2011 Kentucky Derby: 10 Names to Remember as the Run for the Roses Draws Near
Despite the fact that the 2011 Kentucky Derby is without a clear-cut favorite, there is still great intrigue and a number of interesting storylines heading into Saturday's 137th "Run for the Roses."
A number of horses, including Jaycito, The Factor and JP's Gusto have already been ruled out due to a injury. Such injuries have opened up doors for a horse like Derby Kitten, who otherwise wouldn't have qualified for the Derby.
There is also a sense that this is the most wide open field the Derby has seen in recent memory. Even favorites such as Uncle Mo and Dialed In have major question marks surrounding them, meaning that "the fast two minutes in sports" could very well end with a major upset.
The field of 20 was set in stone today, and the countdown to Saturday's main event continues to roll on.
Here are 10 names to keep in mind as you gear up for the Kentucky Derby.
Uncle Mo
1 of 10
How things have changed for Uncle Mo.
Not too long ago, this son of Indian Charlie seemed destined to be the heavy favorite at the Kentucky Derby. He had a very impressive two-year-old campaign, winning all three of his races in convincing fashion. He saved his best performance for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where he pulled away to win by 4.25-lengths and posted a 108 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.
Uncle Mo carried that success into his three-year-old debut, scoring a victory in the Timely Writer at Gulfstream Park in March. He dominated the race from start to finish, although he did face some relatively weak competition.
Things took a turn for the worse on Apr. 9, when Mo tired and finished third in the 1.125-mile Wood Memorial at Belmont Park. It was the first loss of his young career, although it was just the beginning of the bad news.
An examination given after the race revealed at the colt had a gastrointestinal infection, and many wondered if he would be recover in time for the Derby. He seems to have recovered nicely, however, and is set to start in the race this Saturday. He even drilled a five furlong workout this past Sunday for good measure. Still, questions about Uncle Mo remain.
There isn't much in his pedigree that would suggest he can handle the 1.25-mile distance of the Derby. As mentioned before, he struggled to finish out the 1.125-mile Woodward strong. He is also a lightly raced horse who, aside from the Juvenile, hasn't faced a ton of quality competition.
There is no doubt that Uncle Mo is capable of winning the Derby, but he is going to be a very short price, meaning there will be plenty of other value to be found in the field.
Uncle Mo's morning line was set at 5-1, making him the second choice early on.
Calvin Borel
2 of 10
Borel is one of the best big-race jockey's of all time, and has won three of the previous four Kentucky Derby's, including a victory aboard 50-1 shot Mine That Bird in 2009. Although he still races mostly on the smaller circuits of Arkansas and Louisiana, there is something about Churchill Downs that brings out the best in him.
That is just part of the reason why it is so curious that it took until last week for Borel to land a mount in this years Kentucky Derby. After being passed over yet again by some of the games biggest names, Borel accepted an invitation from trainer Jeff Bonde to ride Twice the Appeal, winner of the Sunland Derby. Twice the Appeal was originally expected to have some big odds on Saturday, but they could drop after news that Borel would be aboard.
Nicknamed Calvin "Bo-rail," because he is known for saving every inch of ground and not being afraid to take a horse inside on the rail, Borel is a confident guy who believes he can win any race he is apart of. As he showed in 2009, crazier things have happened.
Bob Baffert
3 of 10
Earlier this year, it appeared that Baffert would be saddling multiple contenders in the Derby in an effort to win the race for the fourth time in his career. He last won America's greatest horse race in 2002 with Warm Emblem. He also won the race in 1997 and 1998.
However, things didn't exactly go as planned this year for Baffert.
After The Factor finished a very disappointing ninth in the Arkansas Derby, co-owner George Bolton and Baffert decided the horse would skip the Derby. The team recently made the announcement official, not wanting to train The Factor on the sloppy tracks of Churchill Downs. Jaycito, another Baffert-trained horse, will miss the race due to injury.
As a result, Baffert is left with Midnight Interlude as his lone entrant. Still, he is one of the games best trainers, and should not be counted out even if his barn is not at full strength. Any horse Baffert sends out needs to be at least considered.
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Larry Collmus
4 of 10
As ESPN reported, the Triple Crown will have a new voice this year.
