Your First Derby
 

What was the first Derby you ever watched on tv and/or saw in person?

The first Derby I ever saw on TV was 1992. I remember they showed what seemed to be HOURS of coverage of Arazi and no other horse. When Arazi didn't win, I was all like "What???"

The first Derby I saw live was in 2005. I'm pretty sure I had the same response as in 1992.



A little Kentucky Derby Montage ('87-'06) to get everyone in the mood!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E33yV1pDaPA

On TV, 1991 Strike the Gold, which is weird because I'd been a fan for a few years, but for some reason didn't see the Derby until then. One reason, I'm sure, that I picked him to win was the montage about what happened to Alydar. I won't pretend I knew anything about numbers or conformation at that time. I just knew a sad story and that he was a chestnut.

Random thing related to that, someone I knew tried to convince me their parents owned Strike the Gold. The guy was a pathological liar, and obviously they didn't own the horse, but didn't stop him from swearing it was so.

Never been to Churchill Downs

1st Derby on TV - 1976 Bold Forbes

Family trip to the Derby
 

1964 Northern Dancer with my dad and mom and two older brothers:D

1983. Sunny's Halo. I wrestled with whether to pick him or Desert Wine, and finally picked him. My grandfather gave me a scratch off lottery ticket for picking him that won me $5.00. I thought I was rich. (Note: I don't count it as red boarding when the person was too young to wager at the time ;) )

My grandfather picked Caveat, I recall. And, of course, my dad had to redeem the lottery ticket for me (see: too young to wager).

My grandfather's birthday was May 2nd, so many Derby viewings happened as part of birthday weekends with the extended family. He loved it.

Never saw one in person, but my first exposure to horse racing occured when I was a child; when when my father turned on the Kentucky Derby for his horse-crazy daughter.

The year was 1979. The horse was Spectacular Bid. :D

In person:

2002 Warm Emblem
2001 Monarchos
1998 Real Quiet - also made it to my one and only Belmont Stakes to see him get nailed at the wire :(

On TV, Bally Ache. Carry Back in 1961.

1st Derby I remember watching on TV is Foolish Pleasure. 1st Derby in person was Strike the Gold.

1973 Secretariat. A Great year to starting getting interested in horse racing as a kid!!
Never been to a Derby

TV 1977 Seattle Slew
In person- Strike the Gold, and every one since. Damn' I'm old.

T.V, 1977 Seattle Slew.

I don't think I would go to a live Derby even if I had the chance.. Way too many people. Unless of course it was V.I.P all the way :D

Smarty Jones, on tv.

Your First Derby
 

1955, when Swaps beat Nashua. I was 13 years old, and watched it on our 10" black and white RCA Victor tv set.

I'm not sure, but I think the tv coverage of the match race between them later that year attracted a larger audience than the Derby coverage. Nashua and Arcaro turned the tables on Swaps and the Shoe.

Of course, Disney's "Davy Crockett" was the biggest thing on tv in 1955; the Dodgers winning the series was the only sports-related topic I cared about then.

First live Derby for me was Spend A Buck....
Was at Saratoga to see Onion beat Big Red

First Derby I remember watching was in 1969. Majestic Prince was the winner. 1980, we sat in the infield and saw the filly Genuine risk win. Let me correct myself, one can not see anything from the infield. Had reserved seats from 1986(Ferdinand) thru 1995 (Thunder Gulch)

1st live Derby for me was 1973-Secretariat

First and only was Real Quiet. Too many people for me. I had a blast, but once was enough.

First Derby on tv was about 1969.....watched everyone since then...Never been to a live one. I went to every Belmont stakes between 1970 and 1983....some great stuff.

1981 Pleasant Colony on TV.

Some day I'll make it to Louisville to see it in person.

First Derby i watched was 1975. I think it was also my first time watching any race. First Derby i attended was a winning visit to the winners circle with Swale as a hotwalker in 1984..

My husband had the same reaction to Smarty Jones' Belmont. Minus the having a blast part. He reeeeeeallllly hates crowds.

Is he a passive masher?

http://www.livescience.com/28128-und...of-nature.html

Ditto!:)

Sunnys Halo, i was busted from earlier in the day trying to make money to bet Sunny, who I had picked the previous year. Just before Post Time a brief downpour caused all the drunks and they were all drunks to run to the tunnels.

