Any horse racing fans around here? The grand tradition of the first Sat. in May brings the biggest horse race in the U.S. here is the field:

1. Cool Coal Man, J.Leparoux, 20-1
2. Tale of Ekati, E.Coa, 15-1
3. Anak Nakal, R.Bejarano, 30-1
4. Court Vision, G.Gomez, 20-1
5. Eight Belles, G.Saez, 20-1
6. Z Fortune, R.Albarado, 15-1
7. Big Truck, J.Castellano, 50-1
8. Visionaire, J.Lezcano, 20-1
9. Pyro, S.Bridgmohan, 6-1
10. Colonel John, C. Nakatani, 4-1
11. Z Humor, R.Douglas, 30-1
12. Smooth Air, M.Cruz, 20-1
13. Bob Black Jack, R.Migliore, 20-1
14. Monba, R.Dominguez, 15-1
15. Adriano, E.Prado, 30-1
16. Denis of Cork, C.Borel, 20-1
17. Cowboy Cal, J.Velazquez, 20-1
18. Recapturetheglory, E.T.Baird, 20-1
19. Gayego, M.Smith, 15-1
20. Big Brown, K.Desormeaux, 3-1

My prediction:
1.Pyro
2.Colonel John
3.Visionaire

Yeah, I love the ponies and the Derby. I have relatives near Lexington, so I got to visit some of the horse farms when I was a kid---Calumet, Spinthrift....saw Citation, Gallant Man, Nashua....

So, you're not going with Big Brown, eh? True, he's only had 3 races. I think Colonel John might take it.....wonder when {or if} we'll ever see a Triple Crown winner again....??? I loved Smarty Jones and Barbaro.

Cool Sioux. Yeah,I've always been a huge horse racing fan. I hope to make it to a derby one day. Going againast BB. Didn't like him to begin with. Then he drew the 20 post. I still love Pyro and I hope he just didn't like the synth at Keeneland. Good luck :willya

Well, maybe Pyro will do it....:) I really don't have a heavy favorite this year. I really thought Smarty Jones was going to do it--the Triple Crown. He was just such a short, scrappy horse, but had the biggest heart. It was such a heartbreaker when he lost the Belmont by such a little bit. And I've not seen a horse like Barbaro in years. That is just a sad, sad, tragic story...:( I was a huge fan of Ruffian, the big grey filly. And seeing Barbaro pull up lame brought up all those horrible memories of Ruffian's breakdown. I really think she would have won, had she not broken her leg...:( But, even worse than that, to have to be put down like that...so very sad. :( :(

Cute event. But nothing on the Melbourne Cup.

I must plead ignorant to the Melbourne Cup... :-[ Is it more like the Grand National in Britain? That's quite an event, there..

Sioux wrote on May 2^nd, 2008 at 6:14am:

I must plead ignorant to the Melbourne Cup... ..

I don't know either but I suspect that it has something to do with booze.
:booze

I predicted and bet that 9 10 and 20  finish somewhere in the 1 2 3 spot. 8-)

Big Browm may prove later this year to be the best horse however with only 3 liftetime starts and the way outside 20 post position cant see Brown winning today.Longshots look good with such a huge field..now wheres my julep!

Should be an interesting race! And I will just be happy if all the horses and jockeys survive to race another day...I hope this event, and the other legs of the Triple Crown, go without a hitch...

Kilroy wrote on May 3^rd, 2008 at 7:54am:

I predicted and bet that 9 10 and 20  finish somewhere in the 1 2 3 spot. 8-)

I like the 9,10. I have those numbers in many different combos. 20,what can Brown do for you? NOTHING :pullanolte GO PYRO :willya

will someone order me one of the 1 thousand dollar mint julips please.  

:solongsucker

If I hit the Trifecta,I'll send one your way Platter.

sweetcharmedlife wrote on May 3^rd, 2008 at 4:18pm:

If I hit the Trifecta,I'll send one your way Platter.

yeah right

i'm still waiting.

:solongsucker

RIP Eight Belles

Barbaro may race again.

left shoe shuffle wrote on May 3^rd, 2008 at 6:21pm:

RIP Eight Belles

That took a little bloom off the roses, didn't it?

