Kentucky Derby will be a Royal occasion

By Tom Krish
May 04, 2007

Attending the Kentucky Derby has been a dream for her. She is a horse enthusiast. She owns horses. There is a five-day meeting held in her honour at a premier racetrack. Finally, the dream is being realized.

Queen Elizabeth II is in America. She and Prince Phillip will be at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday for the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Oaks will be run on Friday, May 4, 2007. The 9-furlong Grade I event, for three year-old fillies, carries a $500,000 purse.

Post time for the Oaks is 5 45 P M Eastern Time. It will be 3 15 A M on Saturday in India. There are fourteen runners. The Oaks is the 10th race in the 11-event card. The race will be on run on the polytrack, a surface made up of recycled rubber, waxed sand and synthetic fibre. American racecourses are, in large numbers, switching to polytracks.

Rags To Riches, ridden by Garrett Gomez and trained by Todd Pletcher, is the 5-2 morning line favourite. Rags to Riches was an easy winner in the Santa Anita Oaks. Todd Pletcher also saddles Octave, second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile in 2006 and Cotton Blossom. "All my three fillies are doing well. Rags To Riches has been especially impressive and deserves being the favourite, Pletcher said."

Dreaming Of Anna made it all to win the Breeders Cup last November. "She is training well and I expect a big race from her, said Wayne Catalano, the trainer.

Oaks Day is likely to be damp and the temperature is forecast to be in the 70s. On and off rain is expected.

The 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby (also called the Run for the Roses) is on Saturday, May 5, 2007. There are twelve races and the Derby is the tenth event. Post Time is 6 04 P M Eastern time. It will be 3 34 A M on Sunday in India.

The Derby is over 10 furlongs. It is a two million dollar purse. It will be run on the polytrack. It is a 20-horse field.

Curlin, unbeaten in his career and a run-away winner of the Arkansas Derby, is the 7-2 choice and he has post-two. Robby Albarado is the jockey. Leaving from post-seven is Street Sense who won the Breeders Cup Juvenile by a wide margin. Street Sense, to be ridden by Calvin Borel, is the 4-1 second favorite. Cowtown Cat is listed at 20-1 and he comes off a front-stepping win in the Illinois Derby. He has post-six. Nobiz Like Showbiz won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and is at 8-1 and has post-12. Scat Daddy has post-14 and is at 10-1. He comes off a fluent win in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Edgar Prado, Barbara's jockey last year, rides Scat Daddy, a Johannesberg colt. Tiago, an upset winner in the Santa Anita Derby, is at 15-1 and will come out of post-15. Circular Quay, quietly fancied by many, has post-16 and is at 8-1. Dominican has post-19 and is at 20-1. He beat Street Sense in the Blue Grass at Keeneland. Great Hunter leaves from post-20 and is a 15-1 proposition.

Mario Pino, a 45 year-old jockey, has ridden 5,900 winners from 36,000 starts. He makes his Kentucky Derby debut. His mount is Hard Spun who comes off a win in the Lane's End at Keeneland.

There is every chance that Derby Day will be another damp day. Temperatures of 70 and over are being forecast with on and off showers.

My pick in the Oaks is Rags To Riches. She is in excellent form. Garrett Gomez is having a big year. Octave races her heart out every time and she has a fighting chance.

In the Kentucky Derby, I will take Scat Daddy. He likes to stay in midpack and that would be a helpful strategy. The pace is likely to be fast. Edgar Prado knows how to win big races. Todd Pletcher may finally make it to the winner's circle at Churchill Downs leading in his first Derby winner.