I'm Going To Kentucky, I'm Going to the Fair...

The long-anticipated adventure to Kentucky is almost here and I am giddy with excitement. It has been two and a half months since Andrea surprised me with this gift on Valentine’s Day, which has bought her a lifetime of “You have the coolest wife ever” platitudes by my friends. I have previewed several races involving Derby contenders and conspired with my fellow explorers Jim and Perry to plot out the course of our weekend. The racing and the atmosphere, if not the weather, promise to be fantastic. Here’s the plan:

Friday, April 30th- Jim and I board an 8:30 a.m. flight from New York to Indianapolis, where we will meet up with Perry, who will have already landed, rented a car and fetched supplies by the time we arrive at 11:00 a.m. We will then drive the 130 miles from Indy to Louisville, hopefully in less than two hours. Not the most convenient way to get to Churchill Downs, but it was the cheapest, and I’d rather donate my money to predatory establishments of gambling than the airline industry.
We will hightail it down I-65 as fast (and legally) as we can in order to catch as much of Oaks day at the track as possible. Oaks day is for the ladies (and the fillies) and will have some fine races, including the La Troienne Stakes, with Rachel Alexandra scheduled to run. As of last year, the Oaks has added to its long history of traditions by dedicating its day to Breast Cancer Awareness, calling for all attendees to wear pink. I plan to wear my daughter’s bib if I fail in my attempt to fit into a onesie.
After the races are over, we plan to soak in the Derby weekend nightlife in Louisville’s finest establishments, but not too late into the night because…

Saturday, May 1st-
At the track by 8:00 a.m. The first race doesn’t go off until 10:30 a.m., but it’s a land rush for those who want to watch the action from the infield. Unlike at Belmont Park, Churchill Downs permits, nay encourages, attendees to watch/party/bet in the infield. Rather than sitting in reserved seats and wearing silly hats, we will be among the people, the real horse lovers and racing aficionados, and of course, the Runners of the Urinals. I have witnessed the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, but this tradition has a decidedly American flair to it. In any case, 80,000 people fill the infield on Derby day, so it behooves us to stake our claim to a plot of land near the third turn, where we can see the horses make their move. Throughout the day, we plan to study the forms, argue nonsensically about who will win each race and how to bet, change our minds at the betting windows, watch the races and refresh ourselves. Rinse and repeat 13 times (there are actually two more races after the Derby, allowing for ample opportunity to leave empty handed).

It’s going to be another crowded field for the Derby, as 20 horses are currently scheduled to run. There will be some scratches (Wood Memorial winner Eskendereya has already been ruled out), reducing the traffic on the dirt a little bit, but there will be lots of studying to do for this race. The post position draw was held today, which was done randomly rather than the usual double tier selection process. Here are a few of the contenders to look out for:

Lookin’ at Lucky- After getting squeezed out on the rail during the Santa Anita Derby, favorite Lookin’ at Lucky is going to have to dig his way out from crowd on the rail again because he drew the 1 spot. This is going to make it very difficult to get clear unless he shoots out of the gate well in front and hopes to go wire to wire. Otherwise, he’ll have to navigate traffic and I didn’t like the way Garrett Gomez ran him in California. There are too many other quality horses for me to feel confident about this one, even if he is the early favorite at 3-1.

Sidney’s Candy- The recipient of Gomez’s gaffe, Sidney’s Candy won the Santa Anita Derby in impressive fashion, even slowing down near the end to save himself for Louisville. However, he drew the far outside post at number 20 and is going to have to work harder to get around the turn without putting on too much extra mileage from that spot. Sidney’s Candy is listed at 5-1, which looks fair to me.

Stately Victor- The longshot winner at Keeneland for the Blue Grass Stakes in Lexington, Stately Victor romped to the winner’s circle. He’s been hit-or-miss through his career, but he now has two wins to his credit and I like him again this Saturday, especially at the 6 spot, just outside of Line of David and Super Saver. And at 30-1 odds, I am going to have a hard time resisting that payoff.

Line of David- The winner of the Arkansas Derby won wire-to-wire, and looked strong in doing so. The biggest knock on Line of David is that he ain’t seasoned on dirt, with only that one race under his belt. But at 30-1, I like his value, especially at the 5 gate.

Super Saver- Finishing second at Oaklawn in Arkansas, he spent most of the race looking up the ass of Line of David before losing by a nose. He’ll be running inside of Line of David at number 4, but I’m just not sure he’s a closer, even though his odds are better at 15-1.

Awesome Act- Finishing third to Eskendereya in the Wood Memorial isn’t something to be ashamed of, but it was a small field of six horses, and the European took his time getting toward the front of the pack. I have doubts about how he’ll handle a crowded field at Churchill, though the 16 spot won’t hurt him as much as the 20 spot will hurt Lookin’ at Lucky. I could easily see Awesome Act biding his time in the back of the pack and pacing into the money, but I’m not sure he’s a winner in this field. Could be a trifecta box pick at 10-1.

Devil May Care- The lone filly in the race, she has a nice position at 11, but she’s owned by Todd Pletcher, the Susan Lucci of horse trainers. None of his 24 previous entries have won the Derby. She is getting a lot of buzz at 10-1, but a filly hasn’t won the Derby since ’88, so she has a lot of history against her.

Keep an eye out for all of these horses, as well as Paddy O’Prado and Dublin, if you decide to tune in to NBC on Saturday from 5:00-7:00, with post time scheduled for 6:24 p.m. ESPN is covering the earlier races from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. And if you’re a ladies man (or woman), catch the Oaks on Bravo on Friday at 5:00 p.m.

As for me, I’ll be catching it all live, up close and personal. A dream come true.