THE Kentucky derby is back to normal.
Finished all the best of the best horses who are not there because the coach of more derby winners that anyone who is currently in sport was not there was not there. Finished everything on a peak of death and the lack of understanding of the reason why it happened. No more intrigue on the status of the favorite and if it will run. And disappeared is the pump and self-feminine circumstances during the 150th race for the most famous horse race in the world.
Advertisement
Welcome to Kentucky Derby 151.
The race on Saturday could report a resurgence of the status of southern California as a training ground for the derby champions, the latest arrival in the year at the end of 2020, when Authentic won The race in September. This year's favorite is based in Santa Anita.
Find out more: The latest Bob Baffert stand, the most successful and besieged coach of horse racing
The field is considered very competitive, although perhaps not very strong at the top. And what about horses from Japan and the Middle East?
All these questions and more will be answered at 4:05 pm PDT on Saturday. But until then, here are five scenarios that will dominate the conversation in anticipation of the largest race of horse racing.
Can Bob Baffert win in his first year?
Bob Buffet has two horses that are among the favorites to win Kentucky Derby this year. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Of course. Buffet program is built around developing 2 -year -old children in 3 years old who can earn one (or more) triple crown races. He won six derbies and 17 triple crown races. And let's not forget two triple crowns with American Pharoah in 2015 and justify in 2018.
Advertisement
This year, Baffert brings Citizen Bull (20-1), 2-year champion, champion of the eclipse (20-1), winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Citizen Bull was a first favorite for the derby, but a fourth disappointing and without interest in the Santa Anita derby made people get people elsewhere. If you draw a line through this race, its figures are very impressive.
Baffert also Rodriguez (12-1), winner of the Wood Memorial and mounted by the Jockey of the Mike Smith renowned temple. With a 20 -horsepower field, the Rodriguez's racing style should keep it out of trouble if it can avoid a speed duel and manage the distance of 1¼ mile.
Buffet hoped that Barnes, a purchase of $ 3.2 million, would make the derby, but his fifth and last place in the Santa Anita derby left him qualification points.
Baffert returns to the derby after a three -year ban after Medina Spirit was tested positive for a non -legal medication on the day of the race. There was a multitude of disputes and it ended when Baffert accepted the responsibility of the positive test, which led to Disqualification of Medina Spirit.
Advertisement
Find out more: Journalism shoots after eight like 3-1 morning favorites to win Kentucky Derby
Can journalism win Kentucky Derby?
Journalism, with Jockey Umberto Rispoli, won the challenges of San Felipe of $ 300,000 in Santa Anita on March 1. (Benoit Photo / AP)
He's the favorite, and why not? Journalism won four in a row, including the Santa Anita derbyWhere he beat Citizen Bull and Baeza, and the challenges of San Felipe, where he beat Barnes and Rodriguez. He did everything that asked him and did it effortlessly, which is why the morning line made him the favorite 3-1.
If there was a race that stamped journalism as a derby favorite, it was the Santa Anita derby, where he overcome extreme problems when a horse fell to him, forcing him to recover again, which he did to win convincingly.
Advertisement
“I think that's something you need to do,” said coach Michael McCarthy after the race. “Obviously, in a field of five horses as he did (in the derby of Santa Anita) if he cannot do it against five, he will be terribly difficult to do it against 20 (in Kentucky Derby).”
The thing to remember about Kentucky Derby, and almost each race, is the best horse does not always win.
Who has the advantage after the draw after the position?
Martin Garcia led Citizen Bull to victory in Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Del Mar in November. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
There is no doubt that journalism was not injured by the draw on Saturday. By breaking through the eights, he has speed inside him and his most formidable opponents are far from him. It is known as The Sweet Spot, a place where he and Jockey Umberto Rispoli, can make decisions about how to run the race.
Advertisement
“I would have been satisfied with everything between 5 and 12, 13, 14, 15,” said coach Michael McCarthy Horse racing nation. “With a horse like him, he gives you a lot of confidence. It would really have no matter where he would have attracted.”
The two horses of slack have both attracted inside with Citizen Bull obtaining dreaded a place and Rodriguez in the four. This is not a post as horrible as before since Churchill Downs built a 20 horsepower door, which means that the only horse is not just against rail. Instead, there is a little breathing space, but that doesn't mean that a horse inside should go out in the lead to avoid being trapped.
The horses considered to be the biggest threat to journalism have attracted the outside, with Sandman (6-1) in the 17th and sovereignty (5-1) in the 18th.
Have they corrected the situation of the death of horses?
Two years ago, the subject at Churchill Downs was the sudden peak in the death of horses. Seven horses died in 10 days and 12 died before the suspension of the race at Churchill Downs and moved to Ellis Park. On the basis of the parameters of the database on injuries to arcana equins, where only the death deaths are counted, the Churchill spring meeting had 5.39 deaths for 1,000 departures, as calculated by the Times. The national average for all the tracks of the survey was 1.32 for the year.
Advertisement
As incomplete as the results of Eid were, all the tracks of Churchill Downs refused to make their statistics public, and they were only grouped within the framework of the overall figures.
The Authority for Integrity and Security of Horse Horse has promised transparency and, after a spongy response for the delay in the 2023 results, published all the death and training deaths for 2024. Previously, only California and New York publicly published data. Based on the results reported from last year, in a non -scientific merger of figures by the time based on death and training deaths, Churchill Downs had a higher mortality rate than Del Mar and Santa Anita, who had the lowest of the three. (Neither the Churchill Downs Training Center nor San Luis Rey Downs – belonging to Santa Anita – were included in the calculations.)
Find out more: The trial of the former employee of Santa Anita alleges lying in the middle of the deaths of horses
So far (from Saturday), a horse has died in Churchill Downs since training was authorized before the derby. Valley of Fire, a 3 -year -old gelding, broke the two legs before during training and was euthanized on the track. Tappan Street, winner of the Florida derby and considered a strong competitor for Kentucky Derby, fractured his right condylian on Saturday and will miss the race. The injury is not considered to endanger life.
Advertisement
As for the reason for death two years ago, Hisa investigated and produced a 197 -page report which was full of bells and whistles but all kinds of response. There was no singular reason.
Who is a long choice?
There is a lot of outside interest for Baeza, a first winner who finished second in the Santa Anita Derby. The colt improves regularly and coach John Shirreffs is known as a coach who only flows if the horse is ready. We thought that his early reflection was to run in Preakness issues rather than in the derby to avoid a scenario waiting. But the horse is now on the bubble while waiting for a place to open by Friday morning. It is as follows online to make the starting field.
Find out more: Inside the complex problems of California Horse Racing which could harm sport nationwide
Advertisement
So how can an “also eligible” horse win the derby? Look no further than 2023, when Rich Strike attracted late and won.
Two horses that ran abroad could have a gunshot in victory. The Luxor Cafe (15-1) won four in a row and admired Daytona (30-1) won the water derby. Some bettors automatically throw horses whose last races were in Japan or the Middle East. At one point, one of these horses will win. When is the only question? Until then, intelligent money has mainly remained away until it is proven that they can win after such a long ship in the United States
It will not be a long price, but there is a lot of interest for Sandman (6-1), winner of Arkansas Derby.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
