139TH RUN FOR THE ROSES
Keep an eye in today’s race on Pletcher’s pack, jockeys Krigger and Napravnik
Five reasons to watch today’s Kentucky Derby
LOUSIVLLE, KY. Last year’s chase for the Triple Crown ended when trainer Doug O’Neill stepped to a microphone stand in a patch of fenced-in grass next to a barn near the Belmont Park track.
Brushing back tears, he announced that a tendon injury would prevent I’ll Have Another — the 12th horse to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown since Affirmed last completed the trifecta in 1978 — from going to post the next day.
On Saturday, a one-less-than-full field of 19 will contest the 139th running of the Ken- tucky Derby and to begin the quest anew. There is no heavy favourite. A diverse group emerged from the first Road to the Kentucky Derby series, which assigned point values to most of the traditional prep races.
One of them will become a national star as he strives to join the likes of Secretariat (1973) and War Admiral (1937) in the ranks of thoroughbred lore.
For a generation of sports fans, though, the moments that resonate from horse racing’s annual turn in the national spotlight revolve around how horses have failed to win the three races spread over six weeks in May and June.
Who could forget heavy favourite Barbaro pulling up before making it to the first turn of the Preakness in 2006?
Fans may recall Smarty Jones fading in the Belmont, or Big Brown being pulled to a stop in that final race when his jockey decided the colt had nothing to give.
With each passing year, the feat seems more out of reach — making the stories of those striving for it all the more interesting.
Here are five storylines to watch in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby: