but not a great race. She does carry a lot more weight. Calvin (Borel) did absolutely nothing wrong today. I thought he got along with her great today. There’s an old adage in racing: You get paid for what you do, but you pay for what you do. I think there’s some hangover. What we have to realize is there has been improvement since her last race. We don’t need a knee-jerk reaction. The defeat last time put a lot of pressure on. You don’t run a horse expecting to get beat, especially Rachel.”

The National Weather Service provided a forecast update that looks a little better than we thought. It’s still supposed to rain, but the estimated start time has been moved back to 10:00 AM instead of overnight. Less time to soak the track, which is what, happened last year. The current data has showers possible throughout tomorrow afternoon but the heavy stuff possibly holding off until after the races.
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted April 30, 2010 - Update 1 - There is one thing Churchill does not have in its security arsenal. Anti-aircraft. And they need it. There are four gnat-like single engines circling over the place towing advertising signs. They literally create a buzz, and not the kind you want to hear at the track. They won’t be able to violate the airspace once Bravo & NBC are on the air but they are out there now. Love to give them some flak.

They just popped up the Kentucky Derby advance wagering odds. There’s less than $200,000 in the win pool so it’s like election results with 1% of precincts reporting. Lookin at Lucky is 7-1. Of course he won’t stay up there but it does indicate that you might get better than his 3-1 morning line at post time.

We just saw Rachel Alexandra denied by a very capable filly named Unrivaled Belle. It was a terrific stretch-long duel and normally, both fillies would be getting accolades for their efforts. But clearly, this is not the Rachel we saw last year. Tracking a modest half mile split and cruising past the leader on the turn, we expected her to throw daylight on them and wait for a late challenge. But Kent Desormeaux aboard Bill Mott’s filly moved right on Rachel’s hip and never let her get comfortable. By the end of the year we might be saying that this is where we saw Unrivaled Belle go to the top of her class. Press conferences and fall out to come but whatever the reason, it’s always hard to see a great one apparently lose a step.
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted April 30, 2010 AM - Today the carnival really begins. Folks were lined up 15 deep at the gates at 7:45 A.M. to secure the best spots in the infield. There are also numerous spectators on the backstretch. After the racetrack closed for training at 8:15 this morning, the area around the media center was transformed from a media gathering spot and host site for all the TV morning shows, to a picnic ground. It runs from about the 6 ½ pole to the 5/8. From ground level, there is only about a quarter mile portion of the race that can be clearly seen, but the inhabitants don’t seem to care. read more ...
In my never ending news quest, I ran across this article from Kansas city: How the Kentucky Derby became the greatest horse race in America - April 30, 2010 - It started out lucky, then it stumbled and had no chance. Then, out of the blue, a regional horse race in May, run with ordinary horses and staged a really long way from the big-money stables, suddenly became the most important horse race in America.
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted April 29, 2010 PM - I’m putting this in today because I don’t want time to sneak up on you Friday. Rachel Alexandra and Zardana have their rematch in Churchill’s 6th race, the La Troienne.  As Rachel’s trainer Steve Asmussen put it, “It will be a well watched 1:26 in the afternoon race, won’t it?”  That’s 1:26 Eastern. Check your local time zone. Probably the earliest hour that a defending Horse of the Year has ever run.  Since ESPN gave up covering the Friday undercard last year, the race won’t be on real TV.
 
The La Troienne begins an all-stakes pick 6 that concludes with the Kentucky Oaks.  Asmussen says Rachel is much fitter now than she was at the Fair Grounds and Blind Luck is a deserving 6-5 Oaks choice. read more ...
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino - posted April 29, 2010 AM
Last night, the annual Derby media party was held. The invitees include press, horsemen, racing industry folks and Louisville locals. One of most popular guests was 2009 Kentucky Derby winning trainer Chip Woolley. He has been attending various events here all week and he says the reverence with which returning Derby winning trainers are treated has made it an emotional experience.  And while he has thoroughly enjoyed the social activities, he has a burning desire to get back with another Derby horse.  “I have to come back and try to win it again”, he said emphatically.  Let the quest for a 2011 Derby horse begin.
Today was another picture perfect morning and this time, the news matched the weather. No defections, injuries or obvious problems. I stopped by several barns, including those of Pletcher, Lukas, Baffert, and Zito They were all conducting their morning press sessions in a very laid back manner. Everybody feels better once the major preparations are complete. That’s not to say that something can’t still happen, but it is as if the collective breaths are getting deeper and more relaxed in anticipation of the quickening pulse of race day. read more ...
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ FOR KENTUCKY DERBY - STEVE SCHUELEIN - HOLLYWOOD PARK - Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - The Kentucky Derby Saturday was a prime topic of discussion as horsemen went about their duties in the Hollywood Park stable area Wednesday morning.
Chances of California-based horses appeared unusually strong although many bemoaned the challenging post positions drawn by 3-1 morning-line favorite Lookin at Lucky and 5-1 second choice Sidney’s Candy, the rail and the outside post, respectively, in a field of 20.

