KSR Today: Good Morning from the Backside at Churchill Downs

It’s a beautiful day in the Bluegrass State. This morning I am one of thousands of race fans who started the day near the stables at Churchill Downs as horses prepare for an exciting week of racing at Churchill Downs. There are clear skies and full hearts. We can’t lose.

The fine folks at Churchill Downs have made each day of Derby Week a special occasion. After celebrating “502’s Day,” today is Champions Day at the racetrack, followed by Thurby, Oaks and the big one, Kentucky Derby Saturday.

A few horses have been generating some buzz among the wise guys on the backside this week, Angel of Empire and Disarm. KSR did a little journalism 101 and got to the bottom of it by speaking to each horse’s respective trainer, Brad Cox and Steve Asmussen. There’s a quiet, cautious optimism among each ahead of the biggest race of the year.

As a horse racing fan, speaking with those two felt like a big deal, but that wasn’t even the coolest thing we did at the track on Tuesday. KSR spent some time speaking with track announcer Travis Stone in the crow’s nest at Churchill Downs. We may or may not have also snuck onto the roof. It’s going to come together with a spectacular video that you need to subscribe to see. Only a few subs away from 20,000, help us reach the milestone by simply clicking a button for a free service. We greatly appreciate it.

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11 Personnel with Tom Leach

Speaking of cool videos, this afternoon the Voice of the Wildcats is hopping on the KSR YouTube Channel to talk a little ball. In addition to some storytelling with the best of the biz, Tom Leach is going to share a little horse racing insight ahead of Kentucky Derby 149. Tune in to the KSR YouTube Channel at approximately 2 pm EST to join us LIVE.

Hunter Dickinson Drama Continues

I buried the lede. Tuesday was a wild day to follow Kentucky basketball recruiting. Throughout John Calipari’s tenure we’ve become numb to some of the theatrics put on by high profile basketball players. The BBN has seen it all to this point. Nothing should surprise us, yet the Hunter Dickinson drama is taking it to a new level.

The center transfer from Michigan teased a “big announcement” on his Barstool Sports podcast a day after buzz seemingly went in four different directions, changing to a different school with the changes in the wind. Despite all of the chaos, it felt like Kentucky was in a good spot. When John Calipari Tweeted, “I’ve had a full day and it’s not even 4!” it felt like a reference to Dickinson. That was the time he planned on dropping the podcast.

Instead, the episode did not go live for another 30 minutes. He did not make an announcement either, simply announcing that an announcement will come soon. The waiting game continues, but the way he talks about Kentucky, it feels like there’s good news on the horizon for the BBN.

Thrilling Playoff Finishes

If you stayed up late Tuesday, you were treated to some exciting action in the world of sports. In the NHL the Kraken and the Stars scored about a hundred goals in the opening period. Somehow Dallas overcame a huge early deficit to force overtime. Seattle, fresh off a series win in seven, stole game one with a deflected goal in overtime, injecting some juice into the expansion franchise.

Meanwhile on the west coast, Golden State erased a late deficit to get within striking range. The Lakers defense came up big down the stretch, denying the Warriors a good look to tie the game with a three in the final seconds. Anthony Davis had 30 points and 23 rebounds to propel the Lake Show to a 117-112 game one win. Tonight’s playoff action:

• 7:00 — Devils vs. Hurricanes, ESPN
• 8:00 — Sixers vs. Celtics, TNT
• 9:30 — Oilers vs. Golden Knights, ESPN

Kentucky Football Eyeing Transfer Portal Targets

The second college football transfer window closed on Monday. That means athletes can no longer enter the portal and retain eligibility for the fall 2023 season without a waiver from the NCAA. Even though they can no longer enter, there’s still plenty of names in that transfer portal that are being recruited by Power Five schools, including Kentucky.

This week we learned the Wildcats will have an official visit weekend for their final transfer portal targets May 13-15. Rhode Island defensive back Antonio Carter II and Northern Illinois linebacker Daveren Rayner will be among the guests. The latter is a position of importance with only two trusted inside linebackers currently on the depth chart. Kentucky also may extend an invitation to Jahdae Walker, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver from the D-II ranks that received a scholarship offer from the Cats on Tuesday.

Big Whiff from Vince Marrow

The Big Dog rarely misses on the recruiting trail. The same cannot be said for his play on the football field. Vince Marrow shared a snapshot of one of his lowlights from his time with the Buffalo Bills. Now his players get to take a turn busting the Big Dog’s chops.

Man did I miss that block lol. https://t.co/k6zd7Z0aJ6

— CoachMarrowUK (@vincemarrow) May 3, 2023