Thursday, May 12, 2011
Kentucky Derby brings back memories
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
This week has been so full of live drama to drive our newsgroupie and frequent contributor Dr. Paranoia to the brink. As he says, only being paranoid will today save you from going crazy. To save himself from doing analysis about Osama bin Laden, the budget, the inflation to follow denials of debt expansion, Obama’s successors and Donald Trump’s high scores, he has latched on to a happy tale, the Kentucky Derby, Saturday before Mother’s day, May 7. 2011.
If you haven’t gotten to the back pages of the Paper of Record these days, note that the Derby was won by a substitute for a champion horse that was withdrawn. The surprise winner was a turf-trained colt named Animal Kingdom, from the British stable of Graham Motion. His Woods Memorial winner and major favorite, Toby’s Corner, had come up lame, and was out. Animal Motion had not raced on dirt and was an unknown quantity, and Motion’s regular rider Robby Albarado was also out , with a broken his nose when a horse in practice kicked him in the face.
To ride the colt, Motion chose Johnny Velasquez, a well known respected jockey who never won the Derby in 12 starts, and had his last three races cancelled when horses were withdrawn, including Uncle Mo, last years’ Juvenile champion, who was not himself after a stomach infection. Race horses are delicate individuals. A year earlier, Johnny V’s mount Eskendereya was unable to perform, and Quality Road before that.Besides, the jockey had never ridden Animal Kingdom, quoted at 30-1.
But Velasquez accepted, and he odds went to 20-1.When he mounted the colt for the race, he felt good, the colt was eager, and the track was dry. After a fair start of the field of 19, Animal Kingdom was in tight quarters, but managed to shake loose and ran easy on the outside , slowly drawing closer to the leader Shackleford. In backstretch he was 12th and put on speed, beating all favorites and finishing 2 ½ lengths ahead of the next horse.
The brave people among the 164,858 devotees at Churchill Downs, those who bet the colt, ended with $43.80 for a $2 wager, out of the $1.4 M first place purse.
This reminded Dr. P. of the fact that he is still a lifetime winner in betting on the Triple Crown favorites. The TC is composed of the Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, in case you forgot. In 1953, when he was a youngster, working in the mail department of a major corporation, his final job of the day was to take registered mail to the 23rd St. Post Office. To handle the load, an older clerk from the Accounting Dept who could use the overtime would assist him, and after the completion, the two would occasionally retire in the sumptuous dining room of the Kenmore Hotel (those were the days of glory at the K) for a single beer. They talked of sports, particularly racing, and Lou the accountant introduced our hero to the secrets of betting on horses. It turned out that one of their office elevator operators (another job title lost to technology), Tommy, was a bookie, and successful, as one could tell by the number of people who rode with him to the top floor. Is there an easy way to predict races, asked the novice. No , per Lou, although if you bet a favorite for 3rd place (“show”), and want to wager $50, you can get the guaranteed track minimum payment of $2, if the horse comes in 1st or 2nd or 3rd. It’s a big risk, but some people do it well, betting only the safest of horses. It’s your choice, kid, opted Lou, I would not do it, but if you want I’ll place it with Tommy, who ordinarily does not take minimum bets.
This was all pretty exciting for our hero, because 1953 was the year of Native Dancer, a great three-year old who won all races that he ran. The future Dr. P., on his way to being a great prognosticator of politics, gave Lou his $50, just about his total savings, over three weekends, to bet 3rd place on Native Dancer, and the wonder horse never failed him, although it did come in second at the Derby. Native Dancer won the Woods Memorial, precursor to the Derby, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, until an injury forced the Dancer into early retirement, and stud work, earning his owner millions, until passing away in 1967. Our hero was soon promoted out of handling registered mail and the temptation to bet. As it came out later, Lou had actually booked the bets himself, counting on the law of averages to eventually award him the $50. Those were really meaningful numbers in 1953, beyond a clerk's wages.
Kentucky Derby the battlefield of the thoroughbreds owes its fame to the importing of three Arabian thoroughbreds, to be bred with the American horses. It was a success as the results of two centuries show, and American horse auctions attract buyers from all over the world, particularly the Arab oil billionaires. Since 1977 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Mantoum, now Vice President and Premier of UAR and ruler of Dubai, has spent millions each year to train and breed major thoroughbreds, aiming particularly for a Kentucky Derby winner. Since 90 percent of people worldwide get to know and (briefly) remember Derby winners, it would help in glorifying the Arab state's name. National pride is a powerful driver.
Dr. Paranoia thanks the NYTimes for a fascinating, memories- evoking story.
