My first derby was 1985.

My winners:

1985 Spend a Buck
1986 Ferdinand. I only bet him because everyone in southern california bet him because of the stupid dosage and experimental highweight angle. My main horse was snow chief
1987 alysheba
1988 winning colors
1991 strike the gold
2000 fusaichi pegasus
2006 barbaro

in 1998 though, i got 150/1 on indian charlie a few days after he broke his maiden at dmr (in 1997 as a 2yo). that was a painful derby for me!

in 2001 i got 150/1 again on a baffert horse, congaree, shortly after he broke his maiden in around february or so as a 3yo.

of the derbies i did hit, i thought barbaro and alysheba were the 2 most obvious going to win horses.

Silver Charm and Monarchos. I think I'm due.

Is it me or does that picture of the Pope look evil???

Strike the Gold
Charismatic
Funnycide/Empire Maker/Peace Rules Exacta Box
Smarty Jones

Monarchos/ Invisible Ink

keyed Inky in all my bets. Friend asked me who I liked then put $50 to win on him. I said "to hit the board" not to win silly

Funny Cide was almost as easy as Silver Charm
I liked Free House (rip big guy) I didn't bet him to show and he paid $10 to show. grrr.

oh and had a little something on Charismatic.

other than that I stink big time.

I hate to brag because I've had great Luck picking Derby winners 8 for 13 to be exact.I'm not so lucky picking the 2nd and 3rds with them.I had a great start 1992-1996 were all mine Sea Hero, Lil E Tee, Go for Gin, Thunder Gulch and Grindstone. I cooled off a few years then stated back in 97 with Captain Bodget 2nd, 00 with Fu Peg, 01 Monarchos and Smarty Jones in 04. If the Derby has a pickable winner most years I'm in the mix then some bombs hit and I'm left out in the cold.

1991 Strike The Gold
1992 Casual Lies (2nd)
1995 Thunder Gulch
1997 Silver Charm
2000 FuPeg

I think I bet Riva Ridge to win.

Seems a lot of people here had Thunder Gulch. Horse paid $52 or so.

$51 for my $2 bet. I remember it well.

I remember Lukas saddled the other horses and left Jeff to saddle him. When he won though DWL had the reins leading him around like it was he who had trained him up to the Derby when infact his son Jeff had done all of the work prior to the Derby.

Is Jeff Lukas doing alright? Haven't heard about him in a long while.

PB,
Is that, perchance, a Joey Harrington Lions jersey being modeled in your avatar?

I loved Real Quiet in '98. Bet Giacoma to W/P and boxed Giacoma and AA. in 05. Singled Barbaro last year in all my P4's.

1994 Go for Gin

I was 18 and it was my first time going to the track. When my friends got off from work, we made a mad dash to the track and made it there with just a few minutes to post. Didn't have much time to handicap, but I saw Chris McCarron was the jockey and thought he had a better than average chance at winning. I put $2 across the board and raked in the cash two minutes later. I thought to myself, "Man! This is EASY!"

Haven't picked a Kentucky Derby winner since.

my first winning pick was genuine risk. the two years before i had second-itis with alydar and general assembly. have had that in subsequent years as well...
other winners were swale, fupeg, smarty, unbridled....

i liked demons begone, he finished last--well, didn't actually finish....slew o'gold...snow chief, chief's crown....can't remember them all.

I was lucky enough to hit:

Fusaichi Pegasus
Monarchos
Charasmatic

but I have been playing the race for over 20 years and usually don't fare well.

The pope? i thought it was the emperor from star wars!!

Still trying to catch one.

Cavonnier.
I lost...

Ive really not bet it a whole lot though.

Alysheba
Strike the Gold
fusaichi pegasus
Monachos
Funny Cide
Smarty Jones

Had a nice run this century