2010 Among The Best Of Historical Alabama Stakes

Few thoroughbred races in North America have the history of the Betfair TVG Alabama Stakes (gr. 1). The $500,000 race for three-year-old fillies will be run for the 131st time Saturday at Saratoga and is behind only the $100,000 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct, as the second oldest race for fillies and mares in North America. Along with the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Mother Goose, the Alabama is the third leg of New York’s Triple Tiara grade 1 series for the 3-year-old fillies. Sky Beauty (1993), Open Mind (’89) and Mom’s Command (’85) are Alabama winners also with Triple Tiara titles.

August Belmont himself won the first Alabama Stakes with his Woodbine in 1872. Fifteen years later, Americans began naming a champion among their 3-year-old fillies and future Hall of Famer Firenze took the first trophy without winning the Alabama. But it be only one year before the Alabama would impact the championship as Bella B. won the Alabama and champion 3-year-old filly title in 1888.

Since then 36 Alabama Stakes winners have also been named the divisional champion at year’s end. Hall of Fame mares such as Beldame (1904) (photo left), Maskette (’09), Gamely (’67) and Go For Wand (’90) all were named champion fillies after their victories in the Alabama. Silverbulletday (’99), Open Mind (’89), Life’s Magic (’84), Vagrancy (’42) and Cleopatra (’20) are also among the more popular on the list of Alabama winning champion 3-year-old fillies.

With all of that history, however, last year’s Alabama was among the most exciting and may be well remembered in thoroughbred racing history.

By the time the Alabama came in August last year, Blind Luck had won four of six races, including the Fantasy Stakes (gr. 2) at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, the Kentucky Oaks (gr. 1 at Churchill Downs and the Delaware Oaks (gr. 2).

But the favorite for the Alabama was Devil May Care, a large filly from the powerful Todd Pletcher barn that had finished 10th against the boys in the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1). But Devil May Care had since returned to her division and easily won the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. 1) at Belmont Park by more than four lengths in a canter.

Devil May Care was odds-on at 3-5 while support for Blind Luck was not far behind as she went to the post at 9-5. A distant third choice was Havre de Grace, who had come to New York after finishing a close second to Blind Luck in the Delaware Oaks (gr. 2) the race prior.

After the break, the field assembled into an order that would stay relatively the same until mid-way on the far turn. Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. 2) speedstress Acting Happy had led the race through a dawdling early pace with the first six furlongs taking 1:14 4/5 seconds to complete but shortly thereafter the excitement level exploded.

Turning for home long shot Acting Happy still had the lead but Havre de Grace and Devil May Care had launched their attacks. Just behind them, the stretch running Blind Luck was also now in full stride on the far outside.

Nearing the black and white pole just one-sixteenth of a mile from the finish, track announcer Tom Durkin called it: “Top of the Stretch! Acting Happy a stubborn foe. Havre de Grace also right there and Blind Luck is gaining on them with every stride!”


Blind Luck and Havre de Grace would battle to the wire with the former winning by just a neck over Havre de Grace with Acting Happy less than a length back in third.

It was the second consecutive time that Blind Luck (photo) and Havre de Grace would finish one-two respectively, but it was the beginning of one the better rivalries in recent history. The two have now raced against each other six times and in five of those races, they finished first and second. Only in the grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic last November at Churchill Downs, did they finish second and third behind winner Unrivaled Belle.

This year, Blind Luck and Havre de Grace have raced against each other twice. Havre de Grace beat Blind Luck in the grade 3 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn in the Spring before Blind Luck turned the tables on Havre de Grace, winning the Delaware Handicap (gr. 2) last month. With no male stars grabbing center stage and both mares having three graded victories this year, Blind Luck and Havre de Grace are mentioned in 2011 Horse of the Year discussions.

Blind Luck would be the first winner of the Alabama Stakes to later be named Horse of the Year, but has a very good chance to join Primonetta, Gamely, Sky Beauty, Desert Vixen, Tempted and Life’s Magic as Alabama winners to be named champion in the years following their Alabama win.

No matter what happens in the remaining months and races that will be 2011, the 2010 running of the Alabama will be well remembered. And to be among the top versions of a race with 130 years of history with champions dotted throughout, is special indeed.

Devil May Care Has Something to Prove In Mother Goose

One may take a quick look at this year's Mother Goose Stakes (gr. 1) and decide this might a good Saturday to go to the beach or lake. The $250,000 Mother Goose has short field of five with Devil May Care (photo) as the heavy favorite and three of the five fillies are trained by Todd Pletcher. This year's edition also falls short of last year when Preakness winning filly Rachel Alexandra came to New York to win the Mother Goose by 19-1/4 lengths.

Devil May Care may not have the star power of Rachel Alexandra, but she will certainly have more to prove.

Having finished finished tenth in her attempt against the colts in the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands, trainer Todd Pletcher has given Devil Mare Care plenty of time to recover. With a 6-5 morning line it is likely she will have plenty of support from her supporters though the betting windows but the question looms as to how much, if any, did the Kentucky Derby take out of the filly.

After all, Devil May Care was considered for the 1-1/2 Belmont Stakes (gr. 1) and the Acorn Stakes against fillies June 5 but was instead given an additional three weeks for the Mother Goose.

The Mother Goose was until this year, the second leg of the Triple Tierra series for 3-year-old fillies made up of the Acorn Stakes and the Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. 1). The distance of the Mother Goose has also been changed. The race been shortened to 1-1/16 miles from the 1-1/8 distance at which the race has been run since 1959. The Mother Goose was inaugurated in 1957 and run at 1-1/16 miles for the first two runnings.

For the Mother Goose, Pletcher will also saddle Ailalea, an impressive winner of the grade 3 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs May 29. She also has a win over the track having broke her maiden at Belmont Park last year.

Katy Now will be making her stakes debut off of three consecutive wins.

Another filly who should get plenty of support is Biofuel, who invades from Canada where she was won the Star Shoot Stakes and the 1 1/16-mile La Lorgnette Stakes, both over Woodbine's Poly-Track surface.

One may better remember Biofuel from November's Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. 1) at Santa Anita. Coming down the home stretch, Biofuel looked to be a potential winner with a late charge down the middle of the track. But just as she reached the 1/8th pole (220 yds from the finish), she was severely bumped and lost stride.

Another Breeders' Juvenile Fillies graduate in the Mother Goose is Connie and Michael trained by Ken McPeek. A dull eighth in the Breeders' Cup, she has since returned to win an allowance race at Churchill Downs in wire-to-wire fashion.

So it's a short field and 60% of the fillies are trained by Todd Pletcher. So there is no Rachel Alexandra this year. Get used to that for a while folks. There may not be a 3-year-old filly like Rachel Alexandra for a very long time.

But this is an evenly matched group of grade 1 and potential top level winning fillies. Some of whom have a histories of running against each other going back to last year as debutantes.

And it is after all the Mother Goose. The race has been won by some of the greatest fillies in history including Cicada, Shuvee, Chris Everett, Ruffian, Davona Dale, Go For Wand, Life's Magic and Serena's Song to name a few. Winning jockeys include Bill Hartack, Bill Shoemaker, Braulio Baeza, Randy Romero, Jerry Bailey, Gary Stevens, Angel Cordero Jr. and Pat Day. The trainers list of winners is equally impressive going back to "Sunny" Jim Fitzimmons, Lucien Lauraen, Laz Barrera, D. Wayne Lukas, Charlie Whittingham, John Campo and Allen Jerkens.

All three lists are missing names with significant accomplishments in thoroughbred racing.

So if you have to do something else Saturday, it may be understable. Just make sure you set your TIVO.

An Awesome Lookin Exacta

1. Lookin at Lucky (3-1) – Definitely battle tested with significant trouble in his last two races in the Rebel (gr. 2) victory and the third in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. 1). His unlucky draw into the inside post will be helped by Ice Box, who is next door in hole #2 and likely to fall back quickly, giving Lookin at Lucky a little space. He also has the ability to launch his rally from any location in the pack (he raillied from 10th to just miss by a head in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile) so if he gets shuffled back early, he can still roll from far back late. If you’re a fan, then 3-1 odds Saturday may be the best value you’ll ever see on this horse for a while. He's a potential super star who has looked great in the mornings. If he goes to 7-2 or higher, he’ll be irresistible.

2. Ice Box (10-1) – The winner of the Florida Derby (gr. 1) has many things going for him - not the least of which is the likely pace in this year’s Derby. He is one of two big closers (along with long shot and Ark. Derby winner Stately Vicor) in a year filled with front runners who are likely to insure an early fast pace. He is trained by 2-time Kentucky Derby winner Nick Zito and although the Florida Derby may not have been that strong, he ran down the leaders on his left lead. Traffic and the 6-week gap since the Florida Derby will be his biggest obstacles. I’m siding with the obstacles.

