Derby picks for political groupies

[bklyncowgirl]

Alright, the Kentucky Derby is about a bunch of big, beautiful, small brained creatures running around in circles guided by midgets. The presidential race is about--well--politicians and their handlers. No comparison there, right?

At any rate, devotees of the presidential derby may want to take a look at a few of the choices in the real thing.

You may just find a horse to back.

Big Brown
Hey Obamaniacs, look at this guy. He's a natural. Big powerful and fast with a cool commanding personality that gives him a rockstar presence. He's won every race he's ever entered and won them big. Critics say he's not seasoned and has never been tested. Some point out that he has bad feet (he has to wear special glue on horse shoes) others tut tut about some of his connections--his outspoken trainer was once suspended for illegal drug use (on his horses not himself). Big Brown will have to overcome having to start from post 20 (aka the Churchill Downs parking lot). Still and all this could be one of the great ones. Can he do it? His trainer says "YES HE CAN!"

Eight Belles
Attention Clintonites. She's a hard knocking filly (the only one in the race) who's done everything she's been asked to do against the girls and is now going up against the boys. Her trainer's a colorful ex-cowboy who likes to ride his own horses in thier morning workouts--he's easy to pick out with his long stirrups and chaps. She's breaking from the middle of the pack and will have to power through a lot of traffic in order to get to the lead but this is one determined girl and if she can break through she's gonna take it all the way to the convention--er I mean the wire.

Colonel John
Alright, not many McCain supporters here, but lurking Republicans, this one's for you. The Santa Anita Derby winner's never been worse than second. Sort of written off in the early picks, observers say that this horse looks sharp, is training like monster and could win the whole thing. Critics say that he's never raced on real dirt and chould be vulnerable but these days he looks pretty damn good. Look for him to let the front runners duke it out and then sweep in to pick up the pieces.

Not satisfied with these choices--here's a few more.

Big Truck
So you don't want to back a horse owned by some rich dude who never worked a day in his life. How about a New York bred horse owned by a guy from Queens who travels to the track with about 90 pals from his old high school? That working class enough for you? To add to that, the trainer's Barclay Tagg, the veteran horseman who shocked the racing world a few years ago by winning the Derby and Preakness with a New York bred gelding named Funny Cide who was also owned by a bunch of working class guys. By the way, Funny Cide himself plays a small part in this story. Retired last year, Funny Cide, like many other ex-atheletes, has gone into coaching. He's now a stable pony. Barclay and Funny Cide can often be found on the Belmont track together at the crack of dawn, the Kentucky Derby winner casting a critical eye over his young charges. "Don't you talk back to me, kid, by your age I'd won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and would have won the damn Triple Crown if it hadn't been for my *&#@ jockey." If he wins, Big Truck's owner will be donating some of the proceeds to ReRun, a rescue group which finds homes for ex race horses.

Denis of Cork
Kucinich fans. This horse just got in under the wire when another horse with more earnings dropped out. His Irish trainer's as cute as a leprechaun--kind of like Kuchinch. Don't count him out, though, this Denis has a real shot.

Visionaire
Are you the sentimental type who likes to see the good guys win? Of course you are, you're a Democrat. Well Michael Matz the Olympic medalist who pulled a couple of kids out of a burning plane some years before training the magnificent but ill-fated Barbaro to a Kentucky Derby win, is back with a very nice horse named Visionaire. Visionaire also has a favorite charity--sorry I forgot what it is--but rest assured, it is a worthy cause.

[JimGinPA]

1. Looks Like We're Really Into The Stretch Now

:crazy:

[bklyncowgirl]

2. That's for sure.

I'm liking Big Brown if he can keep his shoes on or Big Truck (gotta love an owner from Queens) myself.

[bklyncowgirl]

3. Shamelessly kicking my own thread for Derby Day

In my opinion the polls that all of the rabid Clintonites and Obamaniacs keep kicking are about as accurate as the handicappers prognostications. As for me I'll pick out the biggest longsot on the board that actually has half a chance and curse myself for not actually betting on him if he comes in. Right now that would be Tale of Ecati, who's owned by a guy who discovered a diamond mine in Canada and is now trying to win the Kentucky Derby with a horse he bred himself. He's a very enthusiastic owner. If his baby wins expect him to plant a big wet one on the horse's nose.

[cornermouse]

4. When watching the Derby I don't care who the trainer is.

I don't care who the rider is. I pick them based on the horse's name and how they look as they walk out on the track. Went to the website and I like 8 Belles because she has an interested and intelligent look. I like Z Humor and would take him/her home with me if I could so I'm pulling for him/her. Big Brown appears to have black stockings which is something I like and I like the name and look of both Smooth Air and War Pass.

I'm thinking maybe War Pass, 8 Belles, and Big Brown to be the top 3. And Smooth Air to be a possibility to win, place, or show instead of one of my top 3.

