| | Derby Day 2008
Note: Folks, I've done my best to address the horrible loss of Eight Belles in another post.
7:45PM I'm going to sign off for the night. Congrats to Big Brown and his connections, but more importantly, my heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the Eight Belles group.
We can talk about this more on Monday. Feel free to leave or email questions if you like. Thanks for 'tuning in' to live Derby coverage here at Shining City. Please do come back for the Preakness.
7:35PM From Eight Belles' jockey Gabriel Saez, who was riding in his first Derby:
"When we passed the wire I stood up," said Saez, a first-time Derby rider. "She started galloping funny. I tried to pull her up. That's when she went down."
More:
Eight Belles crossed the finish line second in the Kentucky Derby today and then jockey Gabriel Saez heard the worst sound possible – a pop.
Saez said the filly did not take a bad step, but he heard the pop and tried to pull her up.
“I tried to get her to stop,” he said. “I tried to get her to stop, but she wouldn’t stop.”
Remember the video of her trainer breezing her out and not being able to get her to stop? How she would go a mile and a half and want to keep going, so much so it was a struggle for her riders to pull her up? This girl loved to run.
7:04PM Dr. Larry Bramlage is on ESPN right now. I'm so glad ESPN went back to Churchill; after a day like this, to just cold-cut the ending...
Dr. Bramlage said he'd never seen anything like what happened to Eight Belles in his long career. The filly was  slowing down after crossing under the wire, coming to an easy stop...when both ankles broke. The injury was so bad there was no way she could be splinted, casted, or saved, so she was mercifully euthanized on the track. Just...painful. Very painful. My heart goes out to all of her connections: the owners, the trainer, the jockey.
Larry Bramlage has to have one of the toughest gigs in sports, to say the least.
I'm sure we'll hear more about this in the coming days, because people are going to want to know why this happened. It's extremely, extremely bizarre. I've seen nothing like it before; obviously, this is a much worse injury than even Barbaro suffered.
Kenny Maynes and Randy Moss handled it as well as they could. I'm hoping ESPN returns to Churchill at least once more.
Randy said he thinks Big Brown's win was more impressive than even Barbaro's. I'll have to watch the races over again, but...he may be right. And Barbaro's win was very impressive. Big Brown ran a gigantic race today.
Big Brown joins some rare company, becoming just the 7th horse to win the Kentucky Derby as an undefeated horse. The others are Barbaro, Smarty Jones, Seattle Slew, Majestic Prince, Morvich, and Regret. Interestingly, Brownie becomes the first horse since that very same Regret, a filly who won in 1915, to win the Derby with so little experience. Being in such a club is nothing to sneeze at.
The Blood-Horse, whose big-day race coverage is interminably slow, still doesn't have a complete order of finish up, but you can find it here. Their current Derby day story is here.
 6:45PM Big Brown didn't even break a sweat, despite his powerful acceleration at the end of the race. That in and of itself has to be the most amazing thing about this year's Derby. He may indeed be a freak, but I'll see what those who get to be up close and personal with the horse say first (since I can't interview him myself).
The loss of Eight Belles has made the Drudge homepage. Two champions and one potential champ have been lost in just a couple of years, and surely Chelokee's injury from yesterday will make the news as well. Just...bad. Not what anyone needs.
What makes the story sadder is that Eight Belles' connections won the Kentucky Oaks yesterday with Eight Belles' stablemate, Proud Spell. Heartwrenching.
6:42PM I have to say I'm so sad over Eight Belles. It's like the Classic all over again, though I was really bawling over George Washington.
6:35PM Oh, man, Gayego didn't even show up and Colonel John got 6th. Le sigh. Court Vision didn't fire either.
Let me tell ya...lots of people got it wrong this year.
I've already got folks asking me, "So will Big Brown win the Triple Crown?" I have no idea. This is something I need to consider. I will say this: after the loss we suffered this year, I think my family deserves both a Triple Crown winner and a Stanley Cup championship for my Wings.
I'll think about it and get back to you. I'm afraid to say anything lest I set my heart on it only to have it dashed again. Not that this has stopped me or any other die-hard racing fan from doing so, because we'd all love to see it.
