And the Winner Is...

The 137th Kentucky Derby has come and gone and the winner is Animal Kingdom.  The 20-1 long shot jockeyed by John Velazquez beat out favorites such as Nehro and Dialed In to be the first Kentucky Derby win for Velazquez.  Velazquez was scheduled to ride Uncle Mo but the horse was scratched because of a lingering stomach problem.  He took the reins of Animal Kingdom when the horses regular jockey, Robby Albarado was thrown from his horse and kicked in the face resulting in a broken nose three days prior to the running of the Derby.

The 2011 Kentucky Derby

It's that time of year again!  In a little over two days, the fastest, and greatest, as they say, two minutes in sports will begin and end for another year.  The celebrities have already turned out for the pre-Derby festivities and you can be certain that when Derby day arrives, they'll be out in full force.

Last year, the weather played a major role in the Derby.  Near flood conditions plagued the track but the horses and jockey's got out and gave it their all to give sports and Derby fans a wild race.  This year, race fans are hoping for a dry day and dry track.

The Preakness: And the Winner Is....

Two weeks ago today the Kentucky Derby was run in Louisville, Kentucky. The winner of the Derby was Super Saver. The Preakness Stakes was run today at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Was Super Saver able to pull a second win in the Triple Crown making him one win away from being the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed took the honor in 1978?

Lookin' At Lucky, ridden by 25 year-old Martin Garcia won the Preakness Stakes today. Five years ago, Garcia was new to the United States from Mexico and working in a deli. A customer asked him if, because of his small stature, if he'd ever considered being a jockey. Like the discovery of Lana Turner at the drugstore, Martin Garcia was discovered in a deli. Under the tutelage of Bob Baffert Garcia has achieved his very first Triple Crown win. Garcia was riding Baffert's horse Conveyance in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago.

Lookin' At Lucky and Garcia completed the 1 3/16 mile Preakness Stakes in 1:55.47.

Super Saver couldn't get the win this time around. Super Saver finished ninth in today's race.

Congratulations to Lookin' At Lucky and Martin Garcia! May there be many more wins in your future!

Super Saver Wins 136th Kentucky Derby

Despite a massive amount of rain that fell in Louisville, Kentucky this wet May 1, 2010, Super Saver, ridden by jockey Calvin Borel came in first place to win the 136th annual Kentucky Derby. This makes the third Derby win for Borel in the past four years. The horse and jockey covered the 1 1/4-miles in 2:04.45.

Numerous celebrities such as Pete Wentz and his wife Ashley Simpson-Wentz, Diane Lane, Travis Tritt and several sports figures, among others, attended the rain-soaked Derby. It's unlikely they had to deal with the rain the way the hardcore Derby fans, the ones with the bad seats had to deal with it. More than 155,000 spectators attended this years Run for the Roses, a figure up from last year.

But the real kudos go to the jockeys and the horses themselves. They braved conditions that could have been dangerous to both man and beast.

Congratulations to Super Saver, jockey Calvin Borel and trainer Todd Pletcher!

(Note: I will include a replay video of the 136th Derby once it has been posted by the official Derby YouTube channel. Until the video does appear on YouTube, it can be viewed at the official Kentucky Derby web site.)

A Very Wet Derby Day In Kentucky

Well, it's finally here. The Kentucky Derby is going to be run today at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Mother Nature isn't quite as excited about the Derby as everyone else is, though. The entire state of Kentucky has been deluged by near-flooding rains since the wee hours of the May 1st morning. Despite the heavy rains, it appears the Derby will still run as scheduled.

Morning workouts on the track for the horses were postponed and the trainers opted instead to run the horses in their barns.

If Mother Nature doesn't completely throw a cog in the wheel of the Derby (which I can't see happening unless so much rain comes down that Churchill Downs is completely flooded whichever horse wins this years Derby will most certainly have to be one of the best "mudders" in the world!

The wettest Derby Day on record was May 11, 1918 when 2.31 inches of rain fell. With about another five hours yet to go it remains to be seen if this years rainfall will break the 1918 record.

