Kentucky Oaks & Kentucky Derby Results

As you know, if you've read my blogs before, I do not like betting on a race favorite; so I usually picky long shots and hope for the best.

   Yesterday's Kentucky Oaks was talked about as if there could be no other winner than Rachel's Valentina.  She has a fantastic racing heritage - her dam is Rachel Alexandra, and her sire is Bernardini.  I love her sire; I distinctly dislike her dam.  I could never make myself like any foal from Rachel Alexandra....  For some reason, the mare just rubs me the wrong way - and she always has.  In any event, I looked at the other fillies in the Oaks, and I picked four that I thought were better than R's V.  Looking down the list of starting positions, I chose Lewis Bay, Go Maggie Go, Cathryn Sophia, and Land Over Sea.  I was completely surprised when the four fillies I chose finished in the top four spots!  Cathryn Sophia finished first, followed by Land Over Sea; Lewis Bay was third and Go Maggie Go finished in fourth - I now wish I had bet the Superfecta, picking the top four finishers!
Rachel's Valentina never seemed to catch fire and really run during the Oaks, but she did finish sixth of fourteen.  There was record attendance at the Oaks on Friday.

   I have yet to see the complete list of finish for the Kentucky Derby.  The betting favorite was Nyquist, who was undefeated, followed by Exaggerator.   Of course, I picked three long shots, Gun Runner, Trojan Nation and Majesto.  Today, at Churchill Downs, the attendance was lower than last year's - it was only 167,227 today.  Nyquist stayed undefeated (I did bet on him in the Breeders Cup last year, when he was a long shot); the betting favorite won the race handily.  The second betting choice, Exaggerator, trained by Keith Desormeaux, and ridden by brother Kent, finished second.  Gun Runner, who started the morning at long odds, was 10 to 1 when the race began.  He was third; and Mohaymen, who had only lost a single race (to Nyquist) was fourth.  I don't know where Trojan Nation, Majesto, or Lani (the Japanese trained horse) yet.   I will keep you informed....