As far as the Derby goes, looks like Dutrow & company were justified in their extreme confidence — some would say arrogance — about this colt, wouldn't you? It was starting to turn many people against them, but...it ain't bragging if you can do it.
6:30PM Well...what do we say? Big Brown won, and everyone was thrilled. We could have a freak on our hands, and a really big horse. I was floored by Big Brown's Florida Derby but afraid to chat him up. The shoes, the inexperience helped along with that, but...I was wrong. Like I said: look at a picture of Big Brown, and look at a picture of Curlin. They have the same expression in their eyes, and Curlin is the best racehorse in the world right now. He's amazing.
Is Big Brown amazing?
Well, I'm still afraid to say, afraid to jinx what might be a good thing (read: Afleet Alex). (In my defense, Big Brown was in my top 5...)
But all this is tainted by the loss of a tremendous filly, one who bested 18 boys today and looked as if she could have hooked the winner, too. The winner of her last four races, finishing second in the Kentucky Derby was a momentous, outstanding accomplishment. Just amazing and wonderful.
Now we've lost her.
It's been a rough couple of years. The loss of Eight Belles is sure to get a lot of attention, and don't forget the loss of the fantastic George Washington in last year's Breeder's Cup Classic. He was a champ too.
Heartbreaker.
6:25PM My God.
Eight Belles broke both front ankles in that tremendous stretch run. She was euthanized on the track.
I really thought she was about to give Big Brown a run for his money, too.
6:21PM A couple of weeks ago, when Big Brown won the Florida Derby, there was an ad featuring Curlin on the back of the Blood Horse.
Both horses have the same look in their eyes. Make of that what you will. Sometimes we don't want to build something up lest we lose it. I've lost a lot this year and wasn't sure I could handle something as simple as my Derby horse losing.
Well...here we go. Two weeks and we'll see what kind of horse Big Brown really is. In June, we'll know for sure.
Eight Belles did not get back up; she may be tired or it may be worse than that.
6:20PM WOW. Big Brown isn't even SWEATING and he just tossed Kent!
I was too concerned with his history...Eight Belles is down.
Big Brown just broke all the rules (crazy 8). Good for him. I think we may have a freak on our hands. We'll see in 2 weeks.
I hope Eight Belles is all right, but it does not look good for our second-place finisher. She is off her feet.
6:14PM Pyro looks nice too.
6:04PM Z Fortune looks really nice today. When I say that...well, just watch. You never know.
These are some VERY laid back horses this year. Which is good, as you don't want your horse lathered up before the race.
Not sure about my Monba pick now.
Cannot get over how releaxed the horses are this year! The Derby is absolute craziness and very tough on these young, untried animals.
Big Brown looks nice, but I like to see a hyper-glossy coat. May just be the lighting.
5:55PM Man. I have no horse in the Derby for the first time in my life? This can't be.
Sentimentally, I'll go with Gayego. I'd love to see these two Cuban exiles win the greatest race in America, in the world, with their gorgeous son of Gilded Time. Yeah, Gilded Time was a sprinter, but...it's a great story. Go, go, Gayego!
My other choices? Gayego aside because it's not really an "educated" selection but an emotional one, I'm going to go with Colonel John, Court Vision, Big Brown, Monba, aaaaaand...Z Fortune. I'd watch Denis of Cork and Pyro as well.
Others to keep an eye on: Smooth Air (another emotional choice), Visionaire, and perhaps Eight Belles. The filly is gigantic and loves to run, and we saw what that resulted in last year at the Belmont.
I may change my mind during the post parade, as often happens (that's when I realized Giacomo would be the winner), but we'll see.
This is the oddest Derby ever. No idea. My winning streak may be ruined by this one!
5:33PM The horses are about to walk over...and I am not sure I have a favourite. Is there a full moon?
The feature on Recapturetheglory's owners was fun, I have to say. I want more horses, NBC, but...fun. Great singing. Gotta love that.
5:07PM Sorry, make that NBC. Thinking of the Preakness. Thank God for Tom Hammond, one of the more serious NBC horse racing hosts. He's also given us the weather, which includes a windy 25MPH headwind, one the horses will be facing twice during the race today. Something to keep in mind.
