Kentucky Derby: Race Wrap-Up and Photos Galore

It's been a whirlwind 48 hours attending the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby horse races in Louisville – both unforgettable American spectacles celebrating their 135th year. There's nothing quite like carousing with 153,000 festive people dressed in either their most elaborate finery ... or the craziest thing they could find. Sure, it’s all about the hats, parties and the Mint Juleps but most of all, it’s about the horses. And, let's face it, who doesn't love a long shot win?

(Trying to wrap up the experience in one post is futile so today's post will be about the race itself. Tuesday – the hats, fashion and traditions. Wednesday, the celebs, parties and whatever else I forgot. I am posting numerous photo highlights on my Flickr stream - will be adding more throughout the day.)

The first Kentucky Derby was held in 1874 which makes horse racing is the oldest sport in America. POTUS #2, Andrew Jackson, had stables added to the White House for this reason.) It is known as the “most exciting two minutes in sports” and having witnessed it, I concur. Even during World War II, when so many recreational events were put on hold, the Oaks and the Derby continued. Another fun factoid: A horse can run the Derby only once, no more. Jockeys do not have such rules.

As a Derby virgin, I met numerous fellow first-timers and they all said the same thing: “I don’t think I can ever watch the Derby on TV ever again.” When you finally grasp the expanse of the event and realize it stretches far beyond what you'd imagined, it is seemingly hard to settle for a distant view ever again - which is why so many people return year after year. 

Watching Calvin Borel (nicknamed “Bo-rail” for his penchant for riding the rail) take the 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird across the finish line on Saturday, my horse racing experience peaked right then and there. (It was only the second biggest long shot win in Derby history.) This horse was in last place for much of the race before Borel spotted a hole in the thumping herd and quickly filled it. We were witnessing Mind That Bird's Susan Boyle-moment and it was electrifying.

While folks were busy screaming and mentally spending the winnings that seemed within grasp, Borel put the stirrups to the mud and he and his equine partner spent the last 20 seconds of the race breezing past the other riders as if they were standing still. The horse had a rough start having been squeezed back from his No. 8 post to a full six lengths behind everyone else for the first quarter mile. When Borel maneuvered up to the rail to get his shot, it was a done deal and he cruised to victory 6 3/4 lengths ahead of second place, Pioneerof the Nile. As Borel told the Courier-Journal post-race: "You got a hole, you got a shot ...I had enough room, he's a small horse."

To intensify matters, there was the gradual realization that Calvin had ridden the favored filly, Rachel Alexandra, to victory in the Oaks just 24 hours earlier, making him only the seventh jockey to win both the Kentucky Oaks and the Derby in the same year. It was day for history-making.

Being amongst the crowd and watching the bizarre finish was surreal. I expected a lot of cheers and whoops of financial success but after Borel crossed the line with his whip in the air (to honor his late parents), everyone turned to one another. “Who is that? Which horse was that? What happened?  Who was that? WHAT’S GOING ON???”

Watching the Derby veterans in their confusion, I realized things were especially surprising this year. The crowd went from speechless to incredulous to genuinely annoyed at themselves for not betting the longshot. I met one Denver-based couple, William and Deborah Paini, who had changed their strategy at the last minute based on the advice of an old-timer and ended up winners; it was their first Derby too and they were as shocked as anyone.

Turns out, the owners of Mine That Bird had only decided a month ago, on a whim, to put up the $25,000 and enter him in the Derby. He'd never even run on a muddy track and, while successful in Canada, had not won any titles in major league racing. His trainer, Bennie "Chip" Woolley (a former rodeo rider and current biker dude), had driven him from New Mexico with a broken leg just for the experience of running him in the Derby. Neither Woolley nor the owners, had expectations of winning the damn thing. As co-owner Mark Allen said: "I would have been happy just to have lit
the board." (Meaning just to place at all.) Watching a group of stetson-wearing cowboys saunter in and take over this well-heeled insider sport left insiders flummoxed.

Between Barbaro’s sad passing and the tragic death of Eight Belles on the Derby track last year, there’s been heightened awareness and scrutiny on the industry. To say there was a feeling of apprehension around the race is putting it lightly. “I just hope nothing happens”, “As long as the horses are okay” and “Everyone will be holding their breath during the race” are some comments I heard.  As a result of recent events, the is the very first Kentucky Derby to ban the use of all steroids as the racing industry tries to re-commit to the animals instead of the glory (and money) of winning, above all else.

