Some people feel the rain. Others get wet.
Bob Marley
John Jeremiah Sullivan – Horseman Pass By
Churchill Downs
Last Updated: May 4, 9:35 AM ET
Current Track Conditions:
Dirt: Muddy
Turf: Good
Scheduled First Post: 10:30 AM ET
Bloodhorse – Byron King – KY Derby Day Begins With Drying-Out Muddy Track
Steve Haskin – 2024 Kentucky Derby Ratings
The Alberta shipment is now available at Wine and Beyond.
Call your local store to check availability.
Louisville Courier-Journal – Kentucky Derby Page
TDN – T.D. Thornton – TDN Sophomore Top 20: Pace Scenario For Derby Coming Into Clearer Focus
The sun after the rain is much beautiful than the sun before the rain.
Mehmet Murat İldan
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Fierceness, Sierra Leone Showdown in Kentucky Derby 150
TDN – Christina Bossinakis – Ready For Some Magic In Derby 150
TDN – Saturday Insights: Action Kicks Off Early On Derby Saturday
Bloodhorse – Stewart Looks to Make a Derby Splash With Just a Touch
Bloodhorse – Byron King and Sean Collins – Fierceness Favored in Derby Betting After Oaks Day
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – It’s Todd vs. Chad at the Kentucky Derby
Believe not in luck,
for it’s steed is a stick horse,
that will finish last.
To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.
#1 – Dornoch
Mage‘s little bro
Struggled for fourth at Keeneland
Hiccup or a halt?
#2 – Sierra Leone
Looks like a sports car
With a lousy parking spot
Getting Ice Box vibes
#3 – Mystik Dan
The field’s best mudder
50 percent chance of rain
He’d need a deluge
#4 – Catching Freedom
Parking-lot closer
Might need a hot pace meltdown
For a Mage-like trip
#5 – Catalytic
Carried on nicely
In a drubbing by Fierceness
Wins come this summer
#6 – Just Steel
Gave Muth a good chase
His best could hang with this group
Toss at your own risk
#7 – Honor Marie
Couldn’t catch “Freedom”
With a head start at Fair Grounds
Looks a rung below
#8 – Just a Touch
In another year
He might have won the Blue Grass
Might need seasoning
#9 – Encino
SCRATCHED
#10 – T O Password
Auto-qualified
A Japanese horse will win
Someday, but not him
#11 – Forever Young
World domination
Tests generational trends
One must be toppled
#12 – Track Phantom
A pace dictator
Has habit of getting caught
Done by the turn home
#13 – West Saratoga
Often outruns odds
Has a win at Churchill Downs
Still a Grade 3 horse
#14 – Endlessly
Was out, now back in
Turn of foot should help him late
If he takes to dirt
#15 – Domestic Product
Blossoming at three
But not sure he’s all that fast
Wait for Peter Pan
#16 – Grand Mo the First
On a streak of thirds
None of them that impressive
Lacks redeeming traits
#17 – Fierceness
The highest ceiling
Folds under adversity
His break makes the race
#18 – Stronghold
Can’t deny his guts
If he’s hiding one more gear
He’ll be a tough out
#19 – Resilience
Steady progression
If he’s got one more level
He could be value
#20 – Society Man
Shock Wood runner-up
A finish in the top half
Would be a triumph
#21 – Epic Ride
Solid dirt debut
Eight furlongs might be his wall
Not a fan today
#22AE – Mugatu
Connections were thrilled
To run fifth in the Blue Grass
Enjoy the box seats
Prediction
Fierceness gets the trip
Owner swears on live TV
Then eleven, two
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Wet Conditions on Kentucky Oaks Day
New York Times – Joe Drape – Horse Racing’s Loudest Critic Is Favored in Its Biggest Race
Bloodhorse – Sean Collins – Louisville-Grown Beckman Has First KY Derby Starter
Speed, it seems to me, provides the one genuinely modern pleasure.
Aldous Huxley
1 Person to win the Kentucky Derby as a jockey and as a trainer, Johnny Longden aboard Count Fleet in 1943 and as conditioner of Majestic Prince in 1969.
