Your top 3 favorite Kentucky Derbys

[azeri98]

What are your top 3 favorite Kentucky Derby races, not the horse that won but the actual race.

1. Sunday Silence 1989
2. Monarchos 2001
3.Unbridled 1990

[AlBundy33]

1. Grindstone 1996
2. Silver Charm 1997
3. Street Sense 2007 (Probably the best year for the Triple Crown races as for as the racing goes.)

[Kash$]

1.Ferdinand-Whittinghams first derby and Shoemaker 56 years old weaving thru traffic was incredible.
2.Spectacular Bid
3.Sunday Silence

[Hoops McCann]

1. Sunday Silence
2. Smarty Jones
3. Alysheba

[cj]

1 War Emblem - Won nice money betting him and also made a name for myself by extolling his virtues before the Illinois Derby and through the Preakness

2 Spend A Buck - Saw him race in person in the Cherry Hill Mile and the Garden State Stakes...he was special. Might have won the Triple Crown if given the chance

3 American Pharoah - Was pretty sure after watching his Derby we finally had a Triple Crown winner on our hands.

[1st time lasix]

1) Affirmed....2) Barbaro 2) Monarcos

[biggestal99]

1) smarty Jones
2) War emblem
3) Silver Charm

Allan

[no breathalyzer]

1. Alysheba.. the horse that started it all for me as a kid
2. Charismatic .. really liked this horse
3. War Emblem... it was pretty cool having my local horse win the Ky. Derby . was there when he won the Il. Derby.

Honorable mention ... California Chrome.. the best is yet to come

and Barbaro might of been in top 3 if wasn't for the very sad ending

[NTamm1215]

1 War Emblem - Won nice money betting him and also made a name for myself by extolling his virtues before the Illinois Derby and through the Preakness

2 Spend A Buck - Saw him race in person in the Cherry Hill Mile and the Garden State Stakes...he was special. Might have won the Triple Crown if given the chance

3 American Pharoah - Was pretty sure after watching his Derby we finally had a Triple Crown winner on our hands.

That's interesting about American Pharoah. I was obviously quite wrong, but I didn't think for a second he'd win the Triple Crown after laboriously wearing down Firing Line with a perfect stalking trip.

[cj]

That's interesting about American Pharoah. I was obviously quite wrong, but I didn't think for a second he'd win the Triple Crown after laboriously wearing down Firing Line with a perfect stalking trip.

I had him, Dortmund, and Firing Line way above the rest of the crop going into the race. I saw it as they kept him out of harms way wide, so he covered more ground than those two, and the fractions were just honest. Despite that, he was still able to win. And it isn't like he won by a head or something, think it was a length and a half from memory.

[cj]

I had him, Dortmund, and Firing Line way above the rest of the crop going into the race. I saw it as they kept him out of harms way wide, so he covered more ground than those two, and the fractions were just honest. Despite that, he was still able to win. And it isn't like he won by a head or something, think it was a length and a half from memory.

Just checked, he covered about 3.5 more lengths than Firing Line and 7.5 more than Dortmund, and he still won. I had the pace only a few point fast than the final time so it isn't like those in front were just packing it in.

[Red Knave]

1964, Northern Dancer, my first derby, seen as a replay on tv.
1973, Secretariat vs Sham. Not just the derby of course.
1990, Unbridled, Nafzger's stretch call to Mrs. Genter

[ultracapper]

1) Spend A Buck (Greatest race I've ever watched, in my opinion. I was dazzled by his far turn move.)

2) Unbridled ($20WPS, $10XB with Summer Squall. Bets bet, by far, I had ever made to that point)

3) Giacamo (He was my choice until he hung like a cheap suit in the SA Derby. When he came over the top, I nearly started crying at my father-in-law's house)

[ReplayRandall]

1. Go For Gin-1994....Never a doubt.

2. War Emblem-2002.....Most $$$ money won by far.

3. Smarty Jones-2004.....Pulled for this horse with all my heart, it broke in the Belmont.

[Parson]

1. Secretariat v. Sham it started my interest in this game
2. Affirmed v. Alydar great duels in all 3 triple crown races
3. Unbridled who can forget the stretch call of Carl Nafzger for Mrs. Genter.


Unbridled was also my 1st Ky Derby after my wedding. My wife said she did not understand why anyone would want to be at the track in that snow and rain. Yes it snowed that morning and was a very cold rain the remainder of the day. I said I will take you one time with an agreement. The wife agreed to go to the track the next weekend understanding that if she did not have a good time, for the rest of our marriage she could not complain if I disappeared on Wednesday afternoon of Ky Derby week and did not make it home until Sunday afternoon. Now she and 2 children later, are with me most days. It is a family affair. She and both girls can read the form and some days they hit better than me.

[Mandrake]

I'll Have Another - for selfish winning reasons, won the most money I ever won on one race.

Animal Kingdom - ditto until I'll Have Another

Swale - my wedding day

[ebcorde]

The first year of my Horse Racing program and I had him as the top choice. Bet a $100. 20-1

Worst year Funny Cide because I had Funny Cide and Bobby Frankel's Horse 1-2 in my Program. But Frankel was so confident "He'll kick their ass" (recall that?) that I singled him in the pick 4 , and I had one of those Lord at war horses on the turf race before that, He went off at a great price. Then I make a back up Funny Cide win,exacta bet and went home expecting to cash a Pick 4. Sick to my stomach.

