There have been three bursts of Triple Crown winners in racing history. The first Triple Crown was won in 1919 by Sir Barton. The next came in 1930 and in that decade there were three winners. The 1940’s also saw multiple Triple Crown winners, with four, including such greats as Citation and War Admiral. The 1950’s and 1960’s were dry and another Triple Crown wasn’t won until the great Secretariat in 1973. Following him in the 1970’s were Seattle Slew in 1977 and the aforementioned Affirmed. That’s not to say there not have been near misses over the years. In the decade of the 2000’s, War Emblem, Funnycide, Big Brown, and Smarty Jones all won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but whiffed in the Belmont. Smarty Jones was the closest to winning it by finishing 2nd at the Belmont Stakes in 2004.

Before serious talk can really begin about a Triple Crown, a thoroughbred needs to win the first two races. I’ll Have Another has taken the first step and the second step has gotten a bit easier since the Kentucky Derby. Dale Romans has decided against allowing Dullahan, who finished third in the Derby, to run in the Preakness. Dullahan has already run two races in the last three weeks and a run in Baltimore was seen to be a risk that didn’t need to be taken. Expect him back for the Belmont. Two other top three-year-olds also have withdrawn from running in the Preakness. Breeders’ Cup two-year-old champion, Hansen, and one of the Derby favorites, Union Rags, will be taking time off in preparation for the Belmont Stakes on June 9th in New York. It’s not as though I’ll Have Another won’t have competition as Creative Cause and Bodemeister will both be in the starting gate, along with a couple of other thoroughbreds that analysts predict can upset any Triple Crown hopes; Bob Baffert’s Paynter and the Michael Matz trained Teeth of the Dog.

Will this be the year that sees horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 34 years, or will the racing world have to anticipate future spring racing seasons to see a dominant force roll through Churchill Downs, Pimlico Race Course, and Belmont Park? We’ll be a lot closer to the answer on Saturday evening.

We got the tickets we order and the hotel was great so we will definitely be back next year.

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We took a tour of the Bourbon Distilleries, Taste of Derby, Barnstable Brown Party, Oaks and Derby. The entire experience was awesome. We had a great time but what was even better was the service DerbyDeals.com provided us.

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The Kentucky Oaks happens the day before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and is a nice warm up for the main event on Saturday. Oaks Day was hampered by weather, as severe thunderstorms popped up all around Louisville, which caused track officials to evacuate the infield and delay the Oaks race. Many worried that, with the forecast looking the same for Saturday, there would be issues surrounding what time the Derby would take place and what the condition of the track would be. Mother Nature cooperated though and gave the record-breaking crowd of over 165,000 people a fantastic day to take in all that Churchill Downs has to offer on the first Saturday in May. And while we are discussing records being broken, overall Kentucky Derby wagering raked in $187 million dollars, making it Churchill Downs’ best Derby take yet.

On the track, there were several high-profile three-year-olds who were attracting a lot of the pre-Derby hype. Breeders’ Cup winner Hansen and his colorful owner, Union Rags, Creative Cause, and the previously unbeaten Gemologist seemed to be the horses that would be battling when the field of 20 came down the stretch. As it were, those pre-race contenders were only bit players in a race that saw a fantastic performance from the second place horse, Bob Baffert’s Bodemeister, and a great closing finish from I’ll Have Another, who is now unbeaten in 2012.

 
I’ll Have Another is a great story for horse racing. He was purchased for a lowly sum of $11,000 and doesn’t have the prestigious pedigree of some that were considered Triple Crown contenders, but here he is, headed to the Preakness Stakes as a champion. For much of the race, I’ll Have Another was in the lower half of the top ten horses, and it looked as though Bodemeister was going to pull away at the top of the stretch. It was then that I’ll Have Another and his 25-year-old jockey Mario Gutierrez were able to reach back and get a little extra. With others, such as Hansen and Trinniberg, starting to fade, I’ll Have Another surged and closed at just the right time, taking victory away from Bodemeister, who had a fantastic wire-to-wire run. Trainer Doug O’Neill is also a first time Derby winner and now joins an elite group of Triple Crown race winning trainers.

