5 things you need to know about the Kentucky Derby

The tradition of wearing ridiculous hats to the Kentucky Derby is definitely… something, as people show up with some insane things on their heads.

The Derby is the primary leg of racing’s prestigious Triple Crown, which additionally consists of the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore and the Belmont Stakes in Belmont Park, New York. “But we’re going in with a stronger hand”.

The 2018 Kentucky Derby is loaded with talented horses and features a field that runs 20 deep, presenting a daunting task to jockeys and trainers looking to navigate their way to a win at Churchill Downs.

“This is very much a rider’s race and I’ve got four of the best riders around, which makes me feel good”, Pletcher said. I don’t know if we’ll have the same result. This week, I shifted course a little bit at the end. When the gates open at the 144th Kentucky Derby, 20 horses will spend “the Fastest Two Minutes In Sports” racing into the history books. The Hall of Fame trainer’s ability to produce Derby contenders year after year is a feat to be envied by the competition and why his absence a year ago stood out.

“The only reason I’m the favorite is because I beat Bolt d’Oro and he was the horse to beat”, said Baffert, referring to Justify’s three-length win over his rival in the Santa Anita Derby last month. “I want to be where Wayne is”. Needless to say, he knows how to condition a horse to be their best on the biggest days in racing. His sire, Into Mischief, has yet to sire a horse that’s won stakes races of more than nine furlongs.

Saddling three starters in his first Kentucky Oaks and sending over the race favorite is just the latest “first” for the 38-year-old trainer.

Earlier Derby visitors embody Britain’s Princess Margaret, boxer Muhammad Ali, US presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, Hollywood legends Lana Turner and Bing Crosby, baseball star Babe Ruth and in recent times, singer Justin Timberlake, actor Jack Nicholson, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and National Football League star Eli Manning.

After a successful run in the quarterhorse ranks, Baffert switched to thoroughbreds. “If you don’t have success, you’re not going to get those opportunities”. After high school, he worked at Churchill Downs under trainers Burt Kessinger and Jimmy Baker before moving to an assistant trainer position with Dallas Stewart. The time away has fueled a give-back philosophy that has the octogenarian chatting up folks who drop by, and standing outside observing how the sport he loves hums along.

The lightly raced GI Florida Derby runner-up Hofburg (Tapit), a half-brother to millionaire Emollient (Empire Maker), has generated plenty of chatter on the backstretch with the way he’s been training here throughout the week and he continued to live up to the billing Wednesday. Both will need to find their elite 2-year-old form to have a shot at getting to the winner’s circle on Saturday.

Mindful of his age, Lukas said the caveat is how long he will be physically able to do the job. We’ll hope for a good break for our horses and then see what happens. “You’ll see some dump trucks that were replaced for security measures”, Lt. Jill Hume said. “You reflect and say maybe if it’s not this year, maybe next year, but there no guarantees there will be a next year”.