Kentucky Derby 2025 – May 3 • Churchill Downs

The Kentucky Derby, first run in 1875, is the opening race of the Triple Crown. The 1¼‑mile race runs at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 3 - (The Kentucky Derby show starts in mid afternoon on NBC; the race itself begins about 7 p.m. ET -- NOTE: The race itself only lasts about 2 minutes, so do not tune in at 7:05!). 

The Preakness (May 17) and Belmont Stakes (June 7) complete the series. 

Since American Pharoah’s historic 2015 sweep and Justify’s repeat in 2018, no horse has worn the crown (won all three races). 

(Ongoing improvements to training, track surfaces and veterinary oversight continue to try to improve the safety of the horses. I watched the Belmont in person some years ago. The horses are really working very very hard. It is not obvious how strenuous the race is, for the horses, when it is just watched on television.)

The signature drink for watching the Kentucky Derby is the Mint Julep.

Update - Final Order of Finish

Horses - ordered by Number

• 1 Citizen Bull – Trained by: Bob Baffert; Owned by: SF Racing LLC et al. — 20‑1
• 2 Neoequos – Trained by: Saffie A. Joseph Jr.; Owned by: C2 Racing Stable LLC et al. — 30‑1
• 3 Final Gambit – Trained by: Brad H. Cox; Owned by: Juddmonte — 30‑1
• 5 American Promise – Trained by: D. Wayne Lukas; Owned by: BC Stables LLC — 30‑1
• 6 Admire Daytona – Trained by: Yukihiro Kato; Owned by: Junko Kondo — 30‑1
• 7 Luxor Cafe – Trained by: Noriyuki Hori; Owned by: Koichi Nishikawa — 15‑1
• 8 Journalism – Trained by: Michael W. McCarthy; Owned by: Bridlewood Farm et al. — 3‑1
• 9 Burnham Square – Trained by: Ian R. Wilkes; Owned by: Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC — 12‑1
• 11 Flying Mohawk – Trained by: D. Whitworth Beckman; Owned by: Two Eight Racing et al. — 30‑1
• 12 East Avenue – Trained by: Brendan P. Walsh; Owned by: Godolphin LLC — 20‑1
• 13 Publisher – Trained by: Steven M. Asmussen; Owned by: Gus King & Estate of B.C. Jones — 20‑1
• 14 Tiztastic – Trained by: Steven M. Asmussen; Owned by: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC et al. — 20‑1
• 15 Render Judgment – Trained by: Kenneth G. McPeek; Owned by: Baccari Racing Stable LLC et al. — 30‑1
• 16 Coal Battle – Trained by: Lonnie Briley; Owned by: Norman Stables LLC — 30‑1
• 17 Sandman – Trained by: Mark E. Casse; Owned by: D.J. Stable LLC et al. — 6‑1
• 18 Sovereignty – Trained by: William I. Mott; Owned by: Godolphin — 5‑1
• 19 Chunk of Gold – Trained by: Ethan W. West; Owned by: Terry L. Stephens — 30‑1
• 20 Owen Almighty – Trained by: Brian Lynch; Owned by: Flying Dutchmen Breeding & Racing LLC — 30‑1
• 21 Baeza – Trained by: John A. Shirreffs; Owned by: CRK Stable LLC & Grandview Equine — 30‑1