3. Noble’s Promise (12-1) – A bridesmaid to Lookin at Lucky in his two starts just previous to a disastrous Arkansas Derby that almost cost him a trip to this Derby because of cuts and bruises suffered at Oaklawn. It was also later discovered that Noble's Promise had lung infection that week that has also since been irradicated. Had a big work over the Churchill Downs mud Monday so it appears he’s recovered and ready.

4. Super Saver (15-1) – Second as the front runner in a suspect Arkansas Derby (gr. 1). If he couldn’t hold on as the speed in Arkansas, he's not likely to do it in Kentucky.

5. Line of David (30-1) – A long shot winner of the Arkansas Derby and a winner of three straight as an intriguing speed horse that is improving with distance. Will need some breaks and a slow pace to have a chance. A half-mile in 47 seconds ala 2002 winner War Emblem will be a plus, but that scenario is not likely this year with all the competing gas.

6. Stately Victor (30-1) – He won the Blue Grass (gr. 1) on Keeneland’s Polytrack at 40-1 odds. His other win came against maidens. Distance won’t be the problem with this horse with 7 of 8 races at 1-1/16 miles or further. Talent may be the challenge.

7. American Lion (30-1) – Won the Illinois Derby (gr. 3) as the front runner on a Hawthorne track that may have favored his style. In much the same boat as other speed horses needing some luck and a slow pace but his ability to lay back in second/third might come in handy if he can rate in the Derby. At big odds he stays on the bottom of my superfecta, and not much else.

8. Dean’s Kitten (50-1) – He looks like a turf horse that took to the Polytrack at Turfway and defeated a weak Lane’s End (gr. 2) group. Just not much I like about this horse.

9. Make Music For Me (50-1) – The second to last horse to get into the Derby Wednesday morning and eight lengths behind Stately Victor in the Blue Grass in his last race. Doesn’t mind being behind the front runners and making a late move, but his only win came on grass in an ungraded stakes in California.

10. Paddy O’Prado (20-1) – He looks like another turf horse who adapted well to Keeneland’s Polytrack and ran a second in the Blue Grass behind Stately Victor. Not sure that will translate in the Kentucky Derby but he has looked good in the mornings this week.

11. Devil May Care (10-1) – Will be trying to become only the fourth filly to win the Kentucky Derby in 136 years so odds are against her. Word has it she’s been training the best of Pletcher’s army and put in nice final work Saturday to convince the trainer to let her go. Six weeks since her nice win against fillies in the Bonnie Miss (gr. 3) in Florida raises additional questions, although a very nice race and one of the few in this field to achieve a triple digit Beyer Speed Figure (100 in Bonnie Miss.) Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez won the Belmont with the filly Rags To Riches and I’m sure they’d like to each pick up the first Derby victory with another female.

12. Conveyance (12-1) – Strategy will be to go to the lead and let the others try to catch him much like Baffert trainee War Emblem in the 2002 Kentucky Derby win. Undefeated until second in Sunland Derby (gr. 3), a race in which Baffert said he was not on his game. His sire, Indian Charlie, couldn’t run successfully at 1-1/4 miles so that is a concern along with others who want to run on the lead. He has been impressive in his works, but I’m not going to play him at 12-1 odds.

13. Jackson Bend (15-1) – A distant second to once Derby favorite Eskendereya in the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial who has worked very well at Churchill. Nick Zito, who can win Derbies and pull upstets in Triple Crown races will need all of Zito’s talent and luck to adorn the blanket of roses.

14. Mission Impazible (20-1) – My favorite of the Pletcher horses with a stalking running style, a good work at Churchill Saturday and comments from the trainer about this horse’s “improvement.” On paper there are additional signs of him getting better so he has all the right ingredients of a horse perhaps “peaking at the right time,” (A most important spice with intentions of cooking on Derby Day.)

15. Discreetly Mine (30-1) – Pletcher’s “Anti“ Mission Impazible who looks like he might have peaked in his Risen Star (gr. 2) victory in February then a fourth in the La. Derby. Another speed horse that is not even on my top tier of front runners.

