In 2020, we've learned to expect strange news and odd happenings. Yesterday, a "boat parade" in support of President Trump in Texas, had four participating boats sunk by a much larger vessel, whose captain decided that he should be leading the flotilla; so he gunned his engines and flew past the other boats. The waves from that larger boat's wake were what sunk the four other boats.... Who'd'a thunk it?
The same sort of strange happenings infected the 2020 Kentucky Derby, too. Originally, there were 18 entries for the classic race, run without a crowd in the grandstand. There are scratches, of course, in the normal run of things. The first scratch was King Guillermo, who spiked a fever, and vacated post number 6. Then Finnick The Fierce was scratched because of a change in his walk and running - a sore foot - so the Gate 1 starter was gone. Then, in the paddock, as the horses were being saddled, Thousand Words, trained by Bob Baffert, reared and flipped over, taking assistant trainer Jimmie Barnes with him. Following protocol, the colt was immediately scratched, leaving Baffert with only one horse in the race - and not yet aware that his assistant trainer was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital, after getting Thousand Words back into his stall. Barnes has a smashed wrist and will have an operation in California later this week to put pins in place for his wrist to heal....
Thousand Words going over in the Kentucky Derby paddock
The betting favorite as the horses entered the starting gate was Tiz The Law, who had won the Belmont Stakes on 20 June, and the Travers in August. We were told by the announcers that the four horses to watch were all on the outside, being (in post number) Ny Traffic, Honor A.P., Tiz The Law, and Authentic. Authentic had seemed to barely hang on for his last racing win, by a nose, at 1 1/8 miles; most commentators agreed that the 1 1/4 Derby would be too far for the colt to win.
Now, I have to disagree (being anal-retentive and a tad OCD) with the headlines last night and this morning that state Authentic led the race "wire to wire." Authentic is a slow breaker from the starting gate. He might have been in the first 8 stepping out of the gate, but he was not the first, so he couldn't have led "wire to wire." (Just my little nit-pick there.) Anyway, John R Velasquez allowed the colt to find his stride, then took him to the lead just before the first turn - and then he led all the way to the finish line. Tiz The Law engaged Authentic in the stretch, but just could not pass the bay son of Into Mischief.
Authentic ran the 1 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) in 2:00.61 and won by 1 1/4 lengths. Tiz The Law was second by 2 lengths, ahead of Mr. Big News ( a long shot) in third, who was 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Honor A.P. in fourth.
Authentic, center, winning the Derby; Tiz The Law at left
with white shadow roll
In betting payouts (each of these a $2 bet), Authentic paid $18.80 to win; Tiz The Law paid $3.40 to place; and and Mr. Big News paid $16.80 to show. The Exacta (again, all $2 bets) paid $41; the Trifecta paid $2,623.60; and the Superfecta paid $15,851.60.
It was announced today that Authentic and Thousand Words will both be entered in the (now third leg of the Triple Crown) Preakness Stakes, to be run October 4 at Pimlico Racetrack. In this odd year, the Preakness will be run 4 weeks after the Derby, instead of the usual 2 weeks. However, it will be run at it's normal length 1 3/16 miles, and at it's usual track, "Old Hilltop" outside of Baltimore, Mayland.
To top of the weirdness of the 2020 Kentucky Derby, after Thousand Words flipped in the paddock, in the Winner's Circle after the race, Authenic spooked at something, and sent several people flying, including his trainer, Bob Baffert. Baffert, seeing the colt start to spin uncontrollably, pushed several people to safety, before being hit by Authentic's hindquarters.... No one was harmed, thankfully.
Bob Baffert, white hair and blue jacket, going down as Authentic
spins in Winner's Circle
The complete order of finish in the 2020 Kentucky Derby:
1 - Authentic
2 - Tiz The Law
3 - Mr. Big News
4 - Honor A.P.
5 - Max Player
6 - Storm The Court
7 - Enforceable
8 - Ny Traffic
9 - Necker Island
10 - Major Fed
11 - Sole Volante
12 - Winning Impression
13 - Money Moves
14 - Attachment Rate
15 - South Bend
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