Horses - ordered by (Friday evening) Odds 

• 8 Journalism – Trained by: Michael W. McCarthy; Owned by: Bridlewood Farm et al. — 3‑1
• 18 Sovereignty – Trained by: William I. Mott; Owned by: Godolphin — 5‑1
• 17 Sandman – Trained by: Mark E. Casse; Owned by: D.J. Stable LLC et al. — 6‑1
• 9 Burnham Square – Trained by: Ian R. Wilkes; Owned by: Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC — 12‑1
• 7 Luxor Cafe – Trained by: Noriyuki Hori; Owned by: Koichi Nishikawa — 15‑1
• 1 Citizen Bull – Trained by: Bob Baffert; Owned by: SF Racing LLC et al. — 20‑1
• 12 East Avenue – Trained by: Brendan P. Walsh; Owned by: Godolphin LLC — 20‑1
• 13 Publisher – Trained by: Steven M. Asmussen; Owned by: Gus King & Estate of B.C. Jones — 20‑1
• 14 Tiztastic – Trained by: Steven M. Asmussen; Owned by: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC et al. — 20‑1
• 2 Neoequos – Trained by: Saffie A. Joseph Jr.; Owned by: C2 Racing Stable LLC et al. — 30‑1
• 3 Final Gambit – Trained by: Brad H. Cox; Owned by: Juddmonte — 30‑1
• 5 American Promise – Trained by: D. Wayne Lukas; Owned by: BC Stables LLC — 30‑1
• 6 Admire Daytona – Trained by: Yukihiro Kato; Owned by: Junko Kondo — 30‑1
• 11 Flying Mohawk – Trained by: D. Whitworth Beckman; Owned by: Two Eight Racing et al. — 30‑1
• 15 Render Judgment – Trained by: Kenneth G. McPeek; Owned by: Baccari Racing Stable LLC et al. — 30‑1
• 16 Coal Battle – Trained by: Lonnie Briley; Owned by: Norman Stables LLC — 30‑1
• 19 Chunk of Gold – Trained by: Ethan W. West; Owned by: Terry L. Stephens — 30‑1
• 20 Owen Almighty – Trained by: Brian Lynch; Owned by: Flying Dutchmen Breeding & Racing LLC — 30‑1
• 21 Baeza – Trained by: John A. Shirreffs; Owned by: CRK Stable LLC & Grandview Equine — 30‑1

Labels: Kentucky Derby, Mint Julep

Here are the 



for the horses running in the Kentucky Derby, on NBC, this Saturday, May 4 (the first Saturday in May!) 

Notable items to keep in mind, and the most likely horses to run well, are indicated with a asterisk(*).

I've been watching the Kentucky Derby just about every year for decades, and almost always with a Mint Julep!

I visited Belmont Park a few years ago. 

Perhaps the most striking thing about watching actual races live, rather than on TV, in movies, or in photos, was how hard the horses work while running the race.  On TV they look graceful.  Live, they are straining, immensely powerful, muscular, determined (beautiful , graceful) animals. 



Finale of the 2014 Belmont Stakes
Photo by Eric Roffman - QPORIT
In the NYT today (race day!) Joe Drape comments on recent tragedies in horse racing, especially at Santa Anita, which has had to suspend all racing. He recommends we all wish, most of all, for all the horses running today, and always, "Let's just get'em all around there safely."


RESULTS!

Maximum Security finishes first. But earlier, spooked by the crowd, it shifted lanes, and was DISQUALIFIED by the stewards. Longshot (65-1!) COUNTRY HOUSE wins the Kentucky Derby! >> 

(While the disqualification result was controversial, it did look from the video footage as if a disaster -- with multiple horses tripping over other when Maximum Security shifted into a lane that was not clear -- was avoided mostly by sheer luck, plus quick action by all the jockeys. Let's be glad they all did get around there safely!)

1- Country House 65-1 $132.40
2- Code of Honor 14-1
3- Tacitus 5-1

4- Improbable
5- Game Winner
6- Master Fencer
7- War of Will
8- Plus Que Parfait
9- Win Win Win
10- Cutting Humor
11- By My Standards
12- Vekoma
13- Bodexpress
14- Tax
15- Roadster
16- Long Range Toddy
17- Spinoff
18- Gray Magician

19- Haikal - scratched
20- Omaha Beach - scratched
21- Maximum Security - 1st by 1 3/4 lengths, disqualified

Labels: Churchill Downs, horse races, horses, Kentucky Derby, Mint Julep, racing, Triple Crown

Belmont Park is quite beautiful.


On Saturday. June 7, Belmont will be holding the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. As most everyone knows, California Chrome has a shot at being the first horse in dozens of years to win the Big Three: The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and The Belmont Stakes.


Perhaps the most striking thing about watching the actual races live, rather than on TV, was how hard the horses work while running the race.  On TV they look graceful.  Live, they are straining, immensely powerful, muscular, determined (beautiful , graceful) animals.








 


Here are the results for the Belmont Stakes.  For those horses that were also in the Kentucky Derby, their results there and in the Preakness are in parenthesis:


FINISH    POST    HORSE (KENTUCKY DERBY, PREAKNESS)
  1          11     Tonalist          -
  2            8     Commissioner    
  3            1     Medal Count (8, -)   
  4            2     California Chrome (1, 1)
  4            9     Wicked Strong (4, -)
  6            7     Samraat (5, -)
  7          10     General a Rod (11, 4)
  8            3     Matterhorn
  9            4     Commanding Curve (2,4)
10            6     Matuszak
11            5     Ride On Curlin (7, 2)


It would be just plain silly to prevent horses from running in the Belmont Stakes unless they had run in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.  But perhaps there should be an award for the horse who comes in first each time among just those horses that do enter each of the three.  It would not be a CROWN -- that's too much, but a CROWN is a HAT and HATS are all the rage at the three races (as well as at Ascot which has nothing to do with this).  And the hats are very special. Not TOP HATS which are for men: pretty much all the men at Belmont were very casually dressed; no top hats at all. But fancy women's hats; chapeaux perhaps.  The HAT TRICK in hockey (and other sports) is scoring three times. But pure HAT is too common.  So I propose, for a horse that finishes -- in each race -- ahead of all the other horses that compete in all three races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belm0nt Stakes) the term THE FANCY-HAT TRICK.  Or perhaps the TRIPLE CHAPEAU. Or, more elegantly, celebrating the party spirit, THE CHAPEAU THREESOME.

I think that in the interest of public safety, the governments of QUEENS and NEW YORK CITY should PREVENT the NYRA and Belmont Park from holding the BELMONT STAKES in the future until there is a traffic plan in place to avoid the debacle last night.  Traffic was stalled for miles.  Before the race, delays getting past the area of the park were about an hour. After. getting out of the parking area took THREE HOURS and more, with total gridlock trapping cars in place.  

Much as I feared (see below), Belmont Park is not equipped to handle the large crowds of the Belmont Stakes (in many ways). Watch this space for some constructive  suggestions in the next few days for how to improve the experience of the Belmont Stakes from unacceptable to appropriately enjoyable.



For the safety of the public, and for the comfort of the Stakes Day visitors, Belmont Park and the NYRA badly need to make some critical improvements.

There were more people at the Belmont Stakes than the park could handle.  Ideally, Belmont should takes steps to safely and comfortably handle everyone who wants to come. If not, Queens or New York City should restrict attendance at Belmont to the size of a crowd Belmont can responsibly and safely accommodate.

Simple and basic: To prevent long lines for bad food, and very long lines for women's (not very well maintained) restrooms: More food, better food, more food stands, more women's restrooms and better, more frequent maintenance of both men's and women's bathrooms. (Lines to the women's rooms at some points were over an hour. Some women actually used the men's rooms -- where the lines were about a tenth as long, but, unfortunately, the floor was sometimes flooded.)

But the main safety issue was the traffic pattern and the dangerous situation in the Belmont Park parking lots. It took an hour to get from the highway exit to the parking lot.  It took three hours to get from the Grandstand to the parking lot to the street. Pedestrians, cars and buses shared the same paths. Driving through the Park from the parking lot to the street was dark, unmarked, and dangerous.

HERE ARE SOME CONCRETE SUGGESTIONS

EXTERIOR TO THE PARK

1- The traffic pattern to every parking lot should be direct, and clearly marked with street signage. Cars not going to a particular lot should be shunted away long before they clog traffic.

2- Every lot should be directly accessible all day by anyone with a permit for that lot.

3 - The whole traffic pattern should be designed so that traffic remains smoothly running far away from the Park and then enters the vicinity of the Park with a clear, straight, short-line path to the intended lot. Directions and directional signage should be very clear.

4 - On the way out there should be a direct path from each parking lot to an external street free of blocked traffic with a clear path and clear signage to any final destination whether north, east, south or west.

5 - Police should facilitate efficient traffic flow, and should be very helpful with directions.

(By contrast, on Stakes Day, the police had many entrances blocked; there was no directional signage, and traffic was delayed both for people going to the Park and those just passing the area.  Even the police did not not know how to give directions to the lots for people with permits. On the way out there was gridlock, then driving on unmarked, dark roads.)


IN THE PARK

(Parking lots are inside the Park.  They do not exit directly to the street. So getting to or from a parking lot requires driving from the lot through a little part of the Park. The roads are not well lit, not well marked with lane markers, and not well marked with directions. There was gridlock between cars and buses, and then with non-moving traffic outside the Park.)

1 - Pedestrians, cars, and buses should each have their own dedicated, separate roads and paths.

2 - Buses and cars should have separate parking lots.

3 - All the roads should be well lit until everyone has left.

4 - There should be a direct path from each lot to an exit street clear of gridlock.

5 - Roads should be clearly marked with lane dividers, one-way signs when appropriate, and directional signs (to exits and other destinations).

5 - Police should facilitate efficient traffic flow. 


Belmont is easy to reach -- it's right on the Cross Island, just south of the Grand Central (in Queens County, New York City, New York State -- just East of Manhattan).  Except for the day of the Belmont Stakes, and other special events, it's a nice place to visit, very pretty, lots of parking, not too crowded. There are many races on many days throughout the racing season: it's not just the Belmont Stakes.



Belmont Stakes day, unfortunately, may be stressing the capacity of the Park to respond gracefully.  Leading up to the race, the Box Office has been disgracefully and irresponsibly understaffed, making mistakes, letting the phone remain unanswered for 10, 20, 30 minutes or more, sometimes just disconnecting without taking a call.  And, unbelievably, they seem to be quitting work at around 4:30 (??!!??) when the customer service lines should be staffed 24/7. (Ticketmaster collected the money, but disavowed responsibility for fulfilling the orders.)

Every reserved seat and reserved food reservation was apparently sold out well before Stakes day.



TICKETMASTER did not take responsibility for fulfilling orders.  Belmont Park sent me the wrong Parking Permit -- for where I was coming from, for my seat location, and for where I was returning after, it was a terrible Parking location.  Ticketmaster made an effort to get my Permit changed to the correct location.  When that failed, they did refund the cost of my Parking Permit.



I'm guessing that the odds for California Chrome will over-estimate his chance of winning because people will bet on him just to be able to say that (if he wins) they have the winning ticket for the Triple Crown Winner. (If I can get through the crowds to the betting window, I may be one of those.)

Favorites do not always win.  Many horses have won the first two races of the Triple Crown only to fail in the Belmont.  My guess (and I know little about horse racing, so this is just a guess based on the first two races) is that California Chrome will be a contender going into the final stretch, and his test will be to see if he can hold on with enough energy to keep up his speed all the way to the end of the longest of the three Triple Crown Races.

Here's a list of the Triple Crown Winners. The last was Affirmed in 1978.


THE FIELD FOR THE BELMONT STAKES

#. HORSE (Estimated odds)  --: JOCKEY --: TRAINER

1. Medal Count (Odds 20-1) -- : Robby Albarado -- : Dale Romans

2. California Chrome (3-5) -- : Victor Espinoza -- : Art Sherman

3. Matterhorn (30-1) -- : Joe Bravo -- : Todd Pletcher

4. Commanding Curve (15-1) -- : Shaun Bridgmohan -- : Dallas Stewart

5. Ride On Curlin (12-1) -- : John Velazquez -- : William Gowan

6. Matuszak (30-1) -- : Mike Smith -- : Bill Mott

7. Samraat (20-1) -- : Jose Ortiz -- : Richard Violette Jr.

8. Commissioner (20-1) -- : Javier Castellano -- : Todd Pletcher

9. Wicked Strong (6-1) -- : Rajiv Maragh -- : James A. Jerkens

10. General a Rod (20-1) -- : Rosie Napravnik -- : Michael J. Maker

11. Tonalist (8-1) -- : Joel Rosario -- : Christophe Clement


BELMONT PARK
http://www.nyra.com/belmont/

QPORIT: THE 2014 KENTUCKY DERBY
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-kentucky-derby-2014-recipe-for-mint.html

QPORIT: THE 2014 PREAKNESS

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-preakness-2014.html


The Kentucky Derby has the Mint Julep.  I think the Belmont Stakes should have a drink.  I propose the "New York Mix"

1 part Slivovitz
1 part Dark Rum
1 part Grand Marnier
2 parts Cranberry/Pomegranite juice.

In the spirit of the mix, 

Irish Whiskey can substitute for either the Slivovitz or the Rum
Cointreau can be substituted for the Grand Marnier
Other sweet fruit juices can be substituted or added to the Cranberry/Pomegranite juice
Why not add a little fresh lime juice too.

The size of a "part" is up to the drinker, but remember not to drive either a car, truck or horse with alcohol. If you drink, substitute the driver.

Labels: Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, California Chrome, chapeau, Horse race, Kentucky Derby, Mint Julep, New York Mix, Preakness, Tonalist, Triple Crown