The 2010 Kentucky Derby

The Run for the Roses
The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports
The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports
The Sport of Kings

Whatever you call prefer to call it, the 136th Kentucky Derby is almost upon us! It doesn't matter where in the world you are from, chances are you've heard of or even watched a broadcast of the Kentucky Derby.

Why is the Derby called the "Run for the Roses" you might ask? Good question! It is nicknamed that because the winning horse is draped with a blanket of 554 red roses. The current governor of the State of Kentucky awards the garland and trophy to the winner. The first recorded record of a horse being draped with the blanket of roses was 1896 and it has happened every year since with the exception of 2008. Big Brown, the horse that won the Derby didn't like flowers and the jockey didn't wish to upset the winner so he didn't allow the blanket of roses to be placed on the horse.

In a little over four days on May 1, 2010 the jockeys will saddle up, lead their horses into the stalls at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky and shoot out of the gates to the words "and they're off!!" to take that two minute, one and one-fourth mile ride that will lead them to either fame or disappointment. The rich and famous, and even the not-so-rich and famous turn out in droves to sip Mint Juleps (an iced drink of bourbon, mint and sugar syrup) and eat a dish of burgoo (a thick beef, chicken, pork and vegetable stew). They party and celebrate the biggest event Louisville sees all year. In 2007 even Queen Elizabeth II attended the Kentucky Derby.

But it isn't just Derby Day seeing the partying. For two weeks before the Big Day there are parties galore in Louisville. So, even as you read this there is a party happening somewhere in Louisville, Kentucky celebrating the Derby.

If you're lucky enough to secure a ticket to the Derby you can watch the race from the infield, where the "average" spectator can sit for general admission prices although the seats are usually so poor you can see very little of the race. Or, if you happen to be rich enough or know the right person you can watch the race from "Millionaire's Row". Millionaire's Row is an exclusive and extremely expensive section of box seats where the rich, famous, well-connected and sometimes royal spectators are privileged enough to sit. It's there where you will see men and women in fine outfits and the ladies wearing large, and often rather elaborate hats. Unless you're just a race junkie that absolutely must attend the event your best bet, and best seat, is right in front of your television on race day. You can see every second of the race and don't have to worry about being seated in front of a woman with a large, ugly and annoying hat.

The Kentucky Derby is responsible for making such household names as the two most winning jockeys of all time: Eddie Arcaro (1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952) and Bill Hartack (1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969), Ben A. Jones, the trainer with the most wins (1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952), William "Willy" Shoemaker (1955, 1959, 1965, 1986), and Calumet Farms, the owner with the most wins (1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1968). Notable horses include Mine that Bird (2009), Barbaro (2006), Smarty Jones (2004), Funny Cide (2003), War Emblem (2002), Seattle Slew (1977), Dancer's Image (1968), Citation (1948), War Admiral (1937), Sir Barton (1919) and the very first winner of the Derby, Aristides in 1875.

Probably the most famous of all Kentucky Derby names is Secretariat. Owned by Penny Chenery and trained by Canadian Lucien Laurin and ridden by Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte, Secretariat is probably the most famous racehorse of them all. He was the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and he set not one, but two speed records. Secretariat completed the Kentucky Derby in 1973 at 1:59 and the Belmont Stakes in 2:24 . Both records stand to this day.

The Kentucky Derby is the first of three races in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing held each year. The Preakness Stakes (held on the 3rd Saturday in May each year) run at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland and the Belmont Stakes (in June five weeks after the Derby and three weeks after Preakness) run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York are the second and third events.

Only eleven horses have ever won the Triple Crown. The last horse to win the United States Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978. Perhaps this will be the year we see another Triple Crown winner?!

For more information about the Kentucky Derby you can visit the Official Kentucky Derby Web Site.

In the meantime, enjoy this video replay of the 2009 Kentucky Derby presented on the Kentucky Derby Official YouTube Channel. They also have videos posted showing you how to make your own gaudy Derby hat, Mint Julep's and other racing videos.