Bloodhorse – By the Numbers Look at 150 Years of the Kentucky Derby
Bloodhorse – Byron King – How the Kentucky Derby Shapes Up: A Pace Analysis
Believe not in luck,
for it’s steed is a stick horse,
that will finish last.
Paulick Report – Joe Nevills – The Haiku Handicapper Presented By FanDuel Racing: 2024 Kentucky Oaks
Sports Business Journal – An inside look at Churchill Downs’ paddock project
Paulick Report – Weekend Lineup Presented By 1/ST Bet: Bring On Kentucky Derby 150
Southern Living – Mint Julep Brownies Are The Ultimate Derby Dessert
TDN – Christina Bossinakis – Tarifa, Leslie’s Rose, Just F Y I Headline Loaded Oaks Day Card
Paulick Report – Spill At Churchill Downs Sends Two Jockeys To Hospital, Horses Reported To Be OK
People do think that if they avoid the truth, it might change to something better before they have to hear it.
Marsha Norman
ESPN – Katherine Terrell – Kentucky Derby 2024: How to watch, what you need to know
Bloodhorse – Tim Sullivan – Veteran Lukas, Rookie Asmussen Aim for Derby Success
Bloodhorse – Catalina Cruiser is Lone Second-Crop Sire in KY Derby
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – Friends, Family Foster Owner Brewster’s Love of Racing
Garden and Gun – Katherine Jarvis – Winning Recipes for the Kentucky Derby
TDN – Christina Bossinakis -Classic Stage is Set at Churchill Downs
Bloodhorse – Sean Collins – Japan’s Derby Hopes Rely on Talented Horses, Experience
Bloodhorse – Sean Collins – Tapit Jenallie Off in Hind End, Scratches From Oaks
Believe not in luck,
for it’s steed is a stick horse,
that will finish last.
Paulick Report – Joe Nevills – The Haiku Handicapper Presented By FanDuel Racing: 2024 Kentucky Oaks
TDN – Christina Bossinakis – Brown Looking to Close the Circle in the Kentucky Derby
Bloodhorse – Pete Denk – Derby Horse Auction Prices Run the Gamut
The Ringer – Nora Princiotti – Dua Lipa Is Just Here for a Good Time
Sports Business Journal – Mollie Cahillane – NBC gears up for 150th running of the Kentucky Derby
TDN – NBC Provides Comprehensive Derby Coverage
TDN – T.D. Thornton – TDN Kentucky Derby Preview: And The Winner Is…
Horse Race Insider – FIVE WAYS TO BUILD YOUR ANTICIPATION FOR THE HORSE RACING SEASON
People change and forget to tell each other.
Lillian Hellman
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Did Fierceness Run Too Fast in the Florida Derby?
When I first started racing, my father said, “Win the race as slow as you can.
Richard Petty
Tenth Street Hats – Men’s Kentucky Derby Hats
Paulick Report – Kentucky Derby: Jockeys Aboard For Gallops On Stronghold, Mystik Dan
The race may not always be to the swift nor the victory to the strong, but that’s how you bet.
Damon Runyon
TDN – Christina Bossinakis – Fan Fueled Wednesday at Churchill Downs
Bloodhorse – Gregory A. Hall – NBC Plans to Cover Derby … And its Related Stories
Bloodhorse – Sean Collins – Dornoch ‘Ready’ for KY Derby After Receiving Hoof Care
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Fierceness, Sierra Leone Showdown in Kentucky Derby 150
Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
Albert Einstein
Bloodhorse – Jay Hovdey – On Racing: Amermans Finally Get Their Shot at the Derby
Bloodhorse – Karen M Johnson – On the Rise: Antonio Fresu
TDN – Christina Bossinakis – History Might Hold the Answer to Lukas’s Classic Dream
TDN – Christina Bossinakis – The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same
TDN – Tesio: Titan of the Turf Who Did Things His Way
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – With Tarifa, Godolphin Aims for Kentucky Oaks Repeat
A good upbringing means not that you won’t spill sauce on the tablecloth, but that you won’t notice it when someone else does.
Anton Chekhov
Bloodhorse – Gregory A. Hall – Making a Good Surface Better at Churchill Downs
Vox – Constance Grady – Harvey Weinstein’s overturned conviction, explained by a lawyer
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Arthur James Balfour (Maybe)
If you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything.
Ronald H. Coase
Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable.
Mark Twain
TDN – TDN Writers’ Room Team Takes a Deep Dive into the Kentucky Derby
TDN – Encino Withdrawn from Kentucky Derby, Epic Ride Draws In
Bloodhorse – Injury Forces Encino Out of Derby; Epic Ride In
An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person’s main task in life – becoming a better person.
Leo Tolstoy
Bloodhorse – Dornoch a Rarity as Full Brother to KY Derby Winner
Bloodhorse – Peter Denk – Japanese Derby Contenders Log Contrasting Final Drills
Phil has a question:
Will T O Password be saying またね to Forever Young when the gate springs.
Phil has a question:
With current nuclear technology why haven’t we found a way to reuse the rods since they are only partially spent.
Phil has a better question:
With current nuclear technology why haven’t we taken the money to be used for storage and used it for facilities that can wring more energy out of the rods and leave you with less of a mess.
Some times Phil just gotta give in to the Urge.
The Ringer – Kevin O’Connor – Do LeBron and the Lakers Even Still Make Sense Together?
Phil has a question:
Does the fat fucking orange glob of shit have the balls to keep playing chicken with the judge.
Louisville Courier-Journal – Kentucky Derby Page
Southern Living – Patricia S. York – The 14 Most Famous Kentucky Derby Horses In History
Country Living – Charlyne Mattox – Bourbon Derby Punch
I want the great masses of my people to take a greater pride in their appearance and to give their hair proper attention.
Madam C. J. Walker
Garden and Gun – Steve Russell – Is a New Kentucky Derby Cocktail, the Spire, Outpacing the Julep?
Paulick Report – NBC Sports To Present Live Kentucky Derby, Oaks Coverage
TDN – Katie Petrunyak – Sierra Leone and Brook Smith Shine Light on Backside Learning Center
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – Dollars and Sense: Kentucky Derby’s Impressive Reach
Horse Racing Nation – Ron Flatter -Kentucky Derby 2024: Meet the jockeys in Saturday’s classic
Sports Business Journal – Austin Karp – NHL regular season posts strong viewership gains
Speed is often confused with insight. When I start running earlier than the others, I appear faster.
Johan Cruyff
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Baffert’s Imagination Joins Muth as Aimed for Preakness
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Starter Jordan: ‘Think We’ll be Fine’ With Sierra Leone
ESPN – Ryan S. Clark – Kraken fire coach Dave Hakstol after missing playoffs
While we’re chatting about quirks the runner that trainer Daisuke Takayanagi entered in Friday’s Alysheba GII to give jockey Ryusei Sakai some riding experience on the Churchill Down’s surface, T O Saint Denis, is out of the Pivotal mare, Pole Position. The mare may be related to the Alberta based runner and sire Pole Position in name only, but Phil’s still gonna watch and cheer.
TDN – Derby 150 Countdown: Quiet Morning at Churchill Monday
Bloodhorse – Byron King and Sean Collins – Epic Ride, Mugatu Play Derby Waiting Game as Alternates
Bloodhorse – Sean Collins – Overcoming Challenges Runs in Thorpedo Anna’s Family
The Athletic – Jason Foley, ‘What Is Love’ and the emergence of Detroit’s bullpen
Some times Phil just gotta give in to the Urge.
Paulick Report – Andrew Cohen – Keeping Pace: What To Say To Your Friends At This Year’s Derby Party
It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. He gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth. It is an awesome opportunity.
Cesar Chavez
Audubon – Maddie Burakoff – How the Common Loon’s Eerie Call Took Over Pop Music
New York Times – Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert – Broken Horses
ESPN – Andres Hale – Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul to be sanctioned, professional fight
I fought Sugar Ray Robinson so many times, it’s a wonder I don’t have diabetes.
Jake LaMotta
Phil has a question:
If the orange glow blob was a mobster would his casinos have gone broke.
If the orange glow blob was a mobster who wudda whacked him first.
The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room.
Frank Lucas
The Score – Jonathan Soveta – Embiid disappointed by Knicks fans taking over 76ers’ arena
With NFL franchises going QB-crazy, Thursday’s first-round coverage drew an average audience of 12.1 million across ABC, ESPN, and the NFL’s linear and digital platforms. That’s higher than the average viewership for the 2023 NBA Finals, World Series, and Stanley Cup Final, and up 6% for the comparable 11.4 million during the ‘23 draft. The total unduplicated audience of 34.3 million viewers was the highest since 2021.
Front Office Sports – Michael McCarthy – First Round of 2024 NFL Draft Averages 12.1M Viewers
The Ringer – Ben Solak – The NFL Hot Read: Why Did Offense Dominate the 2024 NFL Draft?
One sees more devils than vast hell can hold.
William Shakespeare
Bloodhorse – Bob Ehalt – Favored Fierceness Brings Repole World to the Derby
TwinSpires – James Scully – 2024 Kentucky Derby Brisnet Speed Rating Report
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Brisnet Late Pace rating report for the 2024 Kentucky Derby
Bloodhorse – Joe Perez – Gasaway Relishing Mystik Dan’s Run to the Derby
TDN – Five Derby Hopefuls Tune Up Sunday
Bloodhorse – Byron King and Sean Collins – Resilience, Just F Y I Breeze Effortlessly at Churchill
Horse Race Insider – SIERRA LEONE STRONG WORK
T O PASSWORD wins the Fukuryu Stakes
There is more to life than increasing its speed.
Mahatma Gandhi
TDN – Bill Finley – With a Derby Mount, Fresu’s Star Continues to Rise
TSN – Marchand stars again as Bruins push frustrated Leafs to the brink
Phil has a question:
Is there anything more enjoyable for Canadian hockey fans than watching Maple Leaf fans twist in the wind when their ultra-hyped team coughs up another fur ball.
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
The Score – NFL Draft Grades: Instant analysis for all 32 teams
The Ringer – Danny Kelly – Grading Every Team’s Performance in the 2024 NFL Draft
Sports Business Journal – Bears welcome ‘new era’ with Caleb Williams pick
If God had wanted man to play soccer, he wouldn’t have given us arms.
Mike Ditka
ESPN – Mel Kiper Jr. – 2024 NFL draft grades: Mel Kiper’s winners, losers, sleepers
ESPN – Marc Raimondi – Falcons’ Morris backs Cousins: No QB controversy with Penix
Phil has a question:
Were the Falcon’s using the same logic they did when they blew a 28-3 lead to Bill Belichek and the Patriots.
Until we know we are wrong, being wrong feels exactly like being right.
I would my horse had the speed of your tongue.
William Shakespeare
Bloodhorse – Frank Angst – Fierceness is KY Derby 5-2 Favorite, Draws Post 17
Brisnet – Fierceness lands post 17 as 5-2 favorite in 150th Kentucky Derby
TDN – Christina Bossinakis – Derby Favorite Fierceness Draws in 17, Sierra Leone Gets Post 2
Paulick Report – Fierceness, Sierra Leone Drawn Near Opposite Ends Of Kentucky Derby Starting Gate
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Tarifa is Morning-Line Favorite in Kentucky Oaks
Brisnet – Tarifa installed as favorite in Kentucky Oaks
Paulick Report – Tarifa Tabbed 7-2 Morning-Favorite For 150th Kentucky Oaks
Bloodhorse – Sean Collins – Demeritte a Longshot to Achieve Lifelong Derby Dream
Bloodhorse – Byron King – Joseph Returns to KY Derby After CDI’s ’23 Suspension
Brisnet – Get to know the 2024 Kentucky Derby contenders
| Kentucky Derby 2024 | Trainer | Jockey | ML |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Dornoch | Danny Gargan | Luis Sáez | 20-1 |
| 2. Sierra Leone | Chad Brown | Tyler Gaffalione | 3-1 |
| 3. Mystik Dan | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 20-1 |
| 4. Catching Freedom | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat | 8-1 |
| 5. Catalytic | Saffie Joseph Jr. | José Ortiz | 30-1 |
| 6. Just Steel | D. Wayne Lukas | Keith Asmussen | 20-1 |
| 7. Honor Marie | Whit Beckman | Ben Curtis | 20-1 |
| 8. Just a Touch | Brad Cox | Florent Géroux | 10-1 |
| 9. |
|
||
| 10. T O Password | Daisuke Takayanagi | Kazushi Kimura | 30-1 |
| 11. Forever Young | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai | 10-1 |
| 12. Track Phantom (b) | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 20-1 |
| 13. West Saratoga | Larry Demeritte | Jesús Castañón | 50-1 |
| 14. Endlessly | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 30-1 |
| 15. Domestic Product | Chad Brown | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 30-1 |
