Hovdey: Catching up with the Derby class of 2014

Institutional amnesia can be a beautiful thing, but before the 2015 Kentucky Derby is upon us with all its hurricane force, it can’t hurt to take a look at the field of 19 who performed for the pleasure of millions in the 2014 race. From back to front, here’s what happened to them:

Vicar’s in Trouble, the winner of the Louisiana Derby, was a baffling last in the Kentucky Derby but none the worse for wear. He later won the Super Derby, then fractured his left foreleg in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Wildcat Red, the winner of the Fountain of Youth, had a rough Derby trip and was brought back by Luis Saez to fight another day. He won a small stakes at Gulfstream in his next start, then hit the board in the Oklahoma Derby. In his first start at age 4, he injured something behind in the Jan. 17 Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park.

Vinceremos, the winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes and one of four Todd Pletcher Derby starters, disappeared after going through the motions at Churchill, resurfaced in an allowance race at Belmont in October, and has run twice this year without winning.

Harry’s Holiday, beaten a nose in the 2014 Spiral, did not race again after his Derby run until this year, with a pair of indifferent allowance performances at Fair Grounds.

Tapiture, the winner of the Southwest Stakes, went on to take the West Virginia Derby, finish second to Bayern in the Haskell Invitational, and run second to Goldencents in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. As a 4-year-old, his best finish has been a third in the Oaklawn Handicap.

Uncle Sigh, second in the 2014 Gotham and Withers, was training for summer races at Monmouth Park when a back muscle injury sent him to the sidelines. He has not raced since then.

Candy Boy, the winner of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, was later second to Shared Belief in the Los Alamitos Derby and edged by Tapiture in the West Virginia Derby. In his final U.S. appearance, he was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, then sold to race in Dubai, where he finished fourth in the 2015 World Cup.

Intense Holiday, the winner of the Risen Star, was training for a possible Belmont Stakes start when he emerged from a May 25 workout with a condylar fracture to the right foreleg. After struggling with postoperative laminitis, he was euthanized June 12.

General a Rod, one of only three horses to run in all three legs of the 2014 Triple Crown, got a long rest after the Belmont Stakes. He returned at age 4 to win a small stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and most recently was fifth in the Charles Town Classic.

We Miss Artie, the winner of the Spiral Stakes, headed for Canada after splitting the Derby field, where he won the Queen’s Plate Trial but then broke poorly and ran fourth in the Queen’s Plate. He has not raced since.

Chitu, the winner of the Sunland Derby, did not race again after the Kentucky Derby until he won the Damascus Stakes on a Breeders’ Cup undercard. In his only race since then, he was a close third to Shared Belief in the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes.

Medal Count, the winner of the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland, had no luck in the Kentucky Derby but came back to finish a good third in the Belmont Stakes. He has not raced since running far back in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last September.

Ride On Curlin, second in the Arkansas Derby, went on to finish second in the Preakness but then was eased in the Belmont Stakes. He did not come back until January at Oaklawn Park, where he won an allowance race. In his last start, he was a poor sixth in the Razorback.

Dance With Fate, the winner of the last Blue Grass on Polytrack, came down with a touch of shipping fever and had to miss a highly anticipated start in the inaugural Belmont Derby. After returning to California to regroup, he was fatally injured in a freak Del Mar training accident July 24.

Samraat, the winner of the Gotham and Withers, was sixth in the Belmont. While training for the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, he fractured a shin and has not raced since.

Wicked Strong, the winner of the Wood Memorial, went on to take the Jim Dandy and finish a close second in the Travers. He stumbled when interfered with on the final turn of the Jockey Club Gold Cup and unseated Rajiv Maragh, after which he was put away until March. He returned with a good fourth in the Gulfstream Park Handicap and was scheduled to run Saturday in the Excelsior Handicap at Aqueduct.

Danza, the winner of the Arkansas Derby, was sent to the farm after an unsatisfactory pre-Belmont Stakes work. He was training for races like the Donn Handicap this winter in Florida but still has not run since his breakthrough Kentucky Derby third.

Commanding Curve, who got into the Kentucky Derby off a third in the Louisiana Derby, has yet to live up to his runner-up performance at odds of 37-1. He was working toward a comeback at Fair Grounds earlier this year but still has not raced since finishing up the track in the 2014 Travers.

As for Derby winner California Chrome, the 2014 U.S. Horse of the Year was last heard from training in England, where he is looking for another tall hill to climb.