16. Awesome Act (10-1) – British invader who crossed the pond to finish 4th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November before going home for the winter. Flew back to United States to win the Gotham Stakes (gr. 2) in New York before finishing third to Eskendereya in the Wood when losing a shoe after stumbling out of the starting gate. Works have not been great but I like his chances at double digit odds and will be my top choice on some trifecta and superfecta tickets.

17. Dublin (12-1) – Came home a weak third in the Arkansas Derby which didn’t concern me as Lukas may not have wound him real tight for that race. But his training at Churchill Downs has not been as sharp as what I would have liked. I kept thinking this horse would give me something to hang a wager on… but no to the any positive signs and no to getting 12-1 when I think there’s better value elsewhere.

18. Backtalk (50-1) – The Brock Talk has been a fan of this horse since we began following him shortly after he broke his maiden in June. He is the final horse to qualify for this Kentucky Derby and the 50-1 odds are certainly fair after a dull third in the Illinois Derby. He is by Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones and will benefit from his stalking running style and if can show the quick turn of foot he had in winning a minor stake at Delta Downs in Louisiana. According to trainer Tom Amoss, if it rains Saturday, 100,000 fans will be upset, but Backtalk will be happy.

19. Homeboykris (50-1) – You may hear or read about horses who are 50-1 in the Kentucky Derby when they should be 100-1. Homeboykris is just such a horse with his last win coming in October in the grade 1 Champagne. While a nice victory, it was seven months and his last race, a loss in a non-stake race at only one mile, was more than two months ago.

20. Sidney’s Candy (5-1) – I’m not one to put too much into post positions, especially with a horse like Sidney’s Candy with a ton of speed who will have the entire field to his inside as jockey Joe Talamo picks a spot for him to negotiate the first turn. Although trainer John Sadler says the horse will also rate just fine, he appears to be the best of the speedsters by quite a margin and an expected improvement off of the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita keeps him among the best even with the outside starting point. He has the breeding to run all day and looked good while extending his lead in the Santa Anita Derby. His morning works have been fast enough but reports are not glowing as to how he looked doing it under more than expected urging from the rider. He’ll be second and third on a lot of my tickets, but not on top.

Lookin at Lucky Looking At Unlucky #1 Post

Lookin at Lucky, the Champion Two-Year-Old Male in 2009 and the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby (gr. 1) presented by Yum! Brands Saturday, has again been shunned by his namesake ol' Mr. Luck. After encountering severe trouble in his last two starts in which competitors bumped him during a Rebel Stakes (gr. 2) victory and a Santa Anita Derby (gr. 1) third, Lookin at Lucky draws into the dreaded number one post position for the Kentucky Derby.

The far inside post is dreaded for many reasons among Kentucky Derby trainers not the least of which is traffic congestion. During the nearly quarter-mile run to the first turn, the 19 horses to the outside all try to get near his position on or close to the rail in effort to save ground around the turn. Some runners will want to be there ahead of Looking at Lucky and may unintentionally cut him off. Others invariable cause domino bumping incidents that sometimes conclude with the inside horse taking the worst of the ruckus.

Or the trouble may even start before the race in the starting gate, in which Lookin at Lucky will be the first to load and thus spend the most time.

There are some silver linings around Lookin at Lucky's dark post position cloud however. He has plenty of talent and speed to dash away from gate in an effort to avoid much of the trouble should jockey Garrett Gomez and trainer Bob Baffert decide to employ that strategy. It is doubtful he would sprint to the lead, but the more horses he leaves behind, the less chance of traffic. It would take some early energy however.

He also drew next to Ice Box in post two, who is one of the true closers in the race. The Florida Derby (gr. 1) winner will likely be at a pace not much faster than a gallop on his way to the first turn in an effort to stay behind the ensuing equine quagmire. That should give Lookin at Lucky some additional room in which to avoid potential problems early in the race.

Additional silver lining for Lookin at Lucky came when his closest competitor drew the post farthest away and generally deemed as the second worst. Sidney's Candy, who defeated Lookin at Lucky in winning the Santa Anita Derby and is the second choice in the morning line, drew the far outside post 20. Big Brown in 2008 and Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 are the only horses to win the Kentucky Derby from post position 20.

Sidney's Candy has won his last three races, all graded stakes, in wire-to-wire fashion and thus has plenty of early gas to to clear competitors and merge towards the inside. And although trainer John Sadler has said Sidney's Candy will not need to have the early lead and probably won't in the Kentucky Derby, (especially now), he certainly appears to have the speed to overcome the additional distance created from breaking to the far outside.