Durkin has called the last 30 races of the Triple Crown, but has decided to step down from his position with NBC. He has been the voice of horse racing for the last 30 years, and is one of the true legends of the game. It won't be quite the same without Durkin on the call.
Durkin will still call races at the NYRA tracks, including Belmont Park and Saratoga.
Taking over for him will be Larry Collmus, the current track announcer at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. He will attempt to fill Durkin's shoes, although it won't be an easy thing to do.
Archarcharch
5 of 10
When the gates open in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, Archarcharch won't be the only one racing in the Derby for the first time.
That is because his jockey, Jon Court, will be aboard for his first mount in the historic race. At age 50, Court has been riding in races for over 30 years, but has never been given an opportunity to ride in the sports biggest race until now.
To make matters even more interesting, William "Jinks" Fires, the trainer of Archarcharch, also has never saddled a starter in the Kentucky Derby. At age 70, Fires finally believes he has a horse who can win the race.
Because of these unlikely and unknown connections, Archarcharch might not garner a ton of attention on race day. That could prove to be a mistake, however. His morning line has been set at 10-1.
The three-year-old son of Arch was an upset winner in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. His pedigree suggests that he can handle the 1.25-mile distance of the Derby, and he has already beaten the likes of The Factor, J.P.'s Gusto and Nehro this year.
This colt would benefit from a fast pace, as he will be running late. But don't count him out.
Anna Napravnik
6 of 10
On Saturday, Napravnik will become only the sixth woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby. She will also attempt to become the first woman to win the historic race when she rides Pants On Fire, winner of the Louisiana Derby.
Pants On Fire is accustomed to participating in races that have two turns, as he has already run in seven two-turn races in his career. The colt figures to be part of the early pace in the race, and could be a contender if Napravnik is allowed to dictate the speed of the race.
Todd Pletcher
7 of 10
This past winter, Pletcher was won the Most Outstanding Trainer Eclipse Award for the fifth time in his career. He is routinely atop the leaderboard for earnings, always in contention in the trainer's standings at various meets and was NYRA's leading trainer in 2010.
However, up until last year, Pletcher really struggled in the Kentucky Derby.
Until Super Saver crossed the finish line first in last years race, Pletcher was 0-24 in the Derby since 2000. With the monkey finally off his back, he could be even more dangerous in this years race. He will team up with his go-to jockey, John Velazquez, and send out Uncle Mo, who we discussed earlier. Uncle Mo has been tabbed as the second choice at 5-1.
Midnight Interlude
8 of 10
Midnight Interlude, at 12-1, could be a dangerous play here, for as good as he has looked, there are also some major drawbacks.
Interlude, trained by Baffert, is a son of War Chant. War Chant was more of a sprinter then a distance runner, meaning Interlude could struggle with the distance. He did win the Santa Anita Derby at 1.125-mile, however, but he had his way with the pace in that race. Usually a front-runner, he could struggle to hold on to the lead down the stretch.
There is also another glaring concern. Unlike pretty much everyone else in the field, Midnight Interlude, who will be ridden by Victor Espinoza, did not have a two-year-old campaign. That formula has not much had success when it comes to performing well in the Kentucky Derby. Interlude ran in his first race on Jan. 29 of this year, so he is short on experience, and hasn't had as much time to develop as the other contenders in this race.
Julien Leparoux
9 of 10
Leparoux is one of the sports most talented young riders, and will look to add a Kentucky Derby win to his already impressive resume.
Only 27, Leparoux has already won 102 graded stakes, six riding titles at both Churchill Downs and Keeneland and he won the Jockey Eclipse Award in 2009.
Although Leparoux has already had a number of Derby mounts, he has never been aboard a horse with the talent and capabilities of Dialed In. He and Dialed In have been tabbed the favorites at 4-1.
His coming out party could continue on Saturday.
Watch Me Go
10 of 10
With a morning line of 50-1, Watch Me Go is the longest shot on the board. To make matters worse, he drew post position No. 20, which isn't exactly the best place to be.
So you are probably wondering why he is on this list.
Well, it's simple. This is one of the most wide-open fields the Derby has seen in quite a while, and even the favorites have some apparent flaws. This race will be up for grabs, meaning all 20 horses have a chance at capturing the roses.
As handicappers, we all have a tendency to fall in love with a certain horse. Recently, I have been talking myself into Archarcharch. All I am saying is, especially this year, don't rule anyone out.
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