Happy Kentucky Derby day everyone! The first Saturday in May has finally arrived!
It's still many, many hours until the Derby itself, but the first of the many undercard races is just 13 minutes away. A 1 1/16th miles allowance optional claiming race on the main track, the favorite is currently Atigun at 2-1. Interestingly, he ran in both the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) and Arkansas Derby (gr. II) earlier this year. A victory in this race would confirm that top Derby contender Bodemeister beat some talented horses in the Arkansas Derby.
Other contenders are Politicallycorrect, who finished off-the-board last time out in the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), and Afford, who has proven himself to be a capable allowance runner.
As for the weather, overnight thunderstorms have left the Churchill Downs main track labeled sloppy, and the turf course listed as good. But the skies are clear and sunny now, and it's possible that -- so long as no more rain arrives -- we could have a fast track by Derby post time.
I shall be posting the results of the Churchill races throughout the day, looking for any signs of track biases or otherwise. If it looks like the rail is the place to be, you can bet that Take Charge Indy will be my Derby pick.
Last night, I posted my selections for the Derby, and if you will recall, I somehow managed to talk myself out of picking Creative Cause to finish in the superfecta. Well, after giving the matter a great deal of additional thought, I have change my mind and am back on board the bandwagon. I don't know yet if I will pick him to win, but I think he'll finish in the top four.
-Keelerman
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