Recently Himself and I were at a seminar where the guest speaker was Dick Downey, who has created "The Downey Profile" (http://www.thedowneyprofile.com/ ) which ranks the horses contending in the Kentucky Derby by a system of factors that have been present in past Derby winners. Horse racing isn't the career of Mr. Downey... no, he should actually be called Judge Downey. He a judge on the Kentucky Court of Justice.
The Kentucky is his hobby and fascination.
He spoke with us on his methods and discussed the top horses that will be running in two days.
We very much enjoyed his lecture and a bit of visiting afterwards.
The group sponsoring the seminar made up a Derby trivia game that was fun. I got 17 correct (would have gotten a couple more right if I'd slowed down and thought about it!).
Try it and see how you do!
1. How long is the KY Derby?
2. What race is held for 3 year old fillies only?
3. What is the name of the race track where the Derby is run?
4. What gate have the most winners started from?
5. How many horses starting from post #20 have won?
6. Which was the last pre-Derby undefeated horse to win the race?
7. What year was the KY Derby first run?
8. Who is the last jockey to win 2 consecutive Derbys?
9. What horse holds the record for the fastest Derby time?
10. What trainer has won the most Kentucky Derbys?
11. What horse won the first KY Derby?
12. What are the names of the other Triple Crown races?
13. What fashion accessory would a Derby goer not be without?
14. How many fillies won the Derby in the 20th century?
15. What is the nickname for the Derby?
16. The Derby is held on which Saturday in May?
17. What is the traditional beverage of the Derby?
18. Which jockey has had the most Derby mounts?
19. What Kentucky born jockey won the Derby in 1978?
20. Churchill Downs is located in what Kentucky city?
21. What color horse has won most often in the Derby?
22. How many women jockeys have ridden in the Derby?
23. Has the KY Derby ever been cancelled?
24. What was Secretariat's nickname?
25. What horse won the 2014 Derby?
(Answers at bottom of post)
This is the current favorite American Pharoah.
(Due to Stanford scratching... American Pharoah has now been moved down to the gate 17. No one has ever won out of 17...).
Second on the boards is Dortmund. Standing at 17 hands, he is huge (2 inches taller than Secretariat). He is coming into the Derby undefeated... same has his sire Big Brown who won the Derby in 2008.
Ranked third is this pretty boy... Carpe Diem.
And here's one for my Mom... Frosted. She loves the greys.
He's not been given much notice... but you never know...
That's what makes it a horse race!
Trivia Answers:
1. A mile and a quarter.
2. The Kentucky Oaks
3. Churchill Downs
4. Gate 10 at 11.5% of starts, then Gate 5 at 10.6% of starts.
5. 1 - Big Brown (sire of Dortmund)
(Note: only 3 horses have won from beyond gate #16.)
6. Big Brown
7. 1875
8. Eddie Delahoussaye
'82 on Gato Del Sol and '83 on Sunny's Halo
9. Secretariat
10. Ben Jones - 6
Lawrin (1938), Whirlaway (1941), Pensive (1944), Citation (1948), Ponder (1949), Hill Gail (1952)
11. Aristides
12. Preakness and Belmont
13. Hat
14. Winning Colors (1988), Genuine Risk (1980) and Regret (1915)
15. Run for the Roses
16. First (this Saturday!)
17. Mint Julep
18. Willie Shoemaker
He rode in the Kentucky Derby 24 times and won it 4 times, aboard Swaps in 1955, Tomy Lee in 1959, Lucky Debonair in 1965 and Ferdinand in 1986.
(He rode 4,350 horses in his career.)
19. Stevie Cauthen on Triple Crown winner Affirmed.
20. Louisville
21. Bay
22. 6 - Diane Crump, Patricia Cooksey, Andrea Seefeldt, Julie Krone, Rosemary Homeister Jr., Rosie Napravnik.
23. No. But in 2010 there were concerns because of extremely severe thunderstorms.
24. Big Red
25. California Chrome
David watches every year. He had Dortmund to win. I don't usually watch when they actually race, but love to see all the horses prior!! I was rooting for American Pharoah because he wasn't predicted to win. Good boy!!!! I always leave the room when the race starts.....and after I learn that none of them fell or got hurt....then I like to watch it. I guess it's because I watched a horse thing at a fair...where a horse fell and had to be put out of it's misery.....and I just can't watch horses race, now. I know...stupid.....but it is what it is ;-)
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