LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Cliff Sise Jr. isn’t quite sure which horses, if any, will push his first Kentucky Derby starter on the early pace. He only knows that Danzing Candy will be winging it from the get-go.
“It’s the only thing he knows how to do,” said Sise, the California-based veteran who was one of the last Derby arrivals here Monday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Chad Brown doesn’t mind having a reputation as a turf trainer. But he doesn’t want to be known as just a turf trainer.
Yes, 85 of his 106 graded stakes victories and 138 of his 203 total stakes wins have come on turf. But his overall win percentage on dirt (24.3 percent) is on par with that on turf (25.3 percent) from 800 fewer starters.
Let’s look at a few contenders for this Derby and see how they stack up in terms of similar Derby runners since 1991. Caveat emptor: These stats are mostly intended to be fun, playful, silly, or just interesting discussion starters, so use them at your own risk when upgrading or downgrading who you’re likely to bet Saturday.
Beyer Speed Figures
CHURCHILL DOWNS
TRACK: Fast
WEATHER: Cloudy
TEMP.: 55
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There was lots to look at and lots to look for during Tuesday’s Kentucky Derby/Kentucky Oaks training session, which featured the first local gallop from the undefeated Nyquist and first real local work by the Japanese invader Lani, whose training regimen leading up to the race has been a bit unusual and eventful.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dennis Albaugh, whose family owns Brody’s Cause, has announced the winner’s share will be donated to the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Foundation if the colt prevails Saturday in the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
“This pledge combines two of my passions, DMACC and horse racing,” Albaugh, a 1972 DMACC graduate, said in a Tuesday media release. “It also offers another opportunity for me to share my successes with the college that started me on my career path many years ago.”
Although there are a vast number of considerations in handicapping the Kentucky Derby, one key element is determining which horses are the fastest. So let’s take a look at the probable Derby competitors by their Beyer Speed Figures, and the figure patterns they exhibit coming into the race.
What do Strike the Gold, Sea Hero, and Pleasantly Perfect have in common? They all have been at stud in Turkey.
While Kentucky Derby winner Strike Gold died in that country in 2011, Derby winner Sea Hero is still at stud there, as is Pleasantly Perfect.
A fair number of stallions shuttle between the Northern and Southern hemispheres during their respective breeding seasons, but few if any have done it to the degree of success achieved by More Than Ready.
The 19-year-old son of Southern Halo was the only stallion on the planet to rank in the top 25 by progeny earnings in both North America and Australia in each of the past five racing seasons, including the one currently in progress.