Although 12 horses have won the Derby from the 1 post position making it tied with post 5 for producing the most winners, the last to do so was Ferdinand in 1986 and it took an historically clever ride from jockey Bill Shoemaker to pull off that win.

Having the two favorites draw the worst post positions may also create more opportunities for the others looking for the upset.

The filly Devil May Care, co-third choice at 10-1 in the morning line, drew an optimal position in the middle of the gate in post 11. Ice Box is also listed at 10-1 as well as Awesome Act, who drew post 18.

Post 18 poses many of the same obstacles for Awesome Act as post 20 does for Sidney's Candy, but Awesome Act does not have the same early acceleration. Awesome Act and jockey Julian Leparoux will most likely take a much less aggressive approach and will be just that more susceptible to bad racing luck.

Endorsement injury not life threatening
Sunland Derby (gr. 3) winner Endorsement suffered a broken ankle during training Wednesday morning and was obviously not entered in the Derby. The injury is a non-displaced condular fracture and is not life threatening.

Earlier Wednesday morning, trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed that he would not enter Derby hopeful Interactif. That left the door open for Make Music For Me and Backtalk, number 21 and 22 on the graded earnings list last night, to enter the Derby today.

Kentucky Derby Post Position and Morning Line
1. Lookin At Lucky, 3-1
2. Ice Box, 10-1
3. Noble's Promise, 12-1
4. Super Saver, 15-1
5. Line of David, 30-1
6. Stately Victor, 30-1
7. American Lion, 30-1
8. Dean's Kitten, 50-1
9. Make Music For Me, 50-1
10. Paddy O'Prado, 20-1
11. Devil May Care (f), 10-1
12. Conveyance, 12-1
13. Jackson Bend, 15-1
14. Mission Impazible, 20-1
15. Discreetly Mine, 30-1
16. Awesome Act, 10-1
17. Dublin, 12-1
18. Backtalk, 50-1
19. Homeboykris (g), 50-1
20. Sidney's Candy, 5-1

The Revolving Door Has Begun To Spin In Kentucky Derby

The revolving door into and out of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. 1) has begun to spin rapidly and decisively starting with the Saturday defection of prohibitive favorite Eskendereya (photo) due to "filling" in his left front leg. Trainer Todd Pletcher said while announcing the decision that "the horse is not lame" and he's hoping the injury, which he likened to a sprained ankle in a human, isn't career-threatening. Eskendereya is receiving antibiotics while resting comfortably in his stall at Churchill Downs and will undergo a thorough examination when the swelling subsides according to reports.

Pletcher, who also trains Derby hopefuls Devil May Care, Discreetly Mine, and Mission Impazible also lost Rule from the Derby trail Monday in a joint decision with owner Bill Casner of WinStar Farms. Stressing there are no physical problems with the earner of $791,700 with wins in the Boyd Gaming’s Delta Jackpot Stakes (gr. 3), Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. 3), and Jean Lafitte Stakes and a third in the Florida Derby (gr. 1), Casner said the decision was based more on Rule's unsatisfactory training this week at Churchill Downs.

Prior to the defection of Eskendereya, it is thought that Pletcher was on the fence about running the filly Devil May Care in the Kentucky Derby. However, Eskendereya's loss is apparently Devil May Care's opportunity as Pletcher confirmed Monday he is running Devil May Care against the boys. With Eskendereya out of the Derby, jockey John Velazquez will be free to ride Devil May Care which may have had an impact on the decision.

Only three fillies have won the Run for Roses, the last being Winning Colors in 1988. Regret (1915) and Genenuine Risk (1980) are the only two. The last filly to race in the Kentucky Derby was Eight Belles, who finished second behind Big Brown in 2008. Only four fillies have tried the Derby since Winning Colors' victory including Eight Belles, Serena's Song (16th in 1995), and in 1995 Excellent Meeting (5th), and Three Ring (19th).

Pletcher, a four-time Eclipse Award winner as the nation's leading trainer, is looking for his first Kentucky Derby victory after trying with 24 horses in previous Derbies. Velazquez is 0-9 in Derby mounts in perhaps one of the most successful teams to have not yet won a Kentucky Derby. However, Pletcher and Velazquez teamed up in the 2007 Belmont Stakes (gr. 1) with the filly Rags To Riches to defeat eventual Horse of the Year Curlin. Rags to Riches was only the third filly to win the third jewel of the Triple Crown after Tanya in 1905 and Ruthless taking the inaugural Belmont Stakes in 1867.

