Kentucky Derby Preview and Q&A

I'm not going to beat around the bush too long with this one: I hardly know anything about the Kentucky Derby, or horse racing in general.  To me, the Kentucky Derby is just a great excuse to have a cookout and bet on horses, which everyone likes.  But for me to come on here and give you some long winded tale about who I think is going to win wouldn't be the right thing to do.  I mean, I use the names of the horses to help decide who I'm going to pick.  The odds help, but you want to be screaming some really cool name at the top of your lungs when the race is happening.  This year I like Palace Malice.  25/1 odds aren't spectacular, but man, that a great name.  But after this, I really don't know much.  I try to act like I do in front of our neighbors, but I can't exactly point at a horse and remark "he has great genes" or "he's really been running well" and get away with it, because like I said before, I really don't know what I'm talking about. So I've brought in the experts. Mattie W. and Maddie C. are friends of mine from the horse world, and both are experienced horsewomen and riders.  They are extremely knowledgeable about this, and will be able to provide some important insight into this race:

Straight Up Sports: "Thanks for doing this.  As you well know, I don't know anything about this, so please enlighten me, and everyone out there.  First off, what is the best starting position to have?"

Mattie W: "The best position to have is on the inside."

Maddie C: "Yes, but favoring the middle.  You definitely don't want to be on the outside, and if you are too far to the inside you can get pinned to the rail"

Straight Up Sports: "The forecast this year is calling for rain.  We all know that the weathermen can be wrong, but what are the challenges of racing in rain, and what does it do to the track?"

Maddie C: "Bad weather is anyone's game.  The track is slippery, and it's much more even.  Some horses are better in these conditions, which generally favor a stronger and scrappier horse."

Mattie W: "Rain will make the track 'deeper' and for some horses, harder to run in.  Other horses called 'mudders' will run better when the track is muddy."

Maddie C: "Some are just better suited for these conditions, but it can also be a reflection of the horse's training conditions.  It's just like any other sport: a football player from the north isn't going to be as affected by cold and snowy conditions as one from the south would be."

Straight Up Sports: "When the horses are being loaded into the starting gates, all the horses act differently. Some walk calmly into the gate, and others are very reluctant and put up a bit of a fight to not go in the gates. Which way would you want your horse to act, and does it make a difference?"

Mattie W: "This is something that differs for every horse, but you want them to be excited.  You'd rather see them fight it than not.  This doesn't mean a calm horse can't win, but they are like athletes, and you want them pumped up and ready to go.  But in the end, they are animals. You can only control they way they act to a certain extent."

Straight Up Sports: "Let's talk about race strategy for a minute. Starting strategy? Finishing strategy?"

Maddie C: "The starting attitude depends on the horse. Each trainer trains them differently, so some might seem dead coming out of the gates, but really they are just saving their energy. In terms of finishing it's a little different.  If one horse is way out in front, the jockey has to be pretty full of himself to think that nobody is going to come up from behind.  But when it's multiple horses in a photo-finish situation, the smartest jockey wins. The jockey must decide when the horse needs to 'make his move'.  If this is done correctly, that's when upsets happen. It's not about speed.  It's about the pack. It's about getting in proper position and then finding a hole to win coming down the home stretch. Racing strategy boils down to this: keeping up, finding that hole, and having enough energy left to win."

Straight Up Sports: "What are the types of horses that are competing in this race?"

Mattie W: "Most (all) race horses are thoroughbreds.  This is a breed that is essentially built for speed.  They are normally bred in the United States, though they originally come from England.  Most warm bloods (horses from Europe) are less agile and meant for pulling carts; not for speed.  It's just like a breed of dog; it's all about the bone structure.

Straight Up Sports: "What can you see in a horse that tells you if they are a winner or not?"

Maddie C: "Color doesn't make a difference. Size is a wash, because big horses can cover more ground, but a smaller horse is more compact and speedy.  This is why betting lines are never totally accurate.  The only way you can know if a horse is going to win is to look at the numbers (times, wins, losses).  These are the true determining factors.

Straight Up Sports: "Thanks for answering these questions ladies! Before we go, do either of you care to give a pick, and tell us why you think that horse will win? As I see it, it's all boiled down to two horses: Orb and Verrazano both currently sit at 4/1 odds."

Mattie W: "Ha! I honestly haven't looked at all the horses yet... I can't make a pick yet."

Maddie C: "I'd put my money on Verrazano.  He's in much better shape than Orb.  They are both beautiful horses, but Verrazano is much more proportioned and properly muscled."

Straight Up Sports: "Well that's all we have time for! Thank you ladies so much for weighing in and answering these questions."


I hope this helped make the Kentucky Derby and horse racing in general make more sense to you- I know it helped me!  Here are the complete odds as of the time this post is submitted:
 1.Black Onyx 50/1
2.Oxbow 33/1
3.Revolutionary 9/1
4.Golden Soul 50/1
5.Normandy Invasion 9/1
6.Mylute 16/1
7.Giant Finish 50/1
8.Goldencents 11/2
9.Overanalyze 14/1
10.Palace Malice 25/1
11.Lines of Battle 33/1
12.Itsmyluckyday 12/1
13.Falling Sky 50/1
14.Verrazano 4/1
15.Charming Kitten 25/1
16.Orb 4/1
17.Will Take Charge 20/1
18.Frac Daddy 40/1
19.Java's War 16/1
20.Vyjack 14/1

Frac Daddy is another great name.  Bad odds, great name.  Post time is set for 6:24 pm EST and will be televised on NBC.  Make sure to tune in! 'Til next time.