The most coveted race in North America is the Bluegrass Derby. Trainers and Owners from around the world fantasize about winning the race often referred to as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”.
The first Bluegrass Derby was run on May 1, 1999. PHARRUN PROSPECT rallied from seven lengths back to be the first simulated horse to wear the garland of roses. I SEEK U electrified the crowd with his 2003 gate to wire victory in the Bluegrass and went on his way to become the first and only simulated horse to win the illustrious Triple Crown. VIRTUOSO became the first and only horse in Derby history to attain glory without recording a triple digit speed figure in any race prior to winning the Derby. Last year saw INDY STORM CAT (CA) become the first local bred to seize top honors while running the fastest Bluegrass Derby in history in a sizzling 2:00 4/5.
Still the question remains; what do I have to do to win the Bluegrass Derby? Is there a Recipe for Success?
First things first…Every Bluegrass Derby winner but the very first one, who by the way started his career as a computer owned horse, has raced and won as a two year old. In all likelihood you are planning for the 2013 Derby winner at this point.
Like all the great Stakes winners in this game, it starts with the breeding. Start by going through all your retired mares, or the mares/he mares to be. Since 2002 only one scratch-bred horse has ever won the Bluegrass, GRANHEE. Every other winner was bred to a game mare. Breed using a game mare and improve your potential for success by 90%.
Every Bluegrass winner, with the exception of one, had a Dosage index under 4.00. Although dosage can be disputed on so many levels, the facts are the facts. Calculate your dosage before you accept your Derby bred. There are several tools available to make these calculations but whatever tool you are using, make sure the chef-de-race list is updated. The ideal dosage for the Derby distance is a Dosage Index between 2.25 and 2.60 and a Center of Distribution between 0.49 and 0.57. Feel free to contact me for any help in calculating dosage for your Derby Bred.
I’m sure you were just as impressed as I when the California bred INDY STORM CAT (CA) became the first local bred horse to win the derby, but did you know he was only the third horse bred outside of Kentucky to win the Bluegrass. Want to increase your chances of winning the Bluegrass Derby, breed a horse from the Bluegrass state.
OK, so now you have completed breeding your Derby winner, but there is one thing I forgot to tell you, you need a colt. No filly has ever won the Bluegrass Derby. You should also know that getting a colt doesn’t mean you won’t be revisiting the breeding shed to repeat the ingredients. Every great cook will tell you that even if you follow the recipe to perfection, you can still ruin the desert.
Once your worthy steed arrives in your barn you will need to find out if he is good enough to plot a course along the derby trail. Don’t worry, you won’t have to wait long to find this out. Every Bluegrass winner, with the exception of HOT AND SPICY, broke their maiden in either their first or second start. Two starts, no wins, back to the breeding shed you go. Lucky enough to win one of your first two starts and you are on your way.
Now of course you already know you are going to have to earn some stakes qualifying points to even qualify for the derby. Eight of the last Derby winners have won a Grade One prior to winning the Derby. There is no better way to earn qualifying points than by winning a Grade One. Of course you can always go to the head of the class by capturing one of the eight coveted Derby Lock Prep Races carded prior to the Run for the Roses. Since 2007 when Lock Races were incorporated, in four of those five years a Derby Lock Prep winner won the Bluegrass.
Can your horse go the distance? Every Derby winner with the exception of one has won a race of nine furlongs or longer prior to winning the derby. Ideally, win a nine furlong Grade 1 Lock race and you got all the angles covered in one race. Do it with a triple digit speed figure and you will join every Derby winner but VIRTUOSO to record a triple digit speed figure prior to winning the Bluegrass.
Does your horse have enough early pace to win the Derby? Only three horses, 2006 winner VIRTUOSO, 2007 winner ATAUN, and last years winner INDY STORM CAT (CA) have ever won the Bluegrass coming from more than eight lengths back at the second and/or third race call.
Now if all of that isn’t enough to just settle for a claiming title instead, consider that ten of the last eleven Derby winners won their final prep before winning the Derby. Oh, and be sure they get at least four weeks rest prior to that first Saturday in May. Nine of the last eleven winners had at least that much relaxation before entering into the derby starting gate.
So there you have it, a simple recipe to follow for winning the Bluegrass Derby. Don’t improvise, don’t substitute ingredients, and for god’s sake don’t blame me for ruining the desert. Let me know how you make out, I been trying to put this recipe together for years…Alas, I’m not a very good cook…I think I’ll go out for dinner.