Some random comments and selections:

Trainer Ron Ellis--“California horses have shown they’re the class of the field. Post 20 may not be bad at all for Sidney’s Candy, although the rail may be tough for Lookin at Lucky.”
Trainer Mark Glatt--“I think California is pretty solid. The complexion of the race is a lot different with Eskendereya out. If Sidney’s Candy is willing to rate a little, he’s got a heckuva chance.”
Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg--“I like Sidney’s Candy.”
Trainer Ben Cecil--“I like John Sadler’s horse, Sidney’s Candy.”
Trainer Marty Jones--“The California horses.”
Trainer Carl O’Callaghan (a former Todd Pletcher assistant)--“Any one of the (four) Pletcher horses, but I’m rooting for Sidney’s Candy and (jockey) Joe Talamo.”
Trainer Craig Dollase--“I’d like to see the California horses do well. They’re always knocking us on the East Coast that we can’t run.”
Racing secretary Martin Panza--“Dublin. I think it’s time for Wayne Lukas.”
Posted April 28, 2010 PM - SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino  - Well the draw is done. The buzz moment came when the favorite Lookin At Lucky drew the rail, followed immediately by second choice Sidney’s Candy landing in the 20 spot.  I can’t ever remember the two Derby favorites as bookends in the gate. 
 
Here’s the general consensus on post positions. Drawing the one exposes you to pressure from the 19 others to outside as horses drop over trying to save ground the first time through the stretch.  The raw post position stats show the #1 as being tied at the top of the list with 12 winners. But a closer look reveals that the most recent was Ferdinand in 1986.  So 23 Derbies have been run since the rail post won. The anti-inside sentiment was heightened during the years of a post selection draw as trainers generally avoided the #1 like it was contaminated.
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Posted April 28, 2010 AM 2  SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson - ENDORSEMENT OUT OF DERBY - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino  Weather wise, this was a perfect morning. Clear skies, bright sun, cool temperatures. And the crowd on the backstretch was several times what it was yesterday. Unfortunately, the news didn’t match the weather.

As previously reported, WinStar Farm’s Endorsement will undergo surgery for a condylar fracture of his right ankle. Shannon Ritter has her colt on the track for a final Derby workout shortly after the renovation break at 8:30 A.M. The move seemed to go without incident but according to Ritter, she noticed something was wrong on her way back to the barn. Attending veterinarian Bo Landry was called and x-rays revealed the fracture. read more ...

Posted April 28, 2010 AM - SUREBET DERBY DIGEST - TUESDAY, APRIL 27 AM - WITH TOM DAWSON - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino  The winner of this year's Sunland Derby [G3] WinStar Farm’s Endorsement suffered a Condylar Fracture of his right ankle during his morning breeze today.

Trainer, Shannon Ritter reported that the injury will require surgery. The non-displaced lateral condylar fracture is not life threatening. Surgery is expected to be performed on Thursday.

WinStar Farm racing manager Elliott Walden said the injury is not necessarily career threatening and Endorsement could race again.
More updates later today!
Posted: April 27, 2010 AM- SUREBET DERBY DIGEST - TUESDAY, APRIL 27 AM - WITH TOM DAWSON - - brought to you by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino  - Here we are! First morning on the Churchill backstretch for Derby 136 - And it’s raining, just like it has been since last Thursday. In fact, the final major workout for nearly all Derby contenders has been influenced in some fashion by the unrelenting moisture.

Another who has seen limited action lately is Sunland Derby winner Endorsement. He galloped this morning after three days of lighter than usual exercise. I spoke to two respected Daily Racing Form observers, one of whom thought the move was good. The other had a totally opposite reaction. In fact, I find that Endorsement leads the field in rumors about his soundness. There’s nothing official from his camp but we should know tomorrow. Endorsement is scheduled to work, and its entry day.

Speaking of entries, Backtalk, Make Music For Me and Setsuko are all here, and looking for a way in. There is no chance for anything less than the maximum of 20 for tomorrow’s draw.

Bob Baffert may live in Southern California but he doesn’t let rain or a wet track dictate his schedule. Yesterday, Lookin At Lucky had his final pre-derby move and this morning, it was Conveyance. The Sunland Derby runner-up worked five furlongs on the sloppy track in :59 4/5 , looking like his old speedy self. Later, Baffert reiterated that Conveyance is a speed horse and that wouldn’t change just because there are several others in the Derby field. With Rule out of the picture, Baffert believes that his horse and Line Of David may be the speed of the speed. read more ...