The attention now turns to Maryland and the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. May 19th is the day that I’ll Have Another will once again take to the track and chase the next dream, a Triple Crown title. This time though, he won’t be able to sneak up on the field, as he will likely be one of the favorites, along with Bodemeister, Dullahan, and Creative Cause.

This weekend at Oaklawn Park and Keeneland Racetrack capped off the final, serious Derby prep races for 2012. Hansen, who looked prepared to take the Bluegrass Stakes wire to wire, was run down by Dullahan and Bodemeister made a mockery of the Arkansas Derby, amidst tough competition.

Hansen came into Saturday’s Grade I Bluegrass Stakes as a 6-5 favorite. He had come to Kentucky after winning the Gotham Stakes back on March 3rd, and seemed poised to become the darling of race fans. As has become his trademark, the Ramon Dominguez jockeyed, white colt bolted to the front of the field, but could not pull away from the pack as he had in several previous races. Midway through the turn, he was challenged by Gung Ho, but was able to hold on and Dullahan was as far back as 10th at that point. At the top of the stretch, it looked as though Hansen was going to be able to stretch his lead as Gung Ho couldn’t keep pace, but Dullahan was making tremendous strides and closing fast from the outside. In an amazing close out, Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux got all that he could out of his thoroughbred and took what looked to be a sure victory for Hansen, away from the favorite.

Dale Romans, Dullahan’s trainer, made sure that the racing world knew his thoroughbred wasn’t running for second; “I would have been very disappointed if he ran second, if he didn’t win.” (1) Dullahan ran the fastest time in the Bluegrass Stakes since Keeneland went to synthetic dirt six years ago. The race itself wasn’t the only excitement surrounding the day at Keeneland, which saw a record crowd of 40,167 crank through the turnstiles. Hansen owner, Dr. Kendall Hansen, had his colt’s tail colored blue early in the day, but then found out he and his trainer, Mike Maker could face discipline in the way of a fine or suspension for breaking the rules on altering a horse’s appearance. The dye was washed out, but it was obvious that Maker, who had nothing to do with the dyeing of Hansen’s tail wasn’t thrilled with the circumstances surrounding his horse just hours before the race. “My job is to bring the horse over ready for the race, and I did my job.”(1) Maker said following the race. Later, he added, “It wasn’t something you wanted, to go in there and keep aggravating the horse. And that’s what happened.” Hansen, blue tail or not, will run next on May 5th in the Kentucky Derby, as will Dullahan, who has now thrust himself into the mix as a serious Derby contender.

 
In Hot Springs, at Oaklawn Park, there wasn’t quite the fanfare or the circus feel that was going on in Lexington, but there was another important Kentucky Derby prep race taking place, with the Arkansas Derby. This affair turned out to be all Bob Baffert, as he had the first and second place finishers in Bodemeister and Secret Circle. Secret Circle was the talk of the Baffert stable recently as his development as a distance runner was taking shape and putting him on quite a few lists as a sleeper for Derby 138. But, it’s Bodemeister, who hadn’t run a race as a two-year-old that had the race world buzzing. Bodemeister was jockeyed by Mike Smith for the first time after his former rider, Rafael Bejarano, opted to gallop into Triple Crown racing aboard Secret Circle. Smith had a tremendous ride as Bodemeister pulled out in front early and never relinquished the pace, going on to win by nearly 10 lengths. By closing out the race in such spectacular fashion, Bodemeister should be considered one to watch on May 5th. Secret Circle, who finished second, and third place finisher Sabercat (trained by Steve Asmussen) will also be heading towards Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, to take their shot at glory.

Now that the major prep races have concluded, race fans will anxiously await workouts and any tidbit of news they can find on what appears to be a very fine crop of thoroughbreds making their way towards Louisville and the “Run for the Roses”. If the Triple Crown preseason has been any indication, we should be in for an exciting spring of racing.

(1) Courier-Journal 4/15/2012 (Bluegrass Stakes)

This weekend’s Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland Racetrack will be the final Derby prep race for 2011 Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner, Hansen. Hansen has remained among the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, winning four of his five career starts.

