What Makes a Great Kentucky Derby? Is It More Than the Contenders?
There have been a few grumblings among those within the sport that this year’s Kentucky Derby is lacking the usual excitement that typically precedes the most heavily promoted horse race of the year. Some say it is because we are lacking that superstar, now that Uncle Mo has shown himself to be mortal. Others have commented on how slow the horses are this year in compared to years past.
But what makes for a great Kentucky Derby race?
It is true that having a big superstar coming into the race certainly adds to the pre race excitement, but doesn’t necessarily mean the race itself will be great. In 1994, Holy Bull was the big 2-1 favorite coming into the race, but it was Go For Gin who stole the race on the front end. He led wire to wire and Holy Bull just never found his footing in the sloppy surface, and it made for a rather anti climactic race.
This year there is no Smarty Jones, Barbaro, or Big Brown. Uncle Mo figured to be that horse but apparently everyone has deflated his status from star to bum off of one race, and as a result, he won’t get that pre-race coverage from the major media outlets.
A great horse doesn’t have to win in order for the race to be great. Remember back in 2005, when Bellamy Road and Afleet Alex were to two big favorites, coming off monster prep races in which they received Beyer Speed Figures of 120 and 109, respectively (and the no doubt about it favorites if they were entered this year). Bellamy Road faded and Afleet Alex came close but not close enough, as 50-1 long shot Giacomo came charging at the end to just barely get up in time. It was exciting because an unexpected horse came from far back to get the victory in the last few seconds.
The 1973 Kentucky Derby was great for two reasons. We had one of the most highly regarded horses to come along in awhile in Secretariat, but the fact that he lost in his prep race made his Derby win all the more wonderful to watch. When there are questions about a horse coming into the big event, sometimes witnessing redemption is more exciting than just expectations fulfilled, as it was with 1977 Kentucky Derby winner Seattle Slew who entered the race as the undefeated favorite.
The reason Barbaro’s 2006 Kentucky Derby was so great was that because people sensed that he had tremendous ability and he not only fulfilled but exceeded expectations. It is true he was undefeated going into the Derby, but his speed figures though very good, were not out of this world, and there were several other talented horses in the race that looked like they had just as good a chance as him. In fact, most don’t remember that Barbaro was actually the second favorite after Sweetnorthernsaint, but he ran like a 1-5 shot, drawing off powerfully to win by 6 resounding lengths. The story behind this Derby was “a star is born”.
A rivalry also helps make for a great Derby. Affirmed and Alydar had met six times in 1977, with Affirmed winning four times to Alydar’s two. They faced each other in next year’s Kentucky Derby, with Affirmed winning and Alydar finishing second. Some call this the greatest rivalry in the history of horse racing, even more compelling than the Sunday Silence and Easy Goer rivalry in 1989.
The 1989 Kentucky Derby had a lot of buzz because it featured a matchup of two dominant horses that had not yet faced each other, one from the west coast, one from the east coast, and everyone wanted to see who was really better. As it so happens, a rivalry coming close to rivaling that which Affirmed and Alydar gave us developed, though that would really develop after the Derby.
Where does that leave us for the 2011 Kentucky Derby? There is no budding rivalry, no clash of two titan horses, no undefeated super horse, and no horse that has run especially fast as a three year old. What can we hope for this year?
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