It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, it’s not Christmas, it’s the road to the roses. It is the time of the year that everyone is talking about the first Saturday in May and who is going to make it there. This is my first real experience with following Derby bound horses. Although I was a fan in time to watch the preps last year, I was more interested in the four year old division and the return of my dear Rachel. After the Triple Crown races last year, I started to pay attention to the two year olds and started getting ready for what the Derby may shape up to be this year. I know it was too early, but we can chalk it up to a rookie mistake. Actually, I was so ‘green’ that I had my 2011 Kentucky Derby horse picked before the 2010 Triple Crown races were over. It was a stupid thing to do, but I was just too excited about the horse.
You see, after the first couple of starts for Rachel in 2010 I kept searching for the Rachel of 2009. When she didn’t resurface, I found another great horse to watch. He was beautiful, amazing the way he floated across the dirt track and best of all, he looked so familiar. It was probably because his jock was wearing the same silks I had seen Rachel’s jockey wear before. I was awestruck after watching Kantharos’ maiden race and could not wait to watch more. As you all know, there were not many more in the future for him. That is when I learned, the hard way, not to pick you horse too early.
Since everyone else in the free world has made their Derby lists, I think I am safe in making mine. This is not where I am going to start handicapping or talking about surfaces or distance; I am not that kind of fan, yet. I am going to give you the list of horses I would like to see run the first Saturday of May because I am a fan of theirs. Also, as a disclosure these are in no particular order, just throwing them out there.
First, Dialed In; I am a fan of his and a huge fan of Julien Leparoux. I like the potential of this horse, not because he fights down the stretch but because after watching every race Julien Leparoux has ridden for the past two years I have never seen him that excited about a horse. Yes, I have watched every race Leparoux has been in and he has had many great mounts. He was a jockey of the year and came very close to earning the money title and had three Breeder Cup wins in 2009, but he has never showed that type of emotion after a ride. After riding Dialed In to victory, he showed an excitement we have never seen in him before. He knows what he has in Dialed In and I am going to take his word for it.
Second, Machen; the horse seems a little inexperienced to me, but I am a huge supporter of Jamie Theriot. It seems that this horse never gets out of the gate in time, but has twice came back to win anyway. I know he lost his last race, but I can chalk that up to a lesson to him. He was up against a bigger field and his regular tactics could not help him find the winner circle. I am willing to give this colt another shot, I want to see what he has learned and how he developed since then. As far as Theriot goes, I have always been a fan of his. I started watching him in the spring of ’07 (about the same time I learned the name Garrett Gomez). I cheered him on as he won, made excuses for him when he lost and also stood by his riding through a tragedy. I watched as other jocks climb aboard the horses I thought would make Theriot a name like Go Go. I was proud when I saw him make it to the Preakness and then to the Belmont. I was there to watch him collect his two Breeder Cup wins. While on my feet, cheering as loud as ever when he was crossing the finish line in the Breeders Cup aboard Chamberlain Bridge, I thought to myself, “this is it, next year he will have his Derby mount”. If all goes well, it may just be that he has found his mount.
Third, Astrology; simply put, Asmussen barn, Rachel silks and what I thought was going to be Garrett Gomez. As a fan I would love to see Asmussen bounce back with a Derby victory considering last year was not what he probably had planned. I like the Rachel connections, they gave me Rachel. I like Garrett Gomez; he gave me Blame and quite a few great races in 2010. Since there are new talks about Gomez riding Sway Away we will have to revisit this list later on. I will say this, Asmussen stays on my list and so does Gomez no matter what horse they are going into the Derby with.
Then there is Uncle Mo. He is on my list because he is so exciting to watch. Anytime you can watch a horse win by daylight it is exciting.
That is my list, based on no handicapping just simple fandicapping. I have no strategy going into the Derby as far as betting goes, just a ‘who I like’ from a fan perspective. I will say this; if it is dry I will probably go with Uncle Mo; if it is wet I will bet Calvin Borel.
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If it rains you got to go with Calvin, not sure it will pay anything though ;)
Meet Angela D'AmicoMy horseracing journey and my quest to learn more about it has brought me to the University of Louisville Equine Program, but it began before I was born. My parents met when their parents shared ownership in a few racehorses. Although they did not own any horses when I was growing up, my grandfather still took me to the racetrack all throughout my childhood. In 2007, my stepfather introduced me to different racetracks and handicapping techniques, but it was not until the 2009 Preakness that I was really hooked.
A filly, Rachel Alexandra, venturing into a man’s world caught my eye and I fell in love with her completely. This was when my life changed. When it comes to racing and choosing my favorite horses, I have always seen perfection in what others would characterize as flaws. With this blog, I hope to show everyone that horseracing is not just a gamble, it is a passion.