Monday, April 14, 2014

140th Kentucky Derby - And they're off!! The Millionaires Romp

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 We are coming up on the first weekend in May and that means it is time for the Greatest two Minutes in Sports, the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky.

This year is the 140th Kentucky Derby, which means it started about 9 years after the end of the Civil War and when President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.


This first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing brought to you from the home of thoroughbreds, the Bluegrass region of Lexington and Paris Kentucky, is simply the greatest horse race in the world.

If you have not been to the Derby you may not know that it is a celebration that lasts a week and every aspect of Southern hospitality, wealth and opulence you ever read or saw from Gone with the Wind to Secretariat is alive and well and preserved for all time in Bluegrass country.


One horse is going to leave the Derby a millionaire with a shot at the triple crown, a feat that may rank as the hardest in sports history to achieve.  If a horse wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness in Maryland and Belmont in New York they win the triple crown.

But with each progressive race longer than the last and all three within the grueling time period of about 6 weeks it is one of the rarest feats in sports.  In the past 139 years 3,889 horses have competed in the races, 274 races were won, but only 11 horses won all three and just 50 won two of the three.


In fact the last time any horse won the triple crown was in 1978, 36 years ago, before Reagan was president.

The following are the top 30 of 38 qualifiers for the 2014 Kentucky Derby.  As we get closer to race day the field will be reduced to the starters.  Note how much money these three year olds have already won leading into the triple crown million dollar purses. 

  
• California Chrome
Steve and Carolyn Coburn & Perry and Denise Martin 
Rank 1
Earnings 782250
Pts 150

• Vicar's In Trouble
Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Rank 2
Earnings 760000
Pts 120

• Dance With Fate
S. Alesia, Bran Jam Stable & Ciaglia Racing, LLC
Rank 3
Earnings 600000
Pts 108


• Wicked Strong Centennial Farms
Rank 4
Earnings 640000
Pts 102

• Samraat
My Meadowview Farm
Rank 5
Earnings 650000
Pts 100

• Danza Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners
Rank 6
Earnings 620000
Pts 100

• Constitution
WinStar Farm LLC and Twin Creeks Racing
Rank 7
Earnings 600000
Pts 100


• Hoppertunity
Karl Watson, Mike Pegram & Paul Weitman
Rank 8
Earnings 576000
Pts 95

• Intense Holiday
Starlight Racing
Rank 9
Earnings 527500
Pts 93

• Wildcat
Red Honors Stable Corp.
Rank 10
Earnings 665000
Pts 90

• We Miss Artie
Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Rank 11
Earnings 544000
Pts 60


Ride On Curlin
Daniel J. Dougherty
Rank 12
Earnings 354387
Pts 55

• Chitu
Tanma Corporation
Rank 13
Earnings 440000
Pts 54

• Tapiture
Winchell Thoroughbreds
Rank 14
Earnings 470738
Pts 52

• Midnight Hawk
Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (John Sikura), Mike Kitchen, Mike Pegram, Mike Tice & Joel Quenneville
Rank 15
Earnings 320000
Pts 52


• Ring Weekend
St. Elias Stable & West Point Thoroughbreds
Rank 16
Earnings 260000
Pts 50

• General A Rod
J. Armando Rodriguez
Rank 17
Earnings 240000
Pts 40

• Medal Count
Spendthrift Farm
Rank 18
Earnings 226500
Pts 40

• Candy Boy
C R K Stable LLC
Rank 19
Earnings 380000
Pts 30


• Cairo Prince
Godolphin Racing, LLC, Terrance Murray, Paul Braverman, Harvey A. Clarke & W. Craig Robertson III
Rank 20
Earnings 520000
Pts 24

• Uncle Sigh
Wounded Warrior Stables & Anthony C. Robertson
Rank 21
Earnings 180000
Pts 24

• Vinceremos
WinStar Farm LLC and Twin Creeks Racing
Rank 22
Earnings 191666
Pts 20

• Harry's Holiday
Skychai Racing LLC, Terry Raymond & Jana Wagner
Rank 23
Earnings 152622
Pts 20


• Commanding Curve
West Point Thoroughbreds
Rank 24
Earnings 104000
Pts 20

• Pablo Del Monte
Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor & Wesley Ward
Rank 25
Earnings 102000
Pts 20

• Bayern 
Kaleem Shah
Rank 26
Earnings 100000
Pts 20


• Social Inclusion
Rontos Racing Stable Corp. (Ron Sanchez)
Rank 27
Earnings 100000
Pts 20

• Big Bazinga
Derby Dreamers Racing Stable
Rank 28
Earnings 92149
Pts 14

• Coastline
John C. Oxley
Rank 29
Earnings 131346
Pts 13


• Strong Mandate
Robert C. Baker & William L. Mack
Rank 30
Earnings 479166
Pts 11
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