Leading up to the race, it was I Want Revenge this and I Want Revenge that. It was the favorite horse and all eyes were on IWR’s team, led by trainer Jeff Mullins. Come Derby morning, the briefest press release I’ve ever read was thrust in my face at 8:45 a.m. announcing that the horse had been scratched. Disappointment was in store for many. Truly, I have never witnessed a sadder press conference in my life.  

Under an enlarged version of the U.S. stamp honoring Secretariat, they (Veterinarians Dr. Foster Northrop and Dr. Larry Bramlege, jockey Joe Talamo, trainer Jeff Mullins and co-owner David Lanzman) all lined up at the table and announced that they’d come to IWR’s stable early that morning to prepare for the race. Checking the horse, they found the right front ankle had some “heat”, indicating soreness within soft tissue. “Looking at him, you wouldn’t know it,” said Dr. Northrop. “The horse doesn’t know he’s hurt.”

Facing a sloppy track from morning's downpour, Mullins made the excruciating decision to pull the horse from the race. “Once we realized that he was sore, we made the decision. There was no debate. This was in the best interest of the horse.”  For this decision and the reasoning behind it, they were given tremendous credit. (However, as Cindy Pierson Duly of Horse-Races.net explained to me: “Sure but there are going to be a lot of people in the horse world upset by this decision. A lot of money has been put into getting this horse here today.”)

The mood in the room was somber, at best. When they opened it up for questions from the media, there was maybe one or two, inquiring about medical follow up but mostly, everyone just sat quietly. Jeff Mullins sat stone-faced clearly bawling his head off on the inside, as only men can do. As he said, “The biggest dream is to get here, but the biggest nightmare is to get to race day and have to scratch.”

However, I would venture to guess that an even bigger nightmare is putting your horse down due to an irreversible injury, which was the scenario that the team was trying to avoid. Larry Jones, the trainer of Eight Belles and this year’s ultimate favorite, Fresian Fire, would know more about that. I'd encountered him earlier that morning, along with a group of others, in the barns earlier that day.

After 20+ years of training, Larry was retiring and this would be the final Derby for one of the industry's best known professionals. Incredibly, the man has had 10 days of vacation since 1980. "My son told me about this word and - I may not pronounce it correctly - it's called 'weekends,'" he said. "So, I'm going to look into that."

This sport takes a lot out of you, physically and emotionally, and the more time I spent around these people, the more I became convinced - it's not for the money. Sure, it's a sport but it is also a demanding lifestyle mix of passion, guts and very little sleep. There are certainly easier paths to fame and glory - reality TV, for example.

Walking around the barns before dawn, I watched the horses get bathed and groomed. The anticipaation in the air was like nothing I'd ever felt. I wandered into one barn after one
handsome horse gave me a flirty eye from his warm stall. I was hoping to determine just one thing just couldn’t help myself.  Of course, I was yelled at by some all-business horsewoman. (Horsewomen are the most fearsome creatures of all. Trust me on this.)

"CAN I HELP YOU?" she yelled, her voice containing not one ounce of helpful intention.
 
"Um, yeah, I’m with-"

"I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED IN HERE!" She continued to speak in all capitals, even though she was standing next to me.

"Alrighty then," I said, not wanting to have my ass kicked so early on Derby Day. I turned to leave just as a horse was being led into the barn so I stood off to the side.
 
“SEE? THIS IS WHY I DON’T WANT YOU IN HERE. THIS IS HOW ACCIDENTS HAPPEN!” She barked at me though I may have detected a small bit of apology in her voice though it could have been wishful thinking.

Anyway, I'd gotten what I came for so I was happy to exit. I wanted to determine if wildly expensive racing horses like their high-priced noses tickled as much as the cheap, common ones. I’m very happy to report that they do. Mission accomplished.

Pondering the day's events, I recalled my visit with Julian 'Buck' Wheat earlier that morning. Wheat, 71, is known as the 'Mayor of the Backside' but his official title is Director of Horsemen Relations at Churchill Downs. He is the liason to owners, trainers, jockeys and stable workers. He's been working at the famed track - in one job or another - since 1949.

I picked his brain for a possible winner and he gave me a few names but it came with a bit of insight: "Remember, it's not always the best horse that wins the Derby, it's the best horse that day."

Prophetic words.

(Top Photo: The Courier-Journal; bottom two shot by yours truly.)