[LWolf]

5. War Pass isn't running today. n/t

[cornermouse]

6. Bummer.

Okay. 8 Belles, Smooth Air, and Big Brown. Found a better picture of Pyro. So he's now my wild card.

[bklyncowgirl]

9. Pyro's got a pretty good shot in the mud--did well in the Breeder's cup in the slop at Monmouth

I couldn't think of any political analogies for Pyro though so I didn't include him. Good horse though you have to throw out his last effort over the synthetic track at Keenland where he bombed.

[LWolf]

11. It'd be nice to see 8 belles beat the boys.

Rare, but nice. Big Brown is impressive, if he can handle the crowd; he's never raced a crowd like that before.

I like something about all of them. When I'm really picking, I read the racing form to get an idea who I'm interested in, but I don't make a final selection until I see them warm up.


When I'm really picking a candidate, it's the same. Liberal pedigree and record first, then a current viewing to get an impression of the live person.

[cornermouse]

16. Great big kick!

[bklyncowgirl]

8. How they look as they walk out on the track always does it for me

If the horse looks like he'd rather be anywhere else but where he is that's a dead giveaway. I watched the fillies in the Oaks yesterday and picked out the top three finishers just on demeanor. The others looked seriously unhappy in all that mud.

Now if I could only do that on a regular basis I could quit my job.

[cornermouse]

12. lol

I don't bet money on horses. I just have fun.

[bklyncowgirl]

14. If I actually bet on a horse it's going to lose--I made Secretariat lose.

The trainer said it was the flu, the winning trainer said he'd figured out the key to beating the big horse (he actually did it twice hence earning the name of "The Giant Killer" but I know it was my lousy $2 bet.

I do like picking them though.

[cornermouse]

7. Kicking for purposes

of fun and as a useful short term distraction from getting too intense and involved.

[bklyncowgirl]

10. Yeah I realize the purpose of GDP is to slam each other's candidates but a bit of fun is good.

I guarantee you though if the filly wins, Hillary will take it as a portent. Obama and Big Brown? Maybe though I think he'd rather think of himself as one of the longshots.

[cornermouse]

13. I thought about Ruffian.

I hope nothing like ever happens again when I'm watching.

[bklyncowgirl]

15. Me too, I'm worried about Big Brown.

I got a look at his and some of the other Derby contenders feet on a horseshoing website. He actually wears a patch on his feet and glue on racing plates. Many racing thoroughbreds have bad feet but his are worse than bad.

Now I hear that the trainer's planning to run him in front wraps to prevent him from burning his fetlocks. That doesn't sound good to me.

The good news is that there hasn't been a fatal--breakdown at the Derby in years. Despite the number of horses it seems to be a pretty safe race. The Preakness and Belmont are a different story. You had Barbaro breaking down in the Preakess in 2006 and in 2005 there was a near disaster when a horse swung sharply inside and knocked Afleet Alex to his knees at the front of the pack. Usually that spells pile up and injured or even dead horses and jockeys. Fortunately the horse regained his footing quickly, the jockey managed to hang on and they went on to win the race by four lengths. A great moment, I was screaming my head off.

Now the Breeder's Cup races--that's another story.

[bklyncowgirl]

17. I picked the wrong horse to break down...RIP Eight Belles

Big Brown was everything he was touted as. The filly broke both front ankles after crossing the finish line and was euthanized on the track. If any Obama supporters make this connection I will personally come after them.

The horse was a true innocent.

And I'm an Obama supporter.

[democrattotheend]

18. Just heard...that's so tragic

I still don't understand why she had to be euthanized. Couldn't she have had surgery to repair the ankles? Even if she could not race again she could still live a decent life if they fixed her ankles, I think. But I don't know much about horseracing.

[bklyncowgirl]

19. Two broken front legs--poor thing didn't have a chance

A horse has to be able to stand to live.

From the way she was lying still on the track before they brought up the ambulance I would guess that the vet did what he or she had to do immediately--even before the ambulance got there. With an injury like Barbaro suffered, one broken leg, there was a chance but as we all know, in the end that did not turn out well.

This was a tragic injury--and oddly the first fatal injury I can remember from a Kentucky Derby.

[cornermouse]

20. It took a while after Ruffian died to be able to watch the

horse races again. I haven't watched the any of the Triple Crown races since Barbaro was euthanized. I don't know when I'll be able to watch another horse race. :cry:

[Emillereid]

21. Now that the race is over this post seems plain prescient - Big Brown won

and Eight Belles came in second and then died. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/03/kentucky-derby-horse-eigh_n_99987.html

[bklyncowgirl]

22. Actually, Big Brown was the one I was afraid for.

Looking at his bad feet plus the rather controversial trainer who was once suspended for illegal drug use I was really worried about that horse. As it turns out he really is a monster. At the end of the race he wasn't even sweating. The only horse who came close to him at the end was Eight Belles and she killed herself doing it.

It's sad that tragedy had to take away from this great victory.