Most Vicious Derby Pace Ever

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Yeah, he also had some pretty serious early trouble at the start if I recall.

That was a very strong pace as well....but not quite like '01.

I think the jockeys were determined to not let what happend in '01 repeat itself the following year ... even though the field had MUCH less quality speed. Perfect Drift would have been loose on the lead if Eddie D. wasn't strangling him back.

I think the top 3 raced 1-2-3 all the way around and made up a huge trifecta payoff.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I think the jockeys were determined to not let what happend in '01 repeat itself the following year ... even though the field had MUCH less quality speed. Perfect Drift would have been loose on the lead if Eddie D. wasn't strangling him back.

IIRC, Perfect Drift hadn't shown much speed up to that point in his career.

I always thought Eddie D. rode a shrewd race by having him up close, was he really pulling?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I bet PD in that race.

I was watching him and only him the whole way and he was somewhere between being rank and very rank.

I don't think there was anything that clever about Eddie D's ride ... the horse would have hooked War Emblem early if Eddie D. didn't fight with him.

I was more confused than anything else about why he was so agressive early on.. I certainly didn't expect him to show that much early speed.

MDO ran the best race that day.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Another interesting thing about the '01 Derby ... the two horses who photo'd for 2nd in the race (Invisible Ink and Congaree) both had tale of woe near death stories when they were just cute wittle baby horseys.

One even had his life saved by rotten buttermilk.

The atmosphere was grim one early April morning in 1998 at Stonerside Stable, Bob and Janice McNair's Kentucky farm. Thoroughbred mare Mari's Sheba was struggling to foal, but, at 152 pounds, the foal was dangerously oversized. Attempts to help pull the tightly lodged foal from the mare only resulted in Mari's Sheba being dragged onto her side.

At two a.m., the chestnut colt was finally born-an hour and a half after his ordeal began. The grueling birth had broken two of his ribs and cracked three others. His lip was paralyzed and hung to one side, earning him the nickname, "Twitch." His first 45 days of life were spent in a stall, fighting for his life. Stable employees spent hours with the colt, trying to prevent him from puncturing his heart with one of his broken ribs. Because of his problems, and the time people spent with him, "Twitch" became a special pet.

"Twitch," or Congaree, as he was later named, recovered from his birth injuries, only to be stricken with pneumonia and diarrhea when he was only six months old. The farm manager, Bobby Spalding, did not think he would survive. The intensive nursing began again.

Amazingly, Congaree did recover, but his troubles were not over yet. He made it to the Del Mar starting gate in September 2000, and placed sixth in a maiden race. After the race, however, x-rays revealed a bone chip in his right knee. Dr. Wayne McIlwraith from the Orthopaedic Research Center performed arthroscopic surgery to remove the chip. This resilient colt, who had been through more illness and injuries in his first two years than most horses face in their lifetimes, spent five months recovering from the surgery.

And recover he did! After three starts and three victories, including the Wood Memorial, Congaree was a prime contender for the 2001 Kentucky Derby.

and ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0szvkKH7ogw

[slotdirt]

How does Congaree compare to Closing Argument in 2005? I always thought he ran by far the best Derby in another particularly quick early paced race.

[slotdirt]

Granted, Closing Argument was a bum, but held on better than anybody else that day.

[ateamstupid]

It doesn't matter because this year's Derby pace will be even faster. Last weekend's results told me so.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

How does Congaree compare to Closing Argument in 2005? I always thought he ran by far the best Derby in another particularly quick early paced race.

Closing Argument was 6th after a half and six furlongs in the '05 Derby .... and he did only run a 99 Beyer while finishing 2nd ... but yeah he ran the best race ... and just like Congaree and MDO before him .. his Preakness was no coronation.

Congaree got a statistical negative rider switch (on ROI numbers only) the year he ran in the Preakness. Though it was supposed to be a big positive rider swith if you listened to anything else.

His Derby jockey was Victor Espinoza - the strongest jockey in the game - and a guy who year after year would produce these big mind-boggling profitable ROI stats in dirt routes. His best ride was on speedy dirt routers.

Jerry Bailey took over Congaree for the Preakness and he was much less stronger but much more expierienced and clever.

Congaree stumbled badly at the start, and than got into a big wrestling match with Bailey in the Preakness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEZgronfOQ4 - he only lost to Point Given by 2.5 lengths.

He was freshened and did win a Grade 1 next out in lackluster fashion - but you didn't see the real Congaree again until late in his 4yo season.



Medaglia D' Oro ... who I thought was clearly best in the following years merry-go-round Kentucky Derby finished 8th beaten 17 lengths at 3/1 odds in the Preakness before losing to Sarava in the Belmont. Like Congaree - he later found great form.

Closing Argument was beaten 26 lengths in the Preakness and never ran again.