May the Force be With You!

Or in this case The Horse:

(image from The Kentucky Derby on FB)

It's Derby Day again.

And 100 years ago it was a horse by the name of Sir Barton that claimed the rose garland under the twin spires of Churchill Downs.

That was a hundred years ago ...

This year brings nineteen eager three year olds to 'The Run for the Roses'.

No. 1 War of Will (18-1)

Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Some Graded Stakes experience with this entry, landing in the winner's circle in G2 and G3 Company earlier and finishing 2nd in the G1 Summer as a Juvenile last year.

No. 2 Tax (38-1)

Trainer: Danny Gargan
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Claimed for $50,000 in October, he’s hit the board in three graded stakes races since and has the pedigree to last at the classic distance. Unfortunately, geldings like Tax have only won the Kentucky Derby four times in 115 chances since 1908 with the most recent four never finishing better than 16th. But since 2000 there have been two, Funny Cide ('03) and Mine that Bird ('09) who have come through.

No. 3 By My Standards (14-1)

Trainer: Bret Calhoun
Jockey: Gabriel Saez
Calhoun’s upset winner of the Louisiana Derby (1-1/8mi) has one of the highest speed figures in the field. His sire, Goldencents, is a two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile but finished 17th in the 2013 Kentucky Derby. But his Dam line traces to Secretariat and that could bring the magical X factor in on this horse.

No. 4 Gray Magician (29-1)

Trainer: Peter Miller
Jockey: Drayden Van Dyke
Placing second in the UAE Derby and taking a big step up in class here. His pedigree is speed loaded and his front-running style could keep him in the mix until the end.

No. 5 Improbable (5-1)

Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
This chestnut son of City Zip comes with some good experience, and a notable trainer in Bob Baffert (trainer of both Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify. The colt has never finished worse than second in five races, including his last two graded stakes runs, which were notably against several fellow Derby competitors. Improbable? Hardly.

No. 6 Vekoma (22-1)

Trainer: George Weaver
Jockey: Javier Castellano
This forward-running colt won his last start with the 1-1/8 mile Blue Grass by 3-1/2 lengths despite a fast pace and will have four-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Javier Castellano in the saddle on Saturday. He's also faced some fellow Derby runners showing 3rd behind Code of Honor in the Fountain of Youth earlier this year.

No. 7 Maximum Security (9-2)

Trainer: Jason Servis
Jockey: Luis Saez
This former $16,000 maiden-claimer got a perfect trip in the Florida Derby. The current odds on leader, he could be let loose on the lead in a field devoid of speed.

No. 8 Tacitus (5-1)

Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
This son of Tapit comes in with wins in both the Tampa Bay Derby and Wood Memorial, finishing ahead of fellow runner Win Win Win.

No. 9 Plus Que Parfait (50-1)

Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
The colt's name means 'More than Perfect' in French, and he's won the UAE Derby, but winners of that race are 0-for-10 under the Twin Spires of Churchill. The best finish for a UAE Derby winner was Master of Hounds in 2011, a fifth-place effort. The UAE Derby is only a half-furlong shorter than The Kentucky, and he beat fellow runner Grey Magician in doing so, but he may have to live up to his name to be the one to break the jinx.

No. 10 Cutting Humor (22-1)

Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Mike Smith
A powerful Closer this Derby hopeful set a track record in the Sunland Derby and has posted triple-digit Brisnet Late Pace figures (how fast the horse ran from the pre-stretch call to the finish) in three of his last four starts. He could set up some stretch run fireworks in a field that may be more open than the numbers suggest.

No. 11 Haikal

Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Jockey: Rajiv Maragh
Scratched on Thrusday, (Hoof abscesses)

No. 12 Omaha Beach

Trainer: Richard Mandella
Jockey: Mike Smith (changed mounts)
Scratched on Wednesday. (Entrapped Epiglottis, successful surgical correction Friday)

No. 13 Code of Honor (13-1)

Trainer: Shug McGaughey
Jockey: John Velazquez
Code of Honor’s late push for 3rd at Gulfstream Park in the Florida Derby was impressive and shows some power in the stretch. It could set him up to round out a good combo pick, but some think that’s a best-case scenario, having given up seven lengths to Florida winner Maximum Security.

No. 14 Win Win Win (14-1)

Trainer: Michael Trombetta
Jockey: Julian Pimentel
So this is the horse with the slight MLP connection, his dam (mother) is Miss Smarty Pants. A good closer who has yet to finish out of the money (top three every race). He has been beaten by fellow Derby runners Vekoma and Tacitus.

No. 15 Master Fencer (50-1)

Trainer: Koichi Tsunoda
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
En-Garde! Just one maiden win (albeit a stakes race) in 2018 and one allowance win in January in six starts is all that’s on this horse’s résumé. Master Fencer is the first Japanese-bred Derby contestant and appears to be outmatched. He also the only horse that has run the classic distance (1-1/4 miles) and he's done it twice, ... on turf.

No. 16 Game Winner (6-1)

Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Joel Rosario
The 2018's Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, since then he's placed (2nds) behind Omaha Beach (scratched) and Roadster (running) in both trips to the gate.

No. 17 Roadster (9-1)

Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Rounding out the single digit runners, the Santa Anita Derby winner seems to be peaking at the right time following throat surgery following the Del mar Futurity in September (epiglottal entrapment, much like Omaha Beach) and a long layoff. Can he win outside of California? We'll see.

No. 18 Long Range Toddy (44-1)

Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Jon Court
Ran the Arkansas Derby against three fellow Derby runners, but walked away with a sixth-place finish, 14 lengths behind the winner. It was a big step up in class for the Asumussen trained colt, who'd previously never been out of the money in five previous starts.

No. 19 Spinoff (54-1)

Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Manny Franco
This son of Hard Spun went four wide on the turn in the Louisiana Derby, finishing second to fellow Derby contender By My Standards, posting a career-high Brisnet (stretch run) speed figure (102). A powerful closer, and possibly a big surprise if he can be in the right place at the right time.

No. 20 Country House (72-1)

Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Country House, the typical long shot of the field earned a spot in the Derby due to his third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby. He's also been outshone by fellow runners Spinoff, By My Standards, and War of Will.

No. 21 Bodexpress (115-1)

Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
Jockey: Chris Landeros
The 'Also Ellegable' and wouldn't be running if not for Omaha Beach and Haikal scratching. A long odds maiden having never won a race, he is the real dark horse in this field in my opinion, but he's a horse I'll probably toss $2 at (Show bet) come race time just because i think he's got a chance. He held pace with current favorite Maximum Security in a second place finish in the Florida Derby to earn enough points to qualify for the Run for the Roses, and that I think gives him better chances than the odds say.

So what's my pick. I love that this is a fairly balance field, lots of horses with chances and a couple with stories in the offing. The Magic Eight ball says: Maximum Security and Tacitus, from the inside Baffert's Game Winner and Roadster from the outside, if the Max can take the lead he should be able to keep it.

Also Friday featured the 'Lillies for the Fillies' the Kentucky Oaks and Congratulations go out to:

Serengeti Empress

for her 13-1 wire to wire win from Post 13 .

(Magic Eight Ball said Africa, by Toto, go figure)

Wheezer cover featuring (Cheese Sandwich) Weird Al Yankovic.

Until the winner's Circle,

Sir Barton (One Old Racehorse & Winner of the 1919 Kentucky Derby)

May Great Father Pegasus watch over his mortal children and bring them, and their riders, home safe as they compete for glory in his honor.