He's just now being joined by Gary Stevens, who won the Derby in '88 on filly Winning Colors.
5:00PM At the end of ESPN's coverage, we had 3 votes for Big Brown and 2 for Colonel John from the talking heads as well as one vote for Court Vision to be bridesmaid. (Nothing from Jeannine Edwards?) Now it's to ABC's coverage, which reportedly will include celebrity red carpet stupidity. In fact, last year they did a lot of celebrity coverage, and I'll tell you...I couldn't care less what some of Hollywood's best-known airheads think. A few of them truly are racing aficionados, but most of them? Nah.
Well, we'll see. Generally, ESPN is getting better at racing coverage, giving more time to the horses.
4:02PM Intangaroo! Wow! That finish was fantastic. And a fine effort from Baroness Thatcher and Hystericallady. Did I kind of call that or what? I think Sugar Swirl was fourth, but she may have fallen further behind than that.
4:00PM *squeeeee!* Ohhhh, what a finish! Who was it? Wow!
3:47PM Nice feature on filly Eight Belles and her trainer here. It was fun to hear Larry Jones talking to Belles during their workout: "Hello...pull up. Larry to Eight Belles, pull up."
I like Sugar Swirl and Hystericalady for the about-to-be-run Humana Distaff, but still like Baroness Thatcher, too. She hasn't done so well of late, but...she has to come back sometime, right?
3:32PM Of course, the trainer did just add blinkers to the horse...I'm not a fan of equipment changes justbefore the Derby, but since Court Vision hasn't won yet this year...blinkers might be a big help. His works have shown steady improvement all week, which is definitely what one wants to see Derby week.
3:20PM I guess I'm just covering the lesser-known horses today. We all know about Big Brown and Colonel John, but there are always, always possibilities with the Derby, right?
 Like Court Vision. A son of Gulch and great-grandson of Secretariat, the pedigree is definitely there, though the stamina may be a bit further back than we'd like. He's hit the the board in each of his six starts, often having to contend with nightmarish trips. The horse has improved most consistently, moreso than other horses in today's Derby field, and that all while increasing the distance being run.
Not sure if he hits the wall at 9 furlongs or not, though, much less 10; of his last three starts, all have been at 9 furlongs, of which he's won one start and placed third the other two times. Still, he's a killer closer, and that extra furlong might be just the additional distance he needs to cross the wire first, especially considering the bad traveling luck he's had to deal with.
If Court Vision gets a good trip today from his number 4 post position, he may well score a nice upset this afternoon. That he's carrying the top jock in the country, Garrett Gomez, isn't going to hurt at all.
3:09 Clearly many folks expect Bob Black Jack and Big Brown to be on the lead from the start, with Bob Black Jack to be the rabbit.
3:06PM How does one not like Dreaming of Anna in this Derby undercard race? She's practically a veteran by now. But Bayou's Lassie just wasn't going to let her by in the Distaff Turf Mile. Wow! She really held the competition off. Confident ride by Prado.
 2:48PM Let's talk about Gayego again, shall we?
My interest in this horse is inspired in large part by his owners' backstory, which we covered Thursday: both were prisoners of Cuba's communist regime, one even having been sentenced to death. The men escaped with their families first to Spain, then came to the States, where they became successful in their respective careers, met in California, then began buying one yearling prospect every fall. Two years ago, they purchased Gayego, a son of Gilded Time, for $32,000.
They named the horse after the region in northern Spain in which they first found refuge from the hell of Cuba. Gayego has never run worse than second in 5 races, and while, yes, his Arkansas Derby win was impediment-free, he did have to hold off a few challengers, including Z Fortune. He's also jockeyed by the terrific Mike Smith. Of course, he's the same guy who won aboard the Derby fluke winner of the decade, Giacomo; much of Giacomo's win can indeed be attributed to Smith's skill and nothing Giacomo ever had (except luck that day).
Gayego is a really handsome colt, but of course that's not all that counts. His pedigree is one of the big question marks due to the Derby distance, as well as the fact that he's only run on dirt once. Yes, he won that outing, but...it's horse racing. Anything can happen. Mike Smith is really high on this colt. As we near post time, and I look at 20 horses all with question marks, sentimentality might be a big part in my placing Gayego in my top 5.
