Dear Derby Diary,

Well, like a marathon runner in the 26th mile, I can finally see the finish. Last nights Sim Gathering at Louisville Pizza was something to talk about. Fortunately, what happens at Louisville Pizza, STAYS at Louisville Pizza. I just hope that young lady can remember that…

Today is about final preparations. Trying to get a good nights sleep and maker sure that trainer, jockey and horse are all at their peak. The post positions and jockeys are set and the strategy has all been mapped out. A day of rest and waiting….for the horses that is. The owners have to put in their time at the required parties and media events. They have to greet the friends, family and well wishers that have traveled here for support and maybe a little more partying. Security is high, especially with the Queen of England coming to her first Bluegrass Derby tomorrow.

I am not resting, of course. I am still hanging around the track and trying to get some last minute tips and ideas about the winners of these races. I HAVE to go to the parties to see if there is any inside information that I may have missed. I have to interview the celebrities and beautiful women…Hey, it’s a tough job but someone has to do it. I DID get a big “SCOOP” out of it that I will reveal below.

When they make that final turn and head for home, who will be the one that reaches down for that extra push that only the true champions really have? Will it be the favorite or a huge underdog that surprises us all except for those few left jumping up and down with their exacta tickets that “knew” it all along? It is time to look at tomorrow’s races and try to figure out who to put your money on. But first I have a couple more interviews with some Sim Trainers:

All week long I had been trying to get an interview with one of the Sim’s most notorious trainers, none other than Lenny himself. He is certainly busy as well because he has three horses running in the Oaks under the purple and gold colors of The Lennbrenner Empire. I understood that but I still has the distinct feeling that he was ducking me. I finally caught up to him.

First he told me about his number three ranked chestnut filly, GHOSTLY BREEZE out of the Lenny2 Stable. He smiled wistfully and said, “She’s the second graded winner out of my mare MEADOW BREEZE, who was a Grade III winner at nine furlongs. She’s sharp, well rested and should be able to handle the distance.” He paused. “She’s much more professional now than last fall at her BREEDERS BOWL JUVENILE beating and I think she should be in the mix near the wire,” he said confidently.

I then asked him about his DIXIELAND BAND filly, COLDSTONE out of theLenny26 Stable. He told me, “She battled some minor injuries early this year and seems to be ready for a better effort. Unless she runs a career race, though, she may be going to the lawn in the near future.”

I then asked if he really thought that his filly BRADDOCK, who just slipped in as one of the final entries really had any chance to compete. I immediately realized that was a mistake when he glared at me and retorted, “Any chance, is that what you said?”. I sheepishly nodded and he told me, “After she broke her maiden my goal has been the 11F CHESTNUT Stakes in New York. The horse she was bred using was a monster at 9 – 13F and closed just like this girl. Two back she almost beat the boys in Graded and then ran a head scratcher in her last. She’s sharp and should contend, but I honestly think she’ll want longer. By the way, she was named after the great fighter from the depression era and she is a real fighter herself.”

After my brow beating, I was ready to slip away and I thanked him for his time. He looked me square in the eye and asked, “Hey, you’ve done a pretty good job this week with your write ups, how would you like a real scoop on the race?” My radar quicky went up as did my interest.

”What kind of scoop do you mean,” I asked tentatively. Immediately, thoughts filled my head. Maybe Lenny was going to have Derby week as his last and was ready to announce his retirement to me right here at Churchill Downs. I could see the headlines now at the Black Type Bugler, LENNY WINS OAKS, ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT!

I was just about to ask him what he was going to do with all of his stables when he knocked me out of my daydream with another question. “Have you heard all of the talk about the colt from the unknown JimCougar Stable, PASSING STONE? Well that Derby runner is part of The Lennbrenner Empire as well. I just moved the stable over tonight.”

He went on about his colt, “I’ll let you break the story that this is my horse. This horse was bred on the week after Thanksgiving (I think) on a Friday night when I was in the middle of passing a nasty kidney stone. He’s handled each step forward in class with relative ease and I’m most excited because he has shown an ability to both rate and lead. Ideally I would like to find myself sitting about 2 back of the pace when they turn for home. A side note is that he entered AND exited his last race at ready to go which leads me to believe he had more in the tank and the three weeks rest isn’t a big hurdle. He’s sharp for Saturday. Having an undefeated Derby winner is almost unthinkable, but I have a definite opportunity and am thoroughly enjoying the ride! The odds are worth a few bets too…., “ he mused.

So there you have it. More inside info on the most famous race in the world, the Bluegrass Derby. Now it is time for me to give you the winner of the big race. Through the magic of science and Photo Shop, I’ve computer generated the finish in the photo below. All you have to do is look real close at the number on the winner and match it up to your program and you have the inside info to purchase your ticket at the betting window. Don’t tell anyone else, okay?

See you tomorrow at the race!

Good luck to all runners!