Sioux wrote on May 3^rd, 2008 at 12:35pm:

Should be an interesting race! And I will just be happy if all the horses and jockeys survive to race another day...I hope this event, and the other legs of the Triple Crown, go without a hitch...

:( :( :(

Ok, I am a little bit psychic. Really. I have been, all my life. Mostly simple stuff when I was young---knowing a certain song was on the radio, knowing what station it was on and even what part of the song was playing. Then, about 15 years ago, I started getting strong feelings when someone had died---happened with Arthur Ashe, Gene Kelly, Princess Diana, and, most strongly, with John Kennedy Jr. I would either have to stop everything and go get the paper, or turn on the TV. But the deaths had always already happened by the time I felt that something was wrong. Today, I just felt aprehensive all day. By the time of the race, my heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to come out of my chest. I was really becoming very fond of the filly, Eight Belles. I have a soft spot for fillies {and my dear Ruffian, who also died on the track in the Derby  :(} BUT.....the race went on, Eight Belles came in second! {I was pounding the table, I was that excited}, and when all was over, I thought to myself, "Well, you were wrong this time. Everyone's fine! That's good..." And then I heard the announcement....and saw Eight Belles on the ground....

I still have a hole in the pit of my stomach. I feel so badly for her and her owners and her jockey and all who loved her and raised her. And I feel REALLY weird because I've never thought something bad was going to happen BEFORE it happened before.

Sometimes I wonder if I can keep watching horse racing.  I used to watch for years on end, and not have to see a horse put down. First Barbaro, and now Eight Belles... :(

These poor horses would likely not break down and have to be euthanized if the greedy horse people just waitied another year or two to race the dear beasts.  So may go out on the track with open growth plates--their bone structures are too immature to withstand the force and repetitive pounding. :youmademecrylikeababy

Horse racing rule-makers should be ashamed at the cruelty they create/allow/propagate, all in the name of "sport"--read $$$.

my $0.02 :warhorse

I agree totally. And I'm wondering if decades and centuries of selective breeding of these magnificent animals is weakening them to some extent. She went down so quickly today, I thought it was a heart attack or something. But it's always broken legs. Yes, it's all about the money. Sad, sad.... :(

Yes with horses it is legs most of the time unfortunately. But it's nature not humans that effects these things. You have these huge animals running on these small legs. It is very sad to see,here about any animal lose it's life. But in the overall scheme of things,it's just a very small fraction of things to get upset about. The industry truly does care about it's participant's,both human and animal. It is very sad when either one is injured. R.I.P.Eight Belles. :'(

Sioux wrote on May 3^rd, 2008 at 8:53pm:

I have a soft spot for fillies {and my dear Ruffian, who also died on the track in the Derby  :(

Ruffian broke down during a match race with Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park in NY.

She was put down after reinjuring herself when the post surgical anesthesia wore off, and was buried in the track infield.

left shoe shuffle wrote on May 4^th, 2008 at 10:52am:

Sioux wrote on May 3rd, 2008 at 8:53pm: I have a soft spot for fillies {and my dear Ruffian, who also died on the track in the Derby  :( Ruffian broke down during a match race with Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park in NY. She was put down after reinjuring herself when the post surgical anesthesia wore off, and was buried in the track infield.

Yes, you are right. I was posting, rather distraught, without thinking yesterday. She woke from the anethesia early, and starting acting like she was still in the race. And she thrashed so much she kicked and injured her other leg, before opening up the area of surgery that had just been done... :( She was a big, powerful girl.I can still see her breaking down on that far turn....:(  I hear that they buried her with her face towards the finish line.

Horse racing must be stopped!

wrote on May 4^th, 2008 at 4:01pm:

Horse racing must be stopped!

:warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :warhorse :solongsucker

PETA wants Eight Belles jockey suspended after filly's death  
May 4 07:00 PM US/Eastern
AP

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is seeking the suspension of Eight Belles' jockey after the filly had to be euthanized following her second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Gabriel Saez was riding Eight Belles when she broke both front ankles while galloping out a quarter of a mile past the wire. She was euthanized on the track.

