Derby Memories

[andtheyreoff]

With Derby week having officially begun at Churchill, anyone have any Derby tales to share with us?They can be about anything (betting, favorite and least favorite horses, general experiences) relating to the Derby.

Me, not much, outside of my incredible futility streak from 2005-2007:

2005, Bandini- 19th
2006, Bob and John- 17th
2007, Scat Daddy- 18th

And I will not forget last year's embarassing performance by my big longshot play Comma to the Top, who looked like he had a shot with a quarter to go, only to back up- badly.

[sovereign]

I bet Shackleford in a sizeable ladder. A lot of people around me were betting Nehro and Mucho Macho Man - the buzz horses. When he cut the corner entering the stretch (and he cut it really sharp), I thought I was home free..... The people around me thought I was going to win.....


It was a gallant try.

[maclr11]

I have a worse Kiss of Death than Andy Beyer

2011- Master of Hounds (5th)
2010- American Lion (11th)
2009- Summer Bird (6th)
2008- Bob Black Jack (16th)
2007- Storm in May (16th)
2006- Storm Treasure (11th)
2005- Buzzards Bay )5th)
2004- Action This Day (6th)
2003- Domestic Dispute (10th)
2002- Essence of Dubai (9th)

So I have to be due to be close right
Since they scratched my first pick this year...
It has to be a sign.

My most vivid Derby memory though is definetely Funny Cide shocking Empire Maker

[PhantomOnTour]

Greatest Derby memory of all for me (and many) is the first one i hit for a real score...

Unbridled in 1990 with Nafzger giving the call to Ms Frances Genter.
IMO one of the most touching moments in racing history.

I will also never forget my father's $5 ex box of Real Quiet and Victory Gallop.
That stingy old man...it was the only bet he made on the race :)

[Hoofless_Wonder]

1 for 26 with my Derby picks, but 2nd 6 times. Have pool1 future bets on CC and TCI this year.

1987 - amazed Alysheba stays up when tripped twice in the lane by Bet Twice, my pick Cryptoclearance runs 4th (needed rain that day).

1990 - Play $20 future bet on Grand Canyon while in Vegas. A week later he dies from laminitis. On Derby day head to the Birmingham Turf Club with every intention of betting Unbridled - get talked on to Silver Ending instead (thanks David S, ya rat b@st@rd). Winner pays 17-1 in the days before co-mingling.

1996 - my pick Cavonnier gets photoed - I cash a $62 exacta. The other way around with Grindstone 2nd, I have the tri, super and $100 win bet cashing out for around $7k - begins long losing streak.

2000 - play the Derby from Canturbury - select track "Kentucky Derby" on a self-service machine, keying Aptitude second in saver tri with Fusaichi Pegasus on top. After the race, I discover I have the bet in the 1st race at CD, and not the Derby. D'oh!

And to give mclr11 a run for his money, my current cold streak, and why you'll want to toss my selections:

Year Selection Finish Winner
***********************************************
2011 Master of Hounds/Santiva* 5th/6th Animal Kingdom
2010 Awesome Act (12-1) 19th Super Saver
2009 Hold Me Back (12-1) 12th Mine That Bird
2008 Adriano (longshot) 19th Big Brown
2007 Any Given Saturday (medium) 8th Street Sense
2006 A.P. Warrior (medium) 18th Barbaro
2005 Greeley's Galaxy (longshot) 11th Giacomo
2004 Tapit (longshot) 9th Smarty Jones
2003 Empire Maker (favorite) 2nd Funny Cide
2002 Saarland (favorite) 10th War Emblem

*Future bet

[Turf Sonic]

I went to my first Derby in 1976, freshman in college at Cincinnati. Me and a friend borrowed $20 gas money from a dorm neighbor and headed to Louisville. We arrive and don't have enough money to get in so we hang out on the first turn outside the fence looking for a way in. Some people were climbing the fence every so often as there was only one cop policing the area on horseback.
Suddenly a whole crowd of us charged the fence and started climbing over. Just as I was about to go over the top of the barbed wire, the fence broke and I tumbled backwards, ending up strung up on the fence clutching the barbed wire with my hands. Needless to say I was bleeding profusely so after my friend got me down, I went to the entrance to ask if I could visit first aid. They let me in, bandaged up my hands and then let me go. They didn't realize I had come in from outside so I just stayed in and hung out on the lawn terrace the rest of the day!
Over the next several years we got smart and brought bolt cutters and just cut a hole in the fence. I saw Affirmed, Spectacular Bid and Genuine Risk that way. Oh, to be young again.

[CincyHorseplayer]

I went to my first Derby in 1976, freshman in college at Cincinnati. Me and a friend borrowed $20 gas money from a dorm neighbor and headed to Louisville. We arrive and don't have enough money to get in so we hang out on the first turn outside the fence looking for a way in. Some people were climbing the fence every so often as there was only one cop policing the area on horseback.
Suddenly a whole crowd of us charged the fence and started climbing over. Just as I was about to go over the top of the barbed wire, the fence broke and I tumbled backwards, ending up strung up on the fence clutching the barbed wire with my hands. Needless to say I was bleeding profusely so after my friend got me down, I went to the entrance to ask if I could visit first aid. They let me in, bandaged up my hands and then let me go. They didn't realize I had come in from outside so I just stayed in and hung out on the lawn terrace the rest of the day!
Over the next several years we got smart and brought bolt cutters and just cut a hole in the fence. I saw Affirmed, Spectacular Bid and Genuine Risk that way. Oh, to be young again.

That's an awesome story.Thank you.

[Turf Sonic]

Good to see more Ohioans around.

[burnsy]

me and 3 buddies rented an SUV and drove down from saratoga on wednesday night. we got there thursday morning, slept, went to the track and then to the parade. on friday we went to the oaks and two of my friends tied one on pretty good. they would not get into the SUV so we left them in dowtown louisville. they gave me most of their money before we left them. i had a wake up call for 8 am saturday (derby) morning....at 7 am theres a knock at my room door. the bozos were just getting in and needed ten bucks to pay the guy that gave them a ride! needless to say at 830 am when we left for the track the other two were snoring.......sleeping it off. i thought they would miss the derby but they woke up and hitch hiked to churchill by the 6th race. i have pictures of these fools hung over, sun burnt, wearing about 50 strands of beads each because they were such drunken clowns on the infield.....it was hilarious, something i'll never forget. my other friend that stayed sane had giacomo and hit big...took us all to dinner after. i made the dumbest bet of my life and hammered bellamy road....i will only use the favorite in that race in exoctics now...learned my lesson. one of "the drunks" bet afleet alex heavily and he turned out to be by far the best horse of that generation. the lesson i learned was: don't get hammered oaks day, the favorite is usually a terrible bet and the best horse only wins once in a while in that bumper car race....it was the funnest lessons i ever learned.....