Kentucky Derby Odds and Ends

Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, arrived as a plan in the mind of Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, after the Colonel had visited Epsom Downs in 1872.  Churchill Downs was built on property that Colonel Lewis leased from his uncles, John and Henry Churchill.  Opening day at Churchill Downs featured three key races - the Kentucky Oaks, the Kentucky Derby, and the Clark Stakes.  These three races were patterned after the Epsom Oaks, Epsom Derby, and the St Leger Stakes.  All three races, plus several others, were the new track's greatest event on 17 May 1875.  Like the Epsom Derby, the Kentucky Derby was originally contested over one and a half miles; in 1896 it was shortened to it's current distance of one and one-quarter miles.  From 1875 until 1929, the Kentucky Derby "floated" on Saturdays in mid-May; in 1930, it was agreed that the Kentucky Derby would always take place on the first Saturday in May.

    If you've read my blogs about the Triple Crown before, you know I include all sorts of "strange" facts.  I do it for fun.  I am not addicted to gambling, and people who "follow the ponies" all have their own way of picking winners - past races, days run on, the jockey, the trainer, the track, the speed figures, The Daily Racing Form, the weather, the phase of the moon, and/or the astrology reading of the day.  I just like to look at everything - including the way the horse looks....
  We are expecting a full field of 20 horses to participate in Saturday's Derby.  So far, the top 20 point-earners are all in fine fettle.  So here are my, as usual odd, observations regarding the top 20 entrants:
   All horses are male this year; with 16 colts, 2 ridglings (Mor Spirit and Majesto), and 2 geldings (Suddenbreakingnews and Whitmore).
   Eighteen of the 20 were bred in Kentucky; two are Pennsylvania-bred (Mor Spirit and Tom's Ready).
   Three colts were sired by Tapit, the grey son of Pulpit (Creator, Lani, and Mohaymen).
   Three colts were sired by Uncle Mo, bay son of Indian Charlie (Nyquist, Outwork, and Mo Tom).
   Two of the colts were sired by Giant's Causeway, bay son of Storm Cat (Brody's Cause and Destin).
   Three of the colts were sales consignees of Warrendale Sales (Exaggerator, Mo Tom and Suddenbreakingnews).
   Of the coat colors of the 20 entrants,  3 are chestnut; 4 are grey or roan; and 13 are bays or dark browns.
   On birthdays, the chestnut gelding Whitmore was born on 23 January; the bay colt Mo Tom was born on 6 May; five colts were born in February, eight were born in March, three were born in April, and Mohaymen and Suddenbreakingnews were born on 2 May.
   Nyquist is the only undefeated entrant.
   Steve Asmussen trains two colts, Gun Runner and Creator.
   Todd Pletcher trains two colts, Outwork and Destin.
   Chad Brown trains two colts, Shagaf and My Man Sam.
   The Ramsey family owns Oscar Nominated.
   The grey colt Lani, son of Tapit and bred in Kentucky, has a Japanese trainer and jockey, and has raced in Japan and the Middle East.  He was the winner of the United Arab Emirates Derby.

NBC and NBCSN have announced their coverage of the Kentucky Derby weekend - on Wednesday, 4 May, at 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) NBCSN will cover the starting gate draw live.
   On Thursday, 5 May, NBCSN will cover 4 live races from Churchill Downs beginning at 4 p.m. (EDT).
   On Friday, 6 May, NBCSN will cover 7 live races, including the Kentucky Oaks, beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT.
   On Saturday, 7 May, NBCSN will cover 9 races, beginning at 12 noon (EDT); the last three races of the day, including the Kentucky Derby will be shown on NBC stations.

