Posted on 05/02/2008 6:31:07 AM PDT by Eye On The Left
From KentuckyDerby.com, in depth info on every horse in the 20-horse field (inc free video and charts of prior races):
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/contenders
*FREE* Equibase Past Performances on pdf file (they give free ones out on occasion for major stake races):
http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=CD&rd=05/03/2008&cty=USA&de=D&rn=10
ESPN's special page for horse racing (source for the free Equibase past performances pdf):
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/index
National Thoroughbred Racing Association (main page):
http://www.ntra.com/
hmmmm...SPAM?
hmmmm....you don't have a clue, do you?
thx
>>>>>>>>>hmmmm...SPAM?
why are you even reading this thread?
i’ve paid little attention to the ponies of late, but those PP’s look interesting
what’s up with Pyro and Big Truck?
You're welcome. And of course it isn't "spam" as another response suggested. It's simply stuff I've gathered to prepare myself for the big race tommorrow. I just thought I would share it with you all. Or at least those interested.
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
'Tis summer, the darkies are gay;
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy and bright;
By 'n' by Hard Times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, goodnight.
Chorus
Weep no more my lady
Oh! weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the Old Kentucky Home far away.
March 30, 1937
My dear General Connor,
Your letter requesting my formula for mixing mint juleps leaves me in the same position in which Captain Barber found himself when asked how he was able to carve the image of an elephant from a block of wood. He replied that it was a simple process consisting merely of whittling off the part that didn't look like an elephant.
The preparation of the quintessence of gentlemanly beverages can be described only in like terms. A mint julep is not the product of a FORMULA. It is a CEREMONY and must be performed by a gentleman possessing a true sense of the artistic, a deep reverence for the ingredients and a proper appreciation of the occasion. It is a rite that must not be entrusted to a novice, a statistician, nor a Yankee. It is a heritage of the old South, an emblem of hospitality and a vehicle in which noble minds can travel together upon the flower-strewn paths of happy and congenial thought.
So far as the mere mechanics of the operation are concerned, the procedure, stripped of its ceremonial embellishments, can be described as follows:
Go to a spring where cool, crystal-clear water bubbles from under a bank of dew-washed ferns. In a consecrated vessel, dip up a little water at the source. Follow the stream through its banks of green moss and wildflowers until it broadens and trickles through beds of mint growing in aromatic profusion and waving softly in the summer breezes. Gather the sweetest and tenderest shoots and gently carry them home. Go to the sideboard and select a decanter of Kentucky Bourbon, distilled by a master hand, mellowed with age yet still vigorous and inspiring. An ancestral sugar bowl, a row of silver goblets, some spoons and some ice and you are ready to start.
In a canvas bag, pound twice as much ice as you think you will need. Make it fine as snow, keep it dry and do not allow it to degenerate into slush.
In each goblet, put a slightly heaping teaspoonful of granulated sugar, barely cover this with spring water and slightly bruise one mint leaf into this, leaving the spoon in the goblet. Then pour elixir from the decanter until the goblets are about one-fourth full. Fill the goblets with snowy ice, sprinkling in a small amount of sugar as you fill. Wipe the outsides of the goblets dry and embellish copiously with mint.
Then comes the important and delicate operation of frosting. By proper manipulation of the spoon, the ingredients are circulated and blended until Nature, wishing to take a further hand and add another of its beautiful phenomena, encrusts the whole in a glittering coat of white frost. Thus harmoniously blended by the deft touches of a skilled hand, you have a beverage eminently appropriate for honorable men and beautiful women.
When all is ready, assemble your guests on the porch or in the garden, where the aroma of the juleps will rise Heavenward and make the birds sing. Propose a worthy toast, raise the goblet to your lips, bury your nose in the mint, inhale a deep breath of its fragrance and sip the nectar of the gods.
Being overcome by thirst, I can write no further.
Sincerely, S.B. Buckner, Jr.
I,ve never been but I sure enjoy celebrating it with my family! My Old Kentucky Home brings a tear to my eye and always will.
Californians: For a real shock, go to www.heidifore.com and search some property. My wife is a city girl and is gaga over the $400-450K homes in Old Louisville and Germantown/Highlands area. The same homes here would start at $2.5 million. I am holding out for a couple acres overlooking the Ohio. Until then, I'm loading up on Lynard Skynard.
Big Truck looks to me to be a bit out of his league with these. I think the morning line on him is 50-1. Big Brown, the pre-race favorite, on the other hoof, looks like a potential monster! BUT, he is very lightly raced (fresh?) with only 3 prior starts and will have to overcome the extreme outside post #20 in a field of 20, while avoiding getting caught up in an early speed duel with other speedsters in the race. And with a field of 20, there should be at least a couple who will challenge him for the early lead. His jockey, a very smart and experienced one, though, says he will try to 'rate' Big Brown a bit off the early leaders.
The last horse I saw with his incredible abilities and running style was the filly Ruffian. Ruffian would always get to the lead right from the gate and steadily increase her margin as the race went on. If you watch the (free) videos at the KentuckyDerby.com link I provided, you'll see what I'm talking about. This horse really has been amazing so far. The second choice in the field, Colonel John, is a powerful closer who figures to be right there, or at least to be in the money. The good thing about these very large fields and enormous betting pools is that you are almost assured to get a better than average payout. And this includes the Place and Show pools. In other words, even Big Brown would likely double your money on a Show bet. And he would only have to finish 1st, 2nd OR 3rd for you to collect.
Regarding Pyro, who's trained by the same guy who trains Horse of the Year, Curlin, nobody seems to know what happened to him in his last race where he disappointingly finished 10th. I had liked him a lot up until that poor and unexplained performance, although the winning times for his victories weren't really impressive. ie. 1:44+ for 1-1/16th mile. Quality times should have been closer to 1:42 for that distance. Still, I would not be surprised if Pyro rebounds and comes storming down the stretch late in the race to grab a part of the purse.
One word...polytrack. I expect him to return to form now that he's back on dirt. I'm going to couple him with both of Bill Mott's horses, Court Vision and Z Humor.
What's a bit odd to me is that Pyro's trainer, Steve Asmussen, chose to put and keep Shaun Bridgmohan on the horse rather than the far more capable Robby Albarado who rode Curlin, last year's Horse of the Year, for him.
Once again, here are the links I gave at the beginning. There's an enormous amount of useful info here for anyone interested in betting the race.
From KentuckyDerby.com, in depth info on every horse in the 20-horse field (inc free video and charts of prior races):
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/contenders
*FREE* Equibase Past Performances on pdf file (they give free ones out on occasion for major stake races):
http://ntra.equibase.com/eqbNTRAGetFreeFF.cfm?trk=CD&rd=05/03/2008&cty=USA&de=D&rn=10
ESPN's special page for horse racing (source for the free Equibase past performances pdf):
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/index
National Thoroughbred Racing Association (main page):
http://www.ntra.com/
Why not then put a $100g's on Big Brown to win? You'd be able to buy her that dream house in cash by tommorrow afternoon. JOKING!!!!!
It would be rather silly to take Bridgmohan off since he's been on Pyro since his maiden race and has done quite well with him. It's also possible that Albarado had already committed to another horse who didn't quite make it to the "first Saturday in May" and was subsequently left with Z Fortune. Both jocks are quite capable imho. If I had my choice of any jockey it would be Cornelio Velasquez who lost out when War Pass was injured.
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