PETA faxed a letter Sunday to Kentucky's racing authority claiming the filly was "doubtlessly injured before the finish" and asked that Saez be suspended while Eight Belles' death is investigated.

"What we really want to know, did he feel anything along the way?" PETA spokeswoman Kathy Guillermo said. "If he didn't then we can probably blame the fact that they're allowed to whip the horses mercilessly."

Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones said the filly was clearly happy when she crossed the finish line.

"I don't know how in the heck they can even come close to saying that," Jones told The Associated Press on Sunday. "She has her ears up, clearly galloping out."

Guillermo said if Saez is found at fault, the group wants the second- place prize of $400,000 won by Eight Belles to be revoked.

Saez, a 20-year-old Panama native, was riding in his first Kentucky Derby. He frequently rides for Jones.

A call to the jockeys' room at Delaware Park, where Saez raced on Sunday, went unanswered.

Eight Belles, the first filly since 1999 to run in the Derby, appeared fine until collapsing while galloping out after the finish.

The letter to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority also sought a ban on whipping, limits on races and the age of racehorses, and a move to softer, artificial surfaces for all courses.

PETA. People for the ethical treatment of assholes. Yeah let's blame the jockey. If not him,well will just blame somebody for something. Hey PETA :shutthefuckup

Here is a Kentucky Derby Story to bitch about.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-libad045673429may04,0,6551365.story

robpop wrote on May 4^th, 2008 at 9:33pm:

Here is a Kentucky Derby Story to bitch about. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-libad045673429may04,0,6551365.story

Good grief! It's a crime that anyone who has the right equipment can have a baby. GOOD GRIEF.

Melbourne Cup is the richest handicap race in the world. Over 100,000 people flock to it, and the very wonderful "Ladies Day" 2 days later. I actually prefer the Caulfield Cup as it's closer to where i live.

But all of the action is off the track. The fillies are just too good to miss. And the weather is usually perfect for skimpy outfits.

PETA can eat horseshit as far as I am concerned. It was a great race and Big Brown looks very special. Tough to see Eight Belles go down but the jockey certainly is not culpable. Perhaps they are racing horses too hard or the breeding is affecting their health. There are 1.6 deaths per 1000 race starts which nets out to 2 horses per day in North America dying on the track. I love the sport but 2 a day seems very high.

i never watch the kentucky derby......
but i happened to be home on saturday with my dad and he was watching...
so i rooted for the one filly, of course - just to make it interesting.
she was a trouper, beat the boys and was a true champion.
very tragic.

corgi37 wrote on May 5^th, 2008 at 5:12am:

Melbourne Cup is the richest handicap race in the world. Over 100,000 people flock to it, and the very wonderful "Ladies Day" 2 days later. I actually prefer the Caulfield Cup as it's closer to where i live. But all of the action is off the track. The fillies are just too good to miss. And the weather is usually perfect for skimpy outfits.

I'll take your word for it, but the Preakness was one of the wildest things I had ever witnessed.  Outside, of course.

robpop wrote on May 4^th, 2008 at 9:33pm:

Here is a Kentucky Derby Story to bitch about. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-libad045673429may04,0,6551365.story

If I were that dude I'd blame my parents for naming me Jhimy...

corgi37 wrote on May 5^th, 2008 at 5:12am:

Melbourne Cup is the richest handicap race in the world. Over 100,000 people flock to it, and the very wonderful "Ladies Day" 2 days later. I actually prefer the Caulfield Cup as it's closer to where i live. But all of the action is off the track. The fillies are just too good to miss. And the weather is usually perfect for skimpy outfits.

Well they got 150,000 in Lousville for this little race. ::)

sweetcharmedlife wrote on May 5^th, 2008 at 9:11pm:

corgi37 wrote on May 5th, 2008 at 5:12am: Melbourne Cup is the richest handicap race in the world. Over 100,000 people flock to it, and the very wonderful "Ladies Day" 2 days later. I actually prefer the Caulfield Cup as it's closer to where i live. But all of the action is off the track. The fillies are just too good to miss. And the weather is usually perfect for skimpy outfits. Well they got 150,000 in Lousville for this little race. ::)

Good point...and I've seen the females in less than skimpy outfits at the Preakness.