Twelve other three-year-olds will start along with Hansen, who is the prohibitive favorite, posting 6-5 odds as of this writing. His main competition will come in the form of the Dale Romans trained Dullahan, who is currently ranked, 17th among Kentucky Derby contenders by HorseRacingNation.com. Other thoroughbreds of note include Scatman, Howe Great, and Hero of Order, who is fresh off a win in the Louisiana Derby. Hansen rebounded nicely from a stumble in the Holy Bull Stakes to win his last time out in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. Previous to the Gotham Stakes, Hansen was a horse that liked to jump out front and stay there. Trainer Michael Maker elected to pull him back a bit in the Gotham and took his blinkers off for the first time. His prize thoroughbred responded by keeping pace just behind the leaders and then pulling away to win. Race fans and analysts will be looking to see if that race was a fluke or if Hansen has the ability to run behind the pacesetters and close out.

Hansen and jockey Ramon Dominguez are hoping to avoid the upsets that other favorites have suffered in the past couple weeks in their final Derby preps. In the Florida Derby, despite rallying late, Union Rags finished a disappointing third and the next day in the Louisiana Derby at Fairgrounds Park, Hero of Order upset Mark Valeski, as a 109-1 longshot. Last weekend saw no relief for the favorites as I’ll Have Another upset Creative Cause in the Santa Anita Derby. The top horses in the Wood Memorial didn’t disappoint their fans, as Gemologist and Alpha battled at the wire, with Gemologist taking home the win by a neck.

The 138th running of the Kentucky Derby is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years. The upsets in April will likely have bettors second-guessing themselves right up to the wagering window! If you would like to be at Churchill Downs to see the action yourself, there is still time to buy your tickets. Simply visit DerbyDeals.com or call one of their friendly sales people at 877-DERBYKY and get all the information you need, so you can plan your trip to Louisville for one of the greatest events in sports.

The Lumber Guy bolted from the post to grab an immediate lead as he sprinted out front by three lengths early. At the quarter mile mark, he continued to lead with My Adonis and Gemologist just off the pace. The trio held steady at the front as they moved past half a mile approaching the turn, with Alpha moving into the fourth position. It was just past the top of the stretch when Gemologist made a big leap forward as My Adonis and The Lumber Guy couldn’t maintain their speed. Alpha was able to break away on the outside and challenged Gemologist, with Teeth of the Dog coming on strong as well. It looked as though Alpha had all the momentum and would take the lead, but jockey Javier Castellano asked for more and Gemologist gave it to him, holding off the challenge to win by a neck, with Teeth of the Dog crossing the finish two lengths behind.

Castellano, who has been aboard Gemologist in every one of his races was thrilled with the ability of his horse to find the extra gear; “I was concerned (when Alpha was coming) because my horse was still looking around at the crowd. When he saw the horse coming, he took off again.” {1} Gemologist and Alpha will meet again on May 5th in Louisville for the 138th Kentucky Derby. Pletcher has one Kentucky Derby win under his belt, with Super Saver in 2010, and is confident in the ability of his undefeated contender; “With this horse being two for two at Churchill Downs, I think he’s got as good a chance as anybody.” {2}

{1} http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/04/gemologist_still_unbeaten_afte.html
{2} Courier-Journal Sports 4/8/2012

On a great day for racing, over 33,000 people poured into Santa Anita to see one of the most anticipated Kentucky Derby prep races of the season. Bob Baffert, who had three horses in the field of nine, was trying to win his seventh Santa Anita Derby and his Blueskiesnrainbows jumped out of the gate quickly to take the lead and set the pace. I’ll Have Another was just behind the leader at the quarter mile mark and favorite Creative Cause was five back. Senor Rain and Longview Drive fought I’ll Have Another for second as Blueskiesnrainbows continued to lead by almost three lengths as they passed half a mile. The three-year-olds held their ground through the turn, but the race really began at the top of the stretch, when Creative Cause, who had been running fifth, started making his way past the pack along the rail. In the last 150 yards, I’ll Have Another, Creative Cause, and Blueskiesnrainbows pulled away and fought ferociously for the lead. They crossed the finish line three wide, with I’ll Have Another winning by a nose on his final stride, with Creative Cause finishing second.