Rule's Derby departure allows for Jackson Bend to qualify for the Derby with $230,000 in graded stakes earnings. Jackson Bend was second to Eskendereya in both the Wood Memorial (gr. 1) in April and the Fountain of Youth (gr. 2) in March and also gives trainer Nick Zito his second starter in this year's Derby along with Florida Derby (gr. 1) winner Ice Box.

Baffert: Then and Then.
So you think things get easier for the trainers and horses once they begin to arrive at Churchill Downs in the weeks leading up to the Kentucky Derby? Three-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert (photo) summarized it during a interview on TVG's Saturday morning telecast of Morning Line by saying "You gotta come in here with a really good horse. Then he has to work well. And he has to be moving forward. Then he has to school well. And then you have to get a good post [position in the starting gate]. And then he has to get a good trip. There’s so many things involved. If all the things work, and you have the best horse. Then you can get the job done. But there are a lot of hoops they have to jump through. So until that gate comes open, I never relax."

Baffert may be just a little less worried now, however, after watching Looking at Lucky work five furlongs (5/8ths of a mile) over a sealed and sloppy race track in 1:00.38 seconds, the fastest of five Derby horses that also worked Monday morning.

Rachel Ready To Roll
Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra appears ready for her return to the races in Friday's $400,000 La Troienne Stakes after working a half-mile in 49.87 seconds over a sloppy track early Monday morning at Churchill Downs. After the work trainer Steve Asmussen told Daily Racing Form "The level of excitement for Friday, it's definitely there. I am very, very pleased with her."

The La Troienne will be no cake walk for the popular 4-year-old filly who will again meet Zardana, who upset Rachel Alexandra in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes in March; Careless Jewel, winner of the grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga last year and the beaten favorite in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. 1) at Santa Anita in November and three other possible starters.

Derby Fun Facts
Outside of the jeweled embellishments that were added to the Kentucky Derby Trophy to note special Derby anniversaries in 1949 (75th), 1974 (100th), and 1999 (125th), only one change has been made to the original design.

For the 125th Kentucky Derby in 1999, Churchill Downs officials decided to defer to racing lore and change the direction of the decorative horseshoe displayed on the 14-karat gold trophy. The horseshoe, fashioned from 18-karat gold, had pointed downward on each of the trophies since 1924. To commemorate Derby 125 the change was made and the horseshoe was turned 180 degrees so that its ends pointed up. The trophy now annually incorporates the horseshoe with the ends pointing up.

Racing superstition decrees that if the horseshoe is turned down, all the luck will run out.

Roses became the traditional way to honor the Derby winner during the early years of the 20th century. Dating back to 1906 Churchill Downs has photos of the winner with the garland. In 1925 that the late Bill Corum, a New York sports columnist, dubbed the classic the “RUN FOR THE ROSES.” Corum later served as president of Churchill Downs from 1950-1958.

The most popular color of Kentucky Derby winners is bay with 49, followed by chestnut (43), Brown (17), Dark Bay or Brown (11), Gray Roan (8) Black (4) and Dark Bay (3). In 1962, the Jockey Club merged the dark bay & brown color classifications to
dark bay or brown.

Speaking of Brown
No Kentucky Derby party is complete without a Mint Julep and some Kentucky Hot Browns.

I recommend the mini Hot Browns as described here for a Kentucky Derby party. For authenticity, pleasure and additional cholesterol, Ramsey's restaurant in Lexington has the best Hot Browns among the Kentucky establishments I have reviewed.

4 oz. butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 - 3 1/2 cups milk
1 beaten egg
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 ounce whipped cream, optional
Salt & pepper to taste
Slices of roasted turkey
8 - 12 slices of toast, trimmed
Extra grated Parmesan cheese
8 - 12 strips crisp, cooked bacon

Melt butter and add enough of the flour to make a reasonable thick roux (enough to absorb all the butter). Add the milk and Parmesan cheese. Add the well-beaten egg to thicken the sauce, but do not allow it to boil. Remove from the heat. Fold in the whipped cream, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast in a metal or flame-proof dish. Cover the toast with slices of roasted turkey. Pour a generous amount of the sauce over the turkey and toast. Sprinkle with some of the additional Parmesan cheese. Place the dish under the broiler until the sauce is speckled on top and bubbly. Remove from the broiler; place two pieces of the bacon, crossed, on top and serve immediately.