| 16. Grand Mo the First | Víctor Barboza Jr. | Emisael Jaramillo | 50-1 |
| 17. Fierceness | Todd Pletcher | John Velázquez | 5-2 |
| 18. Stronghold | Phil D’Amato | Antonio Fresu | 20-1 |
| 19. Resilience | Bill Mott | Júnior Alvarado | 20-1 |
| 20. Society Man (g) | Danny Gargan | Frankie Dettori | 50-1 |
| 21. Epic Ride | John Ennis | Adam Beschizza | 30-1 |
| 22. Mugatu (ae) | Jeff Engler | Joe Talamo |
Kentucky Oaks 2024
| Kentucky Oaks 2024 | Trainer | Jockey | ML |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tapit Jenallie | Eddie Milligan Jr. | Manny Esquivel | 30-1 |
| 2. Gin Gin | Brad Cox | Florent Géroux | 30-1 |
| 3. Where’s My Ring | Val Brinkerhoff | José Lezcano | 15-1 |
| 4. Regulatory Risk | Chad Brown | José Ortiz | 20-1 |
| 5. Thorpedo Anna | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 5-1 |
| 6. Lemon Muffin | D. Wayne Lukas | Keith Asmussen | 30-1 |
| 7. Fiona’s Magic | Bo Yates | Luis Sáez | 30-1 |
| 8. Tarifa | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat | 7-2 |
| 9. Everland | Eric Foster | Abel Cedillo | 30-1 |
| 10. Into Champagne | Ian Wilkes | Julien Leparoux | 30-1 |
| 11. Ways and Means | Chad Brown | Tyler Gaffalione | 5-1 |
| 12. Power Squeeze | Jorge Delgado | Daniel Centeno | 12-1 |
| 13. Just F Y I | Bill Mott | Júnior Alvarado | 9-2 |
| 14. Leslie’s Rose | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 4-1 |
| 15. Our Pretty Woman (ae) | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | |
| 16. Candied (ae) | Todd Pletcher | Luis Sáez | |
Garden and Gun – Tom Wilmes – Seven Standout Southern Bourbon Festivals
Woodford Reserve 2024 Kentucky Derby 150 Bottle
WOODFORD RESERVE KENTUCKY DERBY 150 BACCARAT EDITION
DRF Derby Watch
150 Years of Kentucky Derby History in 10 Objects
ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY CONTENDERS
TwinSpires – Kentucky Derby Contenders, Point Leaders & Top Horses to Watch in 2024
America’s Best Racing – Patrick Reed – 2024 Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet: Get to Know the Horses
Twin Spires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Sierra Leone
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Fierceness
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Catching Freedom
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Resilience
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Just a Touch
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Just Steel
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Grand Mo the First
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: T O Password
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Common Defense
TwinSpires – J Keeler Johnson – Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Epic Ride
TDN – Bill Finley – The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for April 11
With all due deference Ms. Miller missed a section:
How Not: Be trained by Bob Baffert.
Bloodhorse – J. Keeler Johnson – 2024 Kentucky Derby: Analyzing the Potential Pace
Horse Race Insider – TAKING A DEEP DIVE INTO TRIPLE CROWN THOROUGHBRED RACING
America’s Best Racing – Patrick Reed – 2024 Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet: Get to Know the Horses
Bloodhorse – J Keeler Johnson – Using Recent History to Handicap Kentucky Oaks Field
Bloodhorse – America’s Best Racing – By the Numbers: Kentucky Derby Post Positions
Horse Race Insider – Lisa de Michael – 10 FURLONGS AND THE KENTUCKY DERBY PACE
Horse Race Insider – HOW TO IDENTIFY VALUE BETS AND LONGSHOTS AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY
Horse Racing Nation – Flatter: What racing needs is a good Kentucky Derby duel
America’s Best Racing – Mike Curry – Sixteen Things to Know About the Kentucky Derby
Phil M Stockmen
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