Your best "top pick" Derby selection from the past

[flifishri]

Can't remember the past but was absolutely convinced on Barbaro...had him bet to win and with Bluegrass Cat in a big exacta. He simply stood out for me based on his turn times and closing numbers in the preps.

[Buffymommy]

Thunder Gulch. Got a new car with my winnings! It was a great day!

Hubby's was War Emblem.

[Seattleallstar]

1995 Thunder Gulch
1996 Semoran
1997 Silver Charm 1st- very confident in this one
1998 Indian Charlie
1999 General Challenge
2000 Fu Peg
2001 Point Given
2002 Johannesburg...lol remeber saarland was the freakin favorite cause of breeding..lol
2003 Empire Maker
2004 lion heart
2005 Afleet Alex
2006 Barbaro

[Buffymommy]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Close calls: Victory Gallop.

I loved him too!

[Buffymommy]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Didn't he have a great battle against Behrens in the 1998 Stephen Foster?

LOVED THAT RACE! Probably one of the best IMO.

[ddthetide]

lion heart
bellamy road/afleet alex
sweetnorthernsaint

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Cardus

I picked up on him in Arkansas. I figured that any horse who won the Laurel Futurity -- which in 1997 was at 1 1/8 on the dirt -- loved longer distances.

He was awesome!

Lost in the 1998 BC Classic was his near miss (4th, one length) off of a long layoff (Travers Stakes).

Didn't he have a great battle against Behrens in the 1998 Stephen Foster?

The great battle you're talking about was the 1999 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga and it was a terrific race. Unfortunately, VG was injured a few days later, blowing the handicap division wide-open, allowing Cat Thief to become one of the worst BC Classic winners ever three months later.

NT

[shanej974]

I've been betting the Derby since 1990 and I'm 2 for 17.

Go For Gin - 1994
Monarchos - 2001

To save myself some embarrassment I'll refrain from posting the other 15 'top' picks.

[Buffymommy]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

The great battle you're talking about was the 1999 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga and it was a terrific race. Unfortunately, VG was injured a few days later, blowing the handicap division wide-open, allowing Cat Thief to become one of the worst BC Classic winners ever three months later.

NT

I was mad. I got tickets to that BC just so I could see VG. I still went though.

My mom was the big winner that day having Cat Thief.

[Buffymommy]

Originally Posted by Cardus

I said to a friend of mine about 15 minutes to post of the Classic, "If every bettor in America was me, Cat Thief would have no money on him to win."

We made her buy dinner on the way home. Spent all of her winnings.

[Buffymommy]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Was it MacD's or prime rib for everyone?

I believe it was italian food.

[Withers]

I only 'returned' to horse racing in 2002 after a ten-year hiatus.

I picked War Emblem that year, and Smarty in 2004, and that's it. I liked Buddy Gil in 2003 (gelding angle, but the wrong gelding), Afleet Alex in 2005, and I hadn't a clue last year...This year I also expect to be clueless -- how do you pick out of this group? Heck, I don't even know which five to activate for RTTR.