DERBY TALE REKINDLED BY KENTUCKY HORSEMAN CARTER THORNTON’S DEATH

With the 2010 Kentucky Derby soon to be run, the death this past week of 92-year-old Carter Thornton, a well respected Kentucky hardboot owner, breeder, trainer, buyer, consignor and operator of Threave Main Stud near Paris, rekindled a memory of his recollection of the stretch run of the 1971 Kentucky Derby, won by the Venezuelan invader Canonero II as a member of the 6-horse mutuel field.

I remember watching the race from high atop the roof at Churchill Downs and recall exclaiming, “My God, it’s the Venezuelan horse,” as I saw the solid dark brown silks of Canonero’s jockey sweeping past horses on the last turn. He had dead aim on Calumet Farm’s dueling pair of Bold and Able and Eastern Fleet as they led one-two into the long stretch. That’s when Thornton had vivid recollections resurface of the colt he had sold with a crooked right leg for $1,200 at the Keeneland Fall Yearling Sale in 1969.

Thornton recalled, “The farther Canonero ran through the stretch, the straighter his leg got.”
contributed by the TTA - April 22, 2010

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Derby Day - Today being ‘Derby Day’ has flooded my mind with memories of this day last year. As a newbie to Churchill Downs, I was honestly overwhelmed. Never in my life have I ever experienced anything like it. And as you read this, maybe you will understand -- just maybe. read more ...
SureBet’s Onsite Derby Digest with Tom Dawson from Churchill Downs - Experience the glamour and pageantry of the 136th Kentucky Derby as Dawson walks and talks with the key players in this year’s “Run for the Roses”.
Follow Tom as he shares the stories behind the hype, walk with him as he visits the backside, discusses the morning works and learn what the horsemen are thinking and doing as the clock ticks down to Derby day.
When the history books close on this chapter in racing ……… you will know it was much more than just glamour and glitz, because you were there.
Tom Dawson - Owner of Mirage Media Inc. Free Lance sports Television production. Specialty - Horse racing... Producer for horse racing and other sports airing on ESPN, ABC & other networks. Over 500 live remotes produced. Tvtomd@aol.com
 

As promised, here are thumbnails of all
20 Derby starters, gleaned from Observation, Conversation
and Perceived logic…
The complete field for Saturday's Kentucky Derby includes:
1) Lookin At Lucky (Garrett Gomez, 3-1)
2) Ice Box (Jose Lezcano, 10-1)
3) Noble's Promise (Willie Martinez, 12-1)
4) Super Saver (Calvin Borel, 15-1)
5) Line of David (Rafael Bejarano, 30-1)
6) Stately Victor (Alan Garcia, 30-1)
7) American Lion (David Flores, 30-1)
8) Dean's Kitten (Robby Albarado, 50-1)
9) Make Music For Me (Joel Rosario, 50-1)
10) Paddy O'Prado (Kent Desormeaux,20-1)
11) Devil May Care (John Velazquez, 10-1)
12) Conveyance (Martin Garcia, 12-1)
13) Jackson Bend (Mike Smith, 15-1)
14) Mission Impazible (Rajiv Maragh, 20-1)
15) Discreetly Mine (Javier Castellano,30-1)
16) Awesome Act (Julien Leparouz, 10-1)
17) Dublin (Terry Thompson, 12-1)
18) Backtalk (Miguel Mena, 50-1)
19) Homeboykris (Ramon Dominguez,50-1)20) Sidney's Candy (Joe Talamo, 5-1)
 
The full field for Friday's Kentucky Oaks includes:
1) It's Tea Time (Alan Garcia, 15-1)
2) Jody Slew (Miguel Mena, 30-1)
3) Quiet Temper (Robby Albarado, 10-1)
4) Age of Humor (Rajiv Maragh, 30-1)
5) Blind Luck (Rafael Bejarano, 6-5)
6) Beautician (Alex Solis, 15-1)
7) Crisp (Joel Rosario, 8-1)
8) Tidal Pool (Calvin Borel, 8-1)
9) Bella Diamante (Mike Smith, 30-1)
10) Champagne d'Oro (Martin Garcia,30-1)
11) Eening Jewel (Kent Desormeaux, 10-1)
12) Ailalea (John Velazquez, 30-1)
13) Amen Hallelujah (Julien Leparoux, 8-1)
14) Joanie's Catch (Paco Lopez, 30-1)
 

Kentucky Derby 136 Could Prove "Awesome" or "Lucky" for Some
By Ellis Starr for Equibase

The field for the 136th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Kentucky Derby has seen many twists and turns during the prep season and even more in the last week after the preps were concluded. Now that the full field of 20 is set, its time to take a step back and see what the field has ...
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