This gave me a better shot at getting closer to the fence and I happen to kick over a half a pack of Newport with a twenty stuck in the wrapper. Barely made it to the window and never actually saw the race til the Preakness.

stayed in a hotel on the Cinncinnati side of the river and the 11 o'clock news showed about six seconds of the race

I was born in 60 so on tv, lets go with 63s race

First Derby I was at live was the Go For Gin Derby. It was a rainy mess. More importantly, I got to get out of school a day early and was there for the Kentucky Oaks on Friday...and it was an excellent Oaks.

I've been there for three downpours. The Smarty Jones year was the worst of them. The Super Saver year wasn't pleasant either.

Swaps, my 2nd favorite horse after the '54 winner Determine...Both replaced by Secretariat in '73..:tro:
Never been to the Derby live tho had many chances..My nephew in Richmond,KY had 4 box seats for a few years and invited me but didn't want to fight the crowd...

I would describe him more as an active grouser. ;)

Kentucky Derby:
1st on TV: Fusaichi Pegasus, 2000
1st and only in person: I'll Have Another, 2012. Hopefully another one one day. :)


New Zealand Derby:
In person: Great Command 1996, Zonda 1997, and every year from 1999 to 2013.

On TV, I have vague recollections of Cannonero II, but definitely remember Riva Ridge and Secretariat. Those were prepping me for my first betting years at Ak-Sar-Ben.

In person, only one time and it was in 1990. I was pretty solid with Summer Squall and then Unbridled came whizzing by. Had fun in the infield, the couple in front of me and a buddy had tank tops and cutoff shorts while smoking pot the whole day and the couple behind us were the quintesential Southern gentleman and his wife, complete with a tux and gown. Quite the contrast.

The other interesting thing about that year is that on Oaks day we could roam the entire facility and have no problems. Just wasn't as big a day as it is now.

I'll go back for another, but only when I can afford to be in the Grandstand with seats.............electric event for sure!!

The Smarty Jones year was actually a pleasant spring day up until a violent storm blew in after 3. What a wild scene with tornado sirens going off and lightning crashing all around. Complete chaos.

Go for Gin was the worst because it rained all freaking day and it was in the 50's. On Super Saver's, it rained all night Friday, and then it somehow held off for the most part up until 7pm Saturday when it started pouring again.

First I recall on TV - Go For Gin

First in person - Giacomo. Then Mine That Bird and Animal Kingdom. Apparently I only go to the longshot years... Lol

First on TV: 1991, Strike the Gold

First (and so far, only) in person: 2000, Fusaichi Pegasus

I'm of the 1980 'foal crop' and although I was a fan of racing before 1991 (my aunt gave me an old Bert Clark Thayer book entitled The Thoroughbred in the mid-80s, so I was enthralled by this book for years. Correction--I'm still enthralled by it!) I wasn't aware that one could watch the Derby on TV each year until my mom brought it up.

Saw the 1986 Derby on replay that night after missing the live broadcast. Winning Colors in 1988 was my first live one and still my favorite.

First Derby I clearly remember on TV was 1987. First "in person" experience (and still, by far, my favorite) was the 2005 version.

Winner Colors was my first Infield
War Emblem first with seats.

Grew up in Cincinnati in 70's and 80's. My parents always went to Derby parties and my brothers and I stayed home and watched on TV.

In 2008 we decided to see it live. Standing there with Dad watching Big Brown seemingly explode to the front at the top of the stretch was unforgettable.

It's now an annual pilgramage. My two brothers, Dad and I meet in Louisville every year. Spend the weekend. Dress up like idiots. Drink too many $10 Mint Juleps. Lose all of our money (except for Dad, he wins every year). And have an amazing time.

Can't wait for this year.

First Derby I was at was 1980 Genuine Risk and continued to go for 12 years straight ....the stories I could tell. The first was memorable..we were doing pretty good all day and I had talked my friend off of Genuine Risk and onto Rockhill Native...where he proceeded to lose everything....he was not very a happy.

Funny thing was that when I went I was 1 for 12 when I went there and since then had 8 winners since.......maybe it was to many beers and Mint Juleps. My only winner there was Swale in 1984 ..... I remember when the race went off I was drinking in the infield all day with some guys who just got out of the Navy. I had a 250 win ticket on Swale and 74 dollars in my pocket.. just before the race I went up to the window and put another 70 on Swale and had enough for a Mint Julep. When the race went off I had a $320 win ticket, a quarter and a Mint Julep to my name. Only other good day at CD was the Easy Goer/Sunday Silence Derby...In 1989, I loved Easy Goer and had a good win bet on him...my only consolation was the $ 100 exact box i had on Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.