The Ponies, Belmont Coverage, Epsom Derby

The Chincoteague High School Ponies baseball team did something great this year - they played their entire schedule and were undefeated.  They were named the Region 41 Baseball Champions.  Yesterday, the team started in the Play-Offs - and they defeated the Middlesex Chargers by a score of 8 to 4 in the East Regional Division.  Way to go, young men!!  I'll definitely be yelling, "Go Ponies!"
   NBC has announced their coverage of the Belmont Stakes weekend.  On Friday, the NBC Sports Network will have a program beginning  at 3:30 EDT - I'm not sure if there will be live racing coverage from Belmont Park, or if it will be looking at (a) previous Triple Crown winners or (b) the 13 colts that have won both the Derby and the Preakness, but not the Belmont, since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown  in 1978.  There are two interesting stakes race at Belmont on Friday - the New York Stakes, for fillies and mares age 4 and up, which is 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf track; and the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes being run for horses four and up, covering 2 miles on the turf.  The girls' race has 8 entries, while the 2 mile race has 11 contestants.
    On Saturday, there will be 10 graded stakes races at Belmont, including the Belmont Stakes.  There are two Invitational races, plus the Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a one mile distance - the female portion of the Triple Crown races.  NBC Sports Network will begin coverage at 2:30 EDT; then NBC will take over coverage from 4:30 until 7 p.m. (EDT); with NBC Sports Network providing another 30 minutes of coverage after the race, from 7 until 7:30.  All of the other stakes races look intriguing…  I just hope for zero injuries.
   The draw for Belmont post positions will take place today.  I'll write about them tomorrow, but it looks like a ten horse field.  American Pharoah is the betting favorite, and, if he wins the Belmont on Saturday, will be the 12th Triple Crown winner in America.
   At 4:30 p.m., Greenwich Mean Time, the Epsom Derby will be run in England.  There are 15 entries, and the last betting odds I saw ran from 3 to 2, to 250 to 1….  Wow.   Here are the runners, listed alphabetically, with their odds behind their names:  Best of Times 66 to 1; Carbon Dating  250 to 1; Elm Park  7 to 1; Epicuris  25 to 1; Giovanni Canaletto  7 to 1; Golden Horn  3 to 2; Hans Holbein  12 to 1; Jack Hobbs  11 to 2; Killimanjaro  20 to 1; Moheet  40 to 1;  Rocky Rider  100 to 1;  Rogue Runner  100 to 1; Storm the Stars  25 to 1;  Success Days  16 to 1; and Zawraq  6 to 1.
    Happy betting!

Sochi Winter Olympics TV Coverage

Considering the time and climate differences, the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia has a lot to handle.  As I've written before, there will be two separate venue compounds and multiple "Athlete Viillages" close to both compounds.  The indoor events will be held at the Sochi Olympic Park, also known as the Coastal Cluster, in the southern part of Sochi, the Adlersky City District, which is 2.5 miles from the border with Georgia.  Outdoor events will be held in the mountains at the Mountain Cluster, or Krasnaya Polyana, up in the ski resort of Roza Khutor.

The Olympic Village at the Coastal Cluster, under construction in 2013

  If you live in the United States, you have two choices on watching the Winter Olympics.  NBC has the broadcasting rights, and will show the events and Ceremonies during prime-time week nights, and scattered through the weekends.  The Games will actually begin Thursday, 6 February, with contests in three different venues.  NBC will begin airing these contests that evening.  The Opening Ceremonies will be televised Friday night, while actually starting at 11 a.m. (EDT).  Or, one can watch a lot of the Olympics in real-time by watching live streaming broadcasts on your PC, laptop, or personal video device - if you are connected to certain systems.  I can watch the streaming video, as I use DirecTV, as it happens.  (Or, if you live near the Canadian border, and can receive CBC, they have a good schedule, also.)

  Please double check your local listings to be certain when to watch - if you want to...   I am watching for several appearances by athletes that I've had the luck to meet here in Boulder, Denver, and Nederland. While I'd like for the United States to take all the gold medals (all of which will contain a fragment of the meteorite that landed in Russia last year), I know that won't happen.

  I send my best wishes out to all athletes and coaches who are participating in this year's Winter Olympics!  May the best man, woman, pair, or team win!