2:15PM Wow, what a terrific La Troienned! Great finish. Secret Gypsy seemed a little rank throughout the race, as...ah...whats-his-face is saying. Great ride by John Velasquez as well.
2:09PM We've always loathed the obnoxious Visa spots where the entire world grinds to a halt should, God forbid, someone choose to pay with cash or check. Visa has long been a sponsor of the Triple Crown, and it looks like they're finally, finally moving away from insisting we charge it lest we, God forbid, make the cashier or other customers wait more than 30 extra seconds to check out. Thank goodness.
Also...not only is Vincente Fox at the Derby, so is Hugh Hefner. Not sure which man I loathe more, but...it's probably Hef.
1:45PM Interesting to hear about Big Brown's ownership, that it's part of an investment fund. At least this is one fun-to-watch investment!
1:05PM The weather is gorgeous in Louisville today, and we're seeing living proof that Churchill Downs is the fastest-drying track in the country. Pretty amazing to see it now after the slop of yesterday.
ESPN is running a feature on the famous Affirmed-Alydar rivalry of '78. I always loved Alydar myself, and any other year...well, we know what they say.
 Alydar's hanging on 'till the bitter end makes him, in my mind, one of the greatest racehorses of all time, just as great as the big chestnut who bested him in each of the three races. That's mental fortitude.
12:17PM Oh, thank the Lord.
Yesterday, Barbaro's trainer Michael Matz ran Chelokee in the Alysheba stakes. Favored to win and making his move as he turned for home, the horse suddenly lost his rider in the stretch and slowed to a dead stop. Chelokee was taken off the track in an ambulance with the report that he'd suffered a rear condylar fracture. Whose heart wasn't just sick for Michael Matz? The prognosis was very good and very optomistic, but with horses, one never knows.
Just a few moments ago, though, ESPN's Jeannine Edwards told us that vet Larry Bramlage reports that Chelokee is doing so well that the vets had to give the 4-year-old a traffic cone to play with (no, really), because the horse was so frolicsome they were worried he'd tear out his IVs. Better yet, it was torn ligaments and dislocated sesamoids, not broken bones. Chelokee's ankle has been placed back into alignment and is being supported by a cast.
The overall result is the same as a fracture; Chelokee's career is most certainly over, but Bramlage says the Barbaro Stakes winner (yes, remember that?) has a very optimistic 50-50 chance of survival. The horse will undergo surgery later in the week. The optimisim is due to the colt's good attitude, appetite, and general playfulness.
Good luck, Chelokee. Get well soon.
Michael Matz's entry into today's Derby is Gotham winner Visionaire.
11:58AM What a nice feature on 70-year-old trainer Bennie Stutts ESPN just did. The trainer of Smooth Air (the only really consistently improving horse in the field) was moved to tears several times during the interviews about his first shot at the Derby. I have to say...he clearly appreciates where he is. Standing in the winner's circle for ESPN, he said, "No matter where my horse finishes today, I made it. Here I am in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs." Then he began to cry, and turned from the camera to hide his emotions.
Whatta guy. Great story.
11:26AM For Pete's sake. One of ESPN's clearly uneducated talking heads just blamed Herbert Hoover's hands-off policy regarding the economy for causing the Depression.
No, moron, it was someone messing with the economy that exacerbated the Great Depression. Government meddling causes nothing, nothing but trouble.
Yup. One two-espresso latte already.
11:20AM All right, the real wildness begins today, kids: it's Derby Day. Will Big Brown prove to be the freak who wins the Derby? Will Pyro or Tale of Ekati return to form? Will Gayego be the topper on an already beautiful American Dream for two Cuban exiles (hm, when will Amil Imani have a horse in the Derby?)? Is Colonel John going to reward his supporters and his namesake with a blanket of red roses? Will Eight Belles strike it lucky on a crazy 8 year and repeat Winning Colors' win, becoming the first filly since Winning Colors in '88? Will yesterday's torrential downpour affect the race much at all?
Stay tuned. Unsurprisingly, I'll be liveblogging the Derby goings-on all day long.
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