The celebration in the winner’s circle was very Kentucky Derby like, as I’ll Have Another owner Paul Reddam, who had loaded up six buses full of employees at his CashCall lending company to join him at the race, was surrounded by a cheerful mob. 25-year-old Mario Gutierrez, who had previously been racing in Canada, gave I’ll Have Another a great ride and was excited about the biggest victory in his young career; “”It’s indescribable, I never expected this.” {1}

The next stop for the top two finishers, I’ll Have Another and Creative Cause, will be the Kentucky Derby on May 5th. Baffert’s Liaison has enough earnings to qualify for the first leg of the Triple Crown, but it’s yet to be determined on whether he will be sent to Louisville.

{1}http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/I-ll-Have-Another-wins-Santa-Anita-Derby-3466328.php#ixzz1rY0tgilP

On Saturday, the final month of Kentucky Derby prep races began at Gulfstream Park with the Grade I Florida Derby. Three high profile thoroughbreds were among the favorites, with the consensus favorite for Kentucky Derby 138, Union Rags, starting the race with 2-5 odds.

This contest was an impressive showing for Take Charge Indy. Ridden by three-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel, Take Charge Indy led wire to wire, getting a challenge from second place finisher Reveron, who was just able to hold off a surging Union Rags for second place. Take Charge Indy got some help early as Union Rags was hemmed in behind the leaders and didn’t get an opportunity to move away from traffic until the top of the stretch. El Padrino and his jockey (former rider of Union Rags), Javier Castellano, were also behind the lead group and couldn’t make a run at the leaders until late. Borel was pleased with his ride and believes that Take Charge Indy has even more to give; “It’s not how far he’ll go, it’s how fast he can go, and just keep going. I think he can go a lot faster than this.’’ The upset victory means that Take Charge Indy now has enough earnings to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, and only a first or second place finish in Florida was going to secure that. Consider his mission accomplished.

The next day at Fairgrounds Park, another important prep race was held. The Grade II Louisiana Derby was to be the final prep for the up-and-coming Mark Valeski and Rousing Sermon and those two were the favorites, but a funny thing happened on the way to the finish line. A 109-1 long-shot called Hero of Order shook up the odds makers. In this contest, Comisky’s Humor jumped out in front early, with Hero of Order stalking and Mark Valeski, Rousing Sermon, and Cigar Street battling just behind them. The first turn is where the favorites started making their run, with Hero of Order wrestling the lead away, as Comisky’s Humor started to fade. Mark Valeski made a charge in the final 50 or so yards, but jockey Eddie Martin, Jr. was able to find a little something extra to lead Hero of Order over the finish line to win by a neck. Underscoring the size of this upset was the fact that Hero of Order was one of only two horses in the 13 participant field that was not nominated for Triple Crown racing.

Coming up on April 7th, there will be two more high profile prep races; the Santa Anita Derby and Wood Memorial. The Santa Anita Derby will include Creative Cause and I’ll Have Another, while the Wood Memorial will see Alpha, Gemologist, and My Adonis competing. These great thoroughbreds are making their final push to make it to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, but you won’t need to run any foot races to be a part of the “Run for the Roses”. Just visit DerbyDeals.com and find great prices on tickets and ticket packages that will put you right in the action. For more information, surf the web to DerbyDeals.com or give one of their friendly sales people a call at 877-DERBYKY and reserve your seats today!

The third annual year of “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby”, a 6-month online Derby hat auction fundraiser that benefits Old Friends, is drawing to a close for this year.

This unique hat auction features a new one-of-a-kind Derby hat design each month created by MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® Couture Millinery to honor one of the Thoroughbred retirees at Old Friends. Altogether, they have raised over $12,000, and all of the proceeds from this running auction benefit the retired racehorses of Old Friends Equine!

The sixth and final auction hat in this year’s series is a hat created to honor Grade II winner and millionaire gelding, Arson Squad, one of the most recent retirees at Old Friends of Georgetown, KY.

You can view the “Arson Squad” Hat now at http://www.maggiemae.com/OldFriendsAuction-Hat-ArsonSquad.htm. Bidding for the “Arson Squad” hat starts April 1st and continues until April 11th, 2012.

To view some of the hats created in the past two years of this auction series, simply click on the following link — http://www.maggiemae.com/OldFriendsHatAuctionPortfolio.htm.