For mini hot browns, substitute trimmed toast for snack size.

The Official Mint Julep Recipe From Churchill Downs
Make a simple syrup by boiling 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water for 5 minutes, without stirring. Fill a jar loosely with sprigs of fresh mint (uncrushed) and cover with the
cooled syrup. Cap and refrigerate 12-24 hours. Discard mint. Make one julep at a time.

Fill chilled julep cup with finely crushed ice, pour in half a tablespoon of the mint-flavored syrup and 2 ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whiskey. Frost cup, stick in a sprig of mint and serve at once. You can get a head start by putting the batch, without mint, in the freezer until ready for use.

Pletcher Considering Lucky Seven With Filly

With trainer Todd Pletcher confirming that Bonnie Miss Stakes (gr. 2) winner Devil May Care (photo) is a possibility for the Kentucky Derby present by Yum! Brand, it is now possible we will see another filly take on colts in the Run for the Roses.

Pletcher said much depends on how Devil May Care ships into Churchill Downs and works over the surface Saturday or Sunday morning. Pletcher also indicated that the Kentucky Derby has been a consideration all along for Devil May Care, who has plenty to qualify for the Derby with $363,000 in graded earnings. Her work at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida Saturday may have also been a catalyst in the consideration after she covered five furlongs in 1:01.05, almost a full second faster than four of Pletcher's other Derby contenders who worked five furlongs that day. Wood Memorial (gr. 1) winner and probable Derby favorite Eskendereya was timed in 1:02 over five furlongs while Louisiana Derby (gr. 2) winner Mission Impazible went 1:02.25 and Rule stopped the clock in 1:02.25 seconds.

Pletcher was quoted in Thoroughbredtimes.com after the works as saying "Eskendereya, at this point, is a very fit horse and we weren’t looking to overdo it. I thought Mission Impazible was very good. He seems like he’s an improving horse. Rule, you know, wasn’t as sharp, but it was sort of consistent with the way he breezes. Discreetly Mine was good.”

Pletcher also has Arkansas Derby (gr. 1) runner-up Super Saver and Interactif, fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. 1) as possible Derby contenders.

Should Devil May Care run in the Kentucky Derby, she will be the 40th filly to try the classic against males. Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1981) and Winning Colors (1989) (photo) are the only fillies to win the Kentucky Derby. Two fillies have finished second, including the ill-fated Eight Belles in 2008 and Lady Navarre in 1906 while five fillies have finished third with the most recent being Prudery in 1921.

Regret and Prudery, running as an entry with the colt Tryster (fourth), are among the only fillies to start in the Derby as the post time favorite. The most recent fillies to accomplish wagering favoritism were Serena's Song, who finished 16th in 1995 running as an entry with Timber Country (third) and Excellent Meeting, 5th in 1999 coupled with General Challenge (11th).

More Derby Notes
The Bob Baffert Derby team of Lookin at Lucky and Conveyance had works over the Churchill Downs surface Wednesday morning with Looking at Lucky going six furlongs in 1:12.01 with exercise rider Dana Barnes aboard while Conveyance also worked six furlongs in 1:12.16 under jockey Calvin Borel... Both Eskendereya and Devil May Care arrived at Pletcher's barn at Churchill Downs Tuesday and had easy gallops Wednesday morning... Santa Anita Derby (gr. 1) winner Sidney's Candy, who has never started on a natural dirt surface, seemed to take to the Churchill track very well Saturday morning working five eighths of a mile in :59.80 seconds, the second fastest work of the morning at that distance. With trainer John Sadler in California, assistant Larry Benavidez oversaw the effort and said "It gave me some goose bumps this morning. That work was phenomenal.”... Noble's Promise, a disappointing fourth in his last race in the Arkansas Derby (gr. 1), appears to have recovered from a small lung infection that may have hampered his effort in that race. Tuesday morning trainer Ken McPeek sent Noble's Promise through a work in company with stablemate and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly (gr. 1) runner-up Beautician. The duo went the first half-mile together in 47.20 before Noble's Promise drew away and finished five furlongs in 1:00.40, two full seconds faster than Beautician... Jockey Jon Court, who rode Line of David to victory in the Arkansas Derby, will be replaced in the Derby by Rafael Bejarano. Bejarano was the regular rider on Line of David in his two previous wins against maiden special weight and allowance company in February and March.