Luck of the Irish could bring Derby day gold
REVERE — Avid horsewatchers sorting through a wide-open field of competitors in today’s Kentucky Derby are eyeing a strong lineup of contenders — from Irish War Cry to Thunder Snow or Classic Empire — and hoping their pick comes out on top in the mile-anda-quarter race.
Arthur Venuti of Saugus, walking out of Suffolk Downs last night, said Irish War Cry could capture the Derby. The horse won the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct in New York a month ago and has a strong chance today.
“He goes to the front of the pack,” Venuti said.
Steve Quin of Brighton said he respects Irish War Cry, but he’s pulling for the “real Irish horse,” Thunder Snow, which was bred on the Emerald Isle.
“That’s a good horse,” he said of Irish War Cry, “but if you want a real Irish horse, you bet on the horse from Ireland.”
Lou Siriani of Revere saw the open field and decided to place five $2 bets on underdogs.
“Tomorrow there are no real standouts,” Siriani said. “Sometimes I’ll play every long shot. The horse track never really makes sense, and to try to handicap them is nutty.”
Chet McWhinnie of Brighton is trying the same logic: Without a strong frontrunner like California Chrome last year, the race could be anyone’s and a small bet on an unlikely horse could win big.
“There’s 20 horses — anything can happen,” he said. “That’s why I bet the long shots.”
On top of the fact that there’s no widespread favorite for the Derby, muddy track conditions are expected to add another layer of chance to the race.
“It’s an off track,” said Paul Camerano, an East Boston resident whose pick is Always Dreaming. “It’s getting to be a sloppy racetrack and you don’t know if the horse is going to like it.”
Leo Kiley, of Marshfield, favors Gunnevera — a third-place finisher in the Florida Derby whose jockey interestingly survived two kidnappings in Venezuela — but he admits it’s anyone’s race.
“It’s wide open,” he said. “There’s probably 10 horses that can win it.”