My First Live Derby
Dateline: 05/07/97This year marked the first time I was able to attend the Kentucky Derby in person and it was definitely an experience that everyone should have at least once. I had planned to have some of my photos here, but health problems kept me from getting them developed yet.
If you really want to see the races and follow all the happenings, you really are better off watching at home or at a simulcast site. The crowd is so huge that you really can't get around to see the horses in the paddock or a good view of the entire race. Mostly I saw two brief sections of stretch run and rest I watched on the JumboTron screens in the infield. The betting lines were tremendously long and the 45 minutes or more between races was necessary to allow you to get in any bets at all. However, the entire experience of being in a crowd of 141,000 people all excited about one horse race is awsome.
This year's Derby was the most contentious in many years with at least 6 horses easily capable of winning the race. After reading all the article, stats, etc. in the Derby edition of the Daily Racing Form, I did at least decide that Silver Charm was going to win. Because it was so evenly matched this time, I didn't bet the farm on him though. :)
Thankfully the rain held back enough that the track stayed fast, although it was very cold, damp, and windy for the fans. Surprising most people, Pulpit did not go off as the favorite and while he set the early pace along with eventual 3rd place finisher Free House, he faded to 4th. Apparently he was hurt in the race and he had to have a bone chip removed from his knee earlier this week. Silver Charm and Captain Bodgit put on a thrilling stretch duel for one of the most exciting Derby finishes in years, with Silver Charm winning by just a nose.
It was nice to see that D. Wayne Lukas' last minute entry of Deeds Not Words just to keep his streak of consecutive Derbies with an entry alive proved to be as futile as it appeared. Poor Deeds Not Words faded badly to be dead last. Hopefully the horse will be fine after the drubbing he received, but Lukas' ego should be a bit bruised now.
