2019 Kentucky Derby

The 2019 Kentucky Derby will go down in history as the most controversial ever and many people still don't understand what happened.   This observer still thinks it was a bad deal for the assumed winner "Maximum Security" but he did interfere with other horses, even it proved to be a non-factor in the end.  Now we have "Country House" as the winner of the 145th run for the roses, the 2nd biggest longshot to "win" the race, move 2009 winner "Mine That Bird" down as the 3rd biggest longshot.

1994 Kentucky Derby

The 1994 Kentucky Derby saw heavy favorite Holy Bull meet a sloopy muddy track and this gave 9-1 favorite Go For Gin a chance and he took it and secured the only victory of his 3 year old season.

Go For Gin then finished 2nd in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to Tabasco Cat in a frustrating Triple Crown for "Gin".

Holy Bull (his owners bypassed the 1994 Preakness and Belmont) came back to dominate the racing world in 1994 and be named U.S. Horse of the Year for and Champion 3 Year old colt of 1994.
He was inducted into the US Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.

1977 Kentucky Derby

Seattle Slew with jockey Jean Cruguet wins the 1977 Kentucky Derby and goes on to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to become the 10th winner of the US Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing.

1987 Kentucky Derby

The 1987 Kentucky Derby was won Alysheba, the son of Alydar who famously finished 2nd in all 3 Triple Crown races in 1978 to Affirmed. 

Alysheba would win the Kentucky Derby and the 1987 Preakness before finishing 4th in the Belmont.

Kentucky Derby

With the 2014 Kentucky close at hand lets again look back at some of the great races of the past, but we start with last year's race which was run on May 4th 2013 and won by ORB

2013 Kentucky Derby

The 139th running of the Kentucky Derby is history and Orb comes home the winner

Kentucky Derby Flashback - 1992

20 years ago Lil E Tee ran away from the field coming down the home stretch to take the 118th running of the Kentucky Derby.

In a huge upset the bay colt held off challenges by favorite Arazi, Casual Lies and Dance Floor to win a slow race at 2:03:04.

Kentucky Derby Flashback - 2002

Ten years ago on May 4 2002 the 128th running of the Kentucky Derby and the favorite at post time was War Emblem.

2012 Kentucky Derby

We are just under 2 months away from the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 5th 2012.

Here is one of the early favorites, Hansen.  Here he wins the 2012 Gotham Stakes on Saturday March 3rd.

Top 5

Our Top 5 this time around covers another of my favorites, Horse racing and the Kentucky Derby.  


Here are the 5 fastest horses to win the Kentucky Derby.

#5 - Decidedly - 1962 2:00.40
This was the son of the 1954 Derby winner Determine.


#4 - Spend a Buck - 1985 2:00.20
1985 Horse of the Year


#3 - Northern Dancer - 1964 2:00
The 3 Year Old Horse of the Year in 1964 and considered one of the greatest sires in the history of thoroughbred racing.  He is an ancestor of all the Triple Crown winners of 2009 (Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra and Summer Bird).


#2 - Monarchos - 2001 1:59.97
Only the 2nd (and to date last) horse to ever break the 2 minute barrier in the Derby



#1 - Secretariat - 1973 1:59.40
Considered by many the greatest race horse of all time and the first horse to break the 2 minute barrier at the Derby.  He went on to win the Preakness and Belmont for 1973 making him the first horse since 1948 to win the Triple Crown.

2000 Kentucky Derby

The 2000 Kentucky Derby was unique in the fact the it was the first time since 1979 that the pre race betting favorite won the race.   Fusaichi Pegasus was the morning favorite and stayed that way and when he made the home stretch dash to capture the roses he was the first favorite since Spectacular Bid to win as favorite.

Kentucky Derby - 1984

The Kentucky Derby for 1984 saw Swale, the son of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, win the Derby going away from the field.   He would finish 7th in the Preakness but come back to win the longest of the Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes.
Sadly, Swale would collapse and die in June of 1984, just 8 days after his Belmont win.   He was posthumously awarded the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3 Year Old Male Horse.