Kentucky Derby will be live

Thanks Bob, just needed to know if they will be show the racing, couldn't care less about Tellycraps other bullshit, tweet, twitter, twat or whatever...lol.... :evil:

www.nytimes.com/2015/05/03/sports/americ...ucky-derby.html?_r=0

Kentucky Derby 2015: American Pharoah Wins a Close Race
By JOE DRAPEMAY 2, 2015

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It was no secret that Bob Baffert had brought a couple of big horses to America’s biggest race, the Kentucky Derby: Dortmund had never been beaten, and his stablemate, American Pharoah, was being compared to the great Seattle Slew. In fact, some closed their eyes and transported themselves back to 1948, when the legendary trainer Ben Jones brought a couple of iconic colts named Citation and Coaltown to Churchill Downs.

What most wanted to know, however, was which of Baffert’s two colts was better. For weeks, Baffert, the white-haired trainer, had to do something that did not come naturally: He had to dodge the question. He had to keep his own counsel.

It was wise, of course — the owner of Dortmund, Kaleem Shah, and the owner of American Pharoah, Ahmed Zayat, each provided Baffert with an ample number of quality horses. Why alienate one or the other? It was also necessary: Baffert was not sure.

He had kept the colts apart the past five months, with Dortmund dominating in California in three impressive victories against what was considered the stiffest competition in the land. American Pharoah, who was injured late in his 2-year-old campaign, was dispatched to Arkansas in March and April — on the late side — for two tuneups that looked like workouts, as he won the Rebel Stakes by six and a quarter lengths and the Arkansas Derby by eight.

Sure, American Pharoah, a son of Pioneerof the Nile, had been regarded well enough early in his career that he was voted the 2-year-old champion even though he missed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. But over the past few weeks here, as Baffert heard a couple of Hall of Fame trainers, D. Wayne Lukas and Bill Mott, tell him he had a special horse on his hands, he wondered.

Ben Jones. Seattle Slew. Triple Crown.

“I hope they are right,” Baffert said he thought as his stomach pulled tighter in knots.

Besides, there were 16 other horses in this 141st edition of the Derby, and as a group, this bunch was considered the deepest and most talented in decades. The Florida Derby champion Materiality was undefeated. Frosted had looked like a worldbeater in winning the Wood Memorial. Mubtaahij had come from Dubai as the winner of four of the five races he had run on dirt.

Then there was the Sunland Derby victor Firing Line, who had twice looked Dortmund in the eye in the stretch only to come up a head short.

But as the gate opened and Dortmund, followed by Firing Line, passed the grandstand, the record announced crowd of 170,513 knew that it would quickly find out which Baffert colt was better on this day. As they glided into the first turn with Dortmund hugging the rail, Firing Line behind and outside in his jet stream, and American Pharoah loping effortlessly in their shadow, Baffert was at peace.

“It was our Derby to lose,” he said.

Martin Garcia had Dortmund clipping along at a comfortable pace, hitting quarter poles as if time by a metronome, a half-mile in 47.34 seconds, three-quarters in 1 minute 11.29 seconds. It was clear halfway down the backstretch that only three horses mattered in this race. Dortmund, Firing Line and American Pharoah were on a conveyor belt, and the rest of the field was struggling to keep up.

Gary Stevens, aboard Firing Line, chased Dortmund in the far turn. Stevens, 52, had been coming here for 30 years, winning on the first Saturday in May three times. He had a plan. In their previous meeting, in the Robert B. Lewis, Firing Line passed Dortmund in the stretch but was quickly reeled in.

“Dortmund is like Silver Charm and likes a fight,” Stevens said, referring to the colt he rode to victory in the 1997 Derby. “I moved too early.”

He was not going to make the same mistake.

As they turned for home, Dortmund cut the corner first. Firing Line moved to the middle of the track, and Victor Espinoza, aboard American Pharoah, chose the wide route.

Stevens and Firing Line hooked Dortmund first. They matched strides for 10, 20, 30 yards — and then, as if Stevens hit a booster, Firing Line vaulted by for good.

“He was on it,” Stevens said. “Coming for home, I thought I might get there.”

Espinoza moved American Pharoah closer to Firing Line, shaking up his reins, making up ground by inches rather than yards.

“That other horse was tough,” Espinoza said. “He wasn’t going away.”

He crossed his reins, started fanning his whip. “He had never been tested, and I had to ride him hard,” Espinoza said.

Finally, with a sixteenth of a mile to the wire, Firing Line buckled. American Pharoah hit the line a length ahead of Firing Line, and Dortmund was two behind in third. Baffert did not match Jones’s 1-2 finish with Citation and Coaltown, but he came close.

American Pharoah completed the mile and a quarter in 2:03.02 and paid $7.80 on a $2 bet to win.

For Espinoza, it was his third Derby victory and his second in a row. He was aboard California Chrome last year.

Now everyone had the answer: American Pharoah was the bigger of Baffert’s two big horses. It was Dortmund’s first loss, but he had been dead game.

“He was tough,” Baffert said. “I’m proud of him.”

American Pharoah was something else altogether, something that may transcend a single race. He was as good as Lukas and Mott had said, a colt worthy of reviving Triple Crown hopes.

Baffert had been to the most hallowed winner’s circle in American racing three times previously, with War Emblem, Real Quiet and Silver Charm. Each went to Belmont Park with a shot of becoming the 12th Triple Crown champion and the first since Affirmed in 1978. All fell short.

Maybe Baffert has another shot. Maybe American Pharoah is the one to complete the sweep.

“There’s a lot of positive energy on this horse,” Baffert said. “There’s a certain aura about him. He’s caught people’s attention.”

015 KENTUCKY DERBY RESULTS
Finish Horse Lengths behind
1 American Pharoah ---
2 Firing Line 1
3 Dortmund 3
4 Frosted 3¼
5 Danzig Moon 6½
6 Materiality 7¾
7 Keen Ice 8¾
8 Mubtaahij 9 ¼
9 Itsaknockout 10½
10 Carpe Diem 11
11 Frammento 12
12 Bolo 12¾
13 Mr. Z 15½
14 Ocho Ocho Ocho 15½
15 Far Right 15¾
16 War Story 19¼
17 Tencendur 35
18 Upstart 60½

really love the way the American journos paint a picture of a race

I love how the race has been advertised but it is now a new day of racing and still there are no dividends declared for the Kentucky derby ( Race : 11 ) on the tabgold site while the tabonline site is totally offline. Again the punters are left in the dark as the race was also the last leg of the Jackpot and PA. Service is poor by our betting operators. What is the point of marketing a race when payouts are not even available?

mikesack wrote: Great achievement by team MDK to have a runner in the KD in bluegrass country. MDK has WON a race in the states, however in a cruel twist of fate, the winner The Apache had the race taken away in the board-room.
Fingers crossed and holding thumbs !

forget about Horse Chestnut winning by 5L?

Well spotted Chippy! Although Horse Chestnut won the Gr 3 Skip Away stakes for USD 100,000- at his first start who knows what else would have followed barring that injury.

For the record The Apache crossed the line 1st in the GR 1 Arlington Million with stakes of USD 1bar and run on the turf.

Where to now with Mubtaahij.........
www.sportingpost.co.za/2015/05/kentucky-...mubtaahij-off-to-uk/

Mubtaahij still has a long career ahead as the horse only turned 3 a few days ago. Without wanting to make excuses it has to be remembered that the horse is more of a turf horse than a dirt specialist, had to travel a long way and had to be fed a different mix than normal. Not ideal for a mammoth campaign like this one.

Perhaps the other international contenders faced a similar situation when traveling to Meydan which might have made Mubtaahij runaway victory slightly flattering.

He is a good horse none the less and I am sure that Mike will place him well with good results to come if he remains sound.

Well with his first 2 runs unplaced on the turf and all subsequent wins and close 2nd on the dirt, suppose one would assume that the horse is a sand specialist.In any event the UK campaign will show how effective the horse is on the turf.
With the 2000 Guineas run at Newmarket yesterday not part of the 3 yr old colt' chosen schedule in the UK,it is apparent at this early stage that Team MDK have their runner for the 2016 Dubai World Cup.

mikesack wrote: Well spotted Chippy! Although Horse Chestnut won the Gr 3 Skip Away stakes for USD 100,000- at his first start who knows what else would have followed barring that injury.

For the record The Apache crossed the line 1st in the GR 1 Arlington Million with stakes of USD 1bar and run on the turf.

Check your info but i remember it was the Gr3 Broward Hcp at Gulfstream, supposedly on his way to the Donn Hcp, before his date with Dubai Millenium.
All while based at Calder and i understand that he broke Cigar's clocker records during training...

I have been lucky enough to stand on both of those tracks at the top of the stretch looking down to the winning post

It seems what Gr 3 Horse Chestnut won used to be known as the Broward .However the race was renamed in 2001 after the horse named Skip Away and so it is known these days as the Skip Away Stakes.

A bit like The Holiday Inns, Sun International, Summer Cup renamings.

Perhaps Chippy could start his own blog about his adventures in The Middle East and elsewhere.Should be a source of inspiration to young jockeys who dream of going abroad.