Last year. converted $50 almost 6k pick 5,4. (scratches helped)

Charismatic the first year I bet the derby. Had no clue, so I brought the DRF looked at the selections from the dozen writers and took the Horse only one guy had to win. $20 to win. 30-1

[HorsemenHeist]

The two that come to mind from recently was Mine that Bird, if for no other reason but the shock. Probably the most daring ride in the history of the Derby too. Unlikely we'll ever see anything like that again.

And the other is California Chrome. Again, when again will we see a $2,500 sire to an $8,000 mare win the Kentucky Derby? For the oldest trainer to ever win the Derby? The acceleration he showed from the middle of the turn to the eighth pole was truly breathtaking.

[GreenPlant]

Babaro
Affirmed
California Chrome

[ManU918]

Smarty Jones
Animal Kingdom
Giacomo

[ebcorde]

almost all of us listed War Emblem :lol:

[ebcorde]

Smarty Jones
Animal Kingdom
Giacomo


huh? one of the most ticked off losing money derby day Giacomo and that Sunland derby horse Calvin rode up the rail You had Giacomo. Giacomo?

[ManU918]

huh? one of the most ticked off losing money derby day Giacomo and that Sunland derby horse Calvin rode up the rail You had Giacomo. Giacomo?

I had $200 to win on Giacomo... I had $1000 to win on Pioneer of the Nile. That should explain it.

[Grits]

Monarchos. Had him in futures and on Derby Day. Had watched his Florida Derby. Had a home in Lexington at the time, and was watching him every morning.

Giacomo. Watched the tote/via my online account. Early money.

Animal Kingdom. Bet him based solely on watching his last work before the Derby. Effortless.

The biggest betting mistake I ever made came with Giacomo. Friend and I were disagreeing. I had a 4 horse exacta box of Giacomo, Afleet Alex, Closing Argument, and I think, High Limit. I thought Closing Argument was moving well in the stretch, making up ground in the Bluegrass Stakes, which I attended. Friend disagreed, "no, G, he was climbing at Keeneland in the Bluegrass."

... So what did I do? Something I've never done again. Removed the horse from my box. I lost a $9,800 exacta. Bad day, gentlemen. Live and learn. ;)

[Cratos]

Having gone to every Derby since first appearing there in 1978 my favorite 3 derbies are:

The Alydar-Affirmed Derby (I was a die-hard Alydar fan)

The Easy Goer-Sunday Silence Derby (Easy Goer was my choice)

Orb's victory in the mud (One of the very few derbies I scored)

[ArlJim78]

From a wagering standpoint my favorite derbies are War Emblem, Animal Kingdom, I'll Have Another, and Cal Chrome. okay its not three but whatever.

Other than that my favorite derby was the first one I handicapped, 1978. The Affirmed / Alydar rivalry got me hooked on racing for a lifetime.

[rastajenk]

1985 (Cradle Stakes winner), 1986 (Shoe's ride), and 1990 (Mrs. Genter), in no particular order.

[Psychotic Parakeet]

1.) Barbaro
2.) Giacomo
3.) Silver Charm

[tanner12oz]

I like the huge bombs..giacomo and mine that bird were fun derbies. Didn't win a dime but simply seeing everyone's jaw drop was well worth it. I did have closing argument to show if that means anything. Think afleet Alex was one of the best horses of the past decade. Mine that's birds derby move was a thing of beauty

[tanner12oz]

Won the most money out of any derby on the I'll have another derby..keyed revolutionary and hit the tri

[OntheRail]

A tip of the hat to the Filly's

Regret 1912
Genuine Risk 1980
Winning Colors 1988

OT..
Preakness.. Rachel Alexandra 2009
Belmont... Rags To Riches 2007

[ReplayRandall]

A tip of the hat to the Filly's

Regret 1912
Genuine Risk 1980
Winning Colors 1988

OT..
Preakness.. Rachel Alexandra 2009
Belmont... Rags To Riches 2007

To complete the Filly list:

Flocarline won the Preakness in 1903
Whimsical won the Preakness in 1906
Rhine Maiden won the Preakness in 1915
Nellie Morse won the Preakness in 1924


Ruthless won the Belmont in 1867
Tanya won the Belmont in 1905

[cnollfan]

1. Secretariat, fantastic performance with each quarter faster than the previous
2. Unbridled, Nafzger and Mrs. Genter plus I was on board
3. Funny Cide, first Derby I attended live since Spectacular Bid and I picked him too.

[otiosity]

In terms of most profitable:

1: Charismatic
2: Monarchos

[dilanesp]

1. 1933. How can you beat a tight finish and a fight between the jockeys in the stretch?
2. 1957. Best field in the race's history, and won in an upset after Shoemaker misjudged the finish line, by a horse who ran the race of his life.
3. 1997. Best in my lifetime. Short field, so nobody got in trouble, and three top 3 year olds (two of whom turned out to be really, really good horses) dueled down the Churchill stretch.