This week has been so full of live drama to drive our newsgroupie and frequent contributor Dr. Paranoia to the brink. As he says, only being paranoid will today save you from going crazy. To save himself from doing analysis about Osama bin Laden, the budget, the inflation to follow denials of debt expansion, Obama’s successors and Donald Trump’s high scores, he has latched on to a happy tale, the Kentucky Derby, Saturday before Mother’s day, May 7. 2011.
If you haven’t gotten to the back pages of the Paper of Record these days, note that the Derby was won by a substitute for a champion horse that was withdrawn. The surprise winner was a turf-trained colt named Animal Kingdom, from the British stable of Graham Motion. His Woods Memorial winner and major favorite, Toby’s Corner, had come up lame, and was out. Animal Motion had not raced on dirt and was an unknown quantity, and Motion’s regular rider Robby Albarado was also out , with a broken his nose when a horse in practice kicked him in the face.
To ride the colt, Motion chose Johnny Velasquez, a well known respected jockey who never won the Derby in 12 starts, and had his last three races cancelled when horses were withdrawn, including Uncle Mo, last years’ Juvenile champion, who was not himself after a stomach infection. Race horses are delicate individuals. A year earlier, Johnny V’s mount Eskendereya was unable to perform, and Quality Road before that.Besides, the jockey had never ridden Animal Kingdom, quoted at 30-1.
But Velasquez accepted, and he odds went to 20-1.When he mounted the colt for the race, he felt good, the colt was eager, and the track was dry. After a fair start of the field of 19, Animal Kingdom was in tight quarters, but managed to shake loose and ran easy on the outside , slowly drawing closer to the leader Shackleford. In backstretch he was 12th and put on speed, beating all favorites and finishing 2 ½ lengths ahead of the next horse.
The brave people among the 164,858 devotees at Churchill Downs, those who bet the colt, ended with $43.80 for a $2 wager, out of the $1.4 M first place purse.
This reminded Dr. P. of the fact that he is still a lifetime winner in betting on the Triple Crown favorites. The TC is composed of the Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, in case you forgot. In 1953, when he was a youngster, working in the mail department of a major corporation, his final job of the day was to take registered mail to the 23rd St. Post Office. To handle the load, an older clerk from the Accounting Dept who could use the overtime would assist him, and after the completion, the two would occasionally retire in the sumptuous dining room of the Kenmore Hotel (those were the days of glory at the K) for a single beer. They talked of sports, particularly racing, and Lou the accountant introduced our hero to the secrets of betting on horses. It turned out that one of their office elevator operators (another job title lost to technology), Tommy, was a bookie, and successful, as one could tell by the number of people who rode with him to the top floor. Is there an easy way to predict races, asked the novice. No , per Lou, although if you bet a favorite for 3rd place (“show”), and want to wager $50, you can get the guaranteed track minimum payment of $2, if the horse comes in 1st or 2nd or 3rd. It’s a big risk, but some people do it well, betting only the safest of horses. It’s your choice, kid, opted Lou, I would not do it, but if you want I’ll place it with Tommy, who ordinarily does not take minimum bets.
This was all pretty exciting for our hero, because 1953 was the year of Native Dancer, a great three-year old who won all races that he ran. The future Dr. P., on his way to being a great prognosticator of politics, gave Lou his $50, just about his total savings, over three weekends, to bet 3rd place on Native Dancer, and the wonder horse never failed him, although it did come in second at the Derby. Native Dancer won the Woods Memorial, precursor to the Derby, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, until an injury forced the Dancer into early retirement, and stud work, earning his owner millions, until passing away in 1967. Our hero was soon promoted out of handling registered mail and the temptation to bet. As it came out later, Lou had actually booked the bets himself, counting on the law of averages to eventually award him the $50. Those were really meaningful numbers in 1953, beyond a clerk's wages.
Kentucky Derby the battlefield of the thoroughbreds owes its fame to the importing of three Arabian thoroughbreds, to be bred with the American horses. It was a success as the results of two centuries show, and American horse auctions attract buyers from all over the world, particularly the Arab oil billionaires. Since 1977 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Mantoum, now Vice President and Premier of UAR and ruler of Dubai, has spent millions each year to train and breed major thoroughbreds, aiming particularly for a Kentucky Derby winner. Since 90 percent of people worldwide get to know and (briefly) remember Derby winners, it would help in glorifying the Arab state's name. National pride is a powerful driver.
Dr. Paranoia thanks the NYTimes for a fascinating, memories- evoking story.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 9:06 AM 
