Kentucky Derby Dispatch: Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat

The Kentucky Derby came and went. Weeks of excitement built into a massive crescendo with Mage blazing from the back of the pack to shock more than 150,000 people at Churchill Downs.

Now it’s Monday, one of the hardest Mondays of the calendar year. No, it’s not just a hangover. Your back and legs are soar from walking all over the track. Your email inbox is over-flowing with stuff you’ve been putting off until after Derby. Before you get to that to-do list, allow me to help you procrastinate a little bit more by sharing some tales from beneath the Twin Spires.

Mage was Magnificent

Forte’s impressive resume soaked up all the oxygen from the Florida circuit during Kentucky Derby preps. It caused me, and presumably many others, to overlook the Florida Derby runner-up. Mage had the lead late before Forte turned it on for the win. This time out Javier Castellano knew when to ask for more from Mage, who delivered in the final turn to finish across the finish line first. After failing in his first 15 rides, it was a sweet 16th for Javier Castellano.

A Win for the South End

The city of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky take center stage during Kentucky Derby week, but its citizens aren’t always the ones that shine the brightest. Celebrities from the coasts and big-time athletes draw in the cameras on the red carpet. On Saturday, one of the “little guys” got to experience that bright spotlight.

Damon Stinson grew up in the shadows of the Twin Spires. He could see the starting gate from his elementary school. On Saturday he was in the Winner’s Circle. Against all odds, he got to experience the peak of thoroughbred horse racing.

South End, we did it for you! https://t.co/tk2ea8ZQtv pic.twitter.com/9N7Yswj9Om

— Damon Stinson (@damonstinson45) May 8, 2023

A Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle Celebration for All

Saturday afternoon my friend Angel was napping on the grass in the Infield. A few hours later he was in the Winner’s Circle. How did he get onto the backside? Who let him on the track for the post parade? Those questions don’t need answers. All you need to know is that he has proof of his unexpected adventure in the form of roses from the garland and this video that made it onto a national website.

That feeling win your dad wins the Kentucky Derby! Pure emotion 🤩

🎥: @yurrrFAVmxcn#KentuckyDerby149 pic.twitter.com/oR3rCQDnDd

— America'sBestRacing (@ABRLive) May 7, 2023

So Close, Yet So Far Away

The agony of defeat is only amplified when you don’t even get a chance to run in the race. That was the reality for Mike Repole and Todd Pletcher when their horse was scratched Saturday morning. Forte had a bruise on his foot. They thought he was good enough to be able to race. Instead the 9-2 favorite and 2-year-old champion was sidelined by the state vet. Repole, one of the most charismatic owners in the sport, felt “deja vu all over again.” Uncle Mo was a 2-year-old champion and the favorite when he was scratched the week of the Kentucky Derby in 2011.

“You can only be a three-year-old colt on the first Saturday in May one time,” Repole said. “A bruise is not an excuse, a fever is not an excuse, a bad day is not an excuse.”

One quote might be even more heartbreaking. Jareth Loveberry was riding Two Phil’s in his first Kentucky Derby. The horse gave him all he had and Loveberry thought he had the race won down the stretch. That final furlong is always the longest.

“I’ll never forget the feeling (turning for home in front in the Derby),” said Loveberry. “The view of the stretch, the crowd and the feeling I was going to win.”

The Kentucky Derby is Always Fast

The pace figures in all of the prep races indicated this would be a slow Kentucky Derby. Throw them all in the trash. Those don’t matter. There are 20 horses running and somebody’s going to try to get out front quickly to avoid the traffic. Travis Stone nailed it on Tuesday in an entertaining conversation with KSR. He also nailed his call for Kentucky Derby 149.

Maybe one of these days we can have a moderate or slow pace? Thankful for cloud cover because Mage’s silks looked like a different blue than expected but in the end another fun Derby with some of the best colleagues and racing fans in the country. There’s nothing like the Derby! https://t.co/isvhbDHoMj

— Travis Stone (@TravisStone) May 7, 2023

Keep an Eye on Derme Sotogake

A Japanese horse still has not finished better than fifth in the Kentucky Derby. This year Derme Sotogake was 7-1 at post time. He finished sixth, which may be disappointing for some bettors, but I actually came away more impressed with the horse. His break from the gate was about as bad as it can get without actually taking a tumble. Derme Sotogake ate some dirt, yet still had a late move to make things interesting. If this horse continue to mature, you might be able to make some moolah later in 2023.

Is it actually a Kentucky Derby without a little rain?

The sun was shining bright over our old Kentucky home all week long. There was hardly a cloud in the sky from Tuesday until Saturday morning. It was a perfect week of weather for the Kentucky Derby, until just after Mage crossed the finish line.

Dark clouds came rolling in over the Twin Spires and thousands flooded to the gates. Thankfully, my wise wife snagged a deserted tarp as we were departing the Infield. The rain fell as we stepped inside the crowded Infield tunnel. We walked blindly down the street covered by a tarp for about a half mile until the clouds finally broke. This Kentucky Derby ended like almost every other for me, exasperated and shirtless, wandering through the South End. It doesn’t get much better than that. Only 362 days till Kentucky Derby 150.