Worse KY Derby winner...

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Keep in mind - his crop of 3yo's was brutally bad. Prarie Bayou had a much tougher trip than him and was clearly the better horse in the Derby.

Prarie Bayou, in fact, came back to win the Preakness with a 98 Beyer (by open lengths - or 8 points the slowest Preakness ever) Giacomo ran the same figure as PB did when he was a distant 3rd in the Preakness.

Great, is this Prairie Bayou vs. Giacomo or Sea Hero vs. Giacomo. And, aside form Afleet Alex, wasn't the '05 crop pathetic as well?

Here's Giacomo's pps:

http://www.drf.com/tc/kentuckyderby/...erbywinner.pdf

Based on this, Giacomo was slower than Sea Hero by at least 5 BSF points at both 2 and 3.

But he got the upper hand at 4th, with a mighty 3rd in the Goodwood (curious that Giacomo is lauded for somewhat overcoming a bias--remember he didn't win--yet is not downgraded for his perfect setup in the Derby) and a scorching 4th in the BC Classic.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

They look a lot alike on form.

As you say - Sea Hero's numbers were a little better at 2 and 3 - while the lighter raced Giacomo had better numbers at age 4 - with his last two races of his career both very solid races.

Giacomo got a setup in the Derby - but he stumbled at the start and it's never easy for a plodder without much turn of foot to weave through that big field. Still, circumstancial win, no doubt.

Sea Hero's ride by Jerry Bailey in the Derby is a coin flip with Kent D's ride on Fu Peg for 2nd best ride I've seen in the Derby. SH had a dream trip. I'd have liked to have seen what Sea Hero's trip in the '93 Derby would have looked like if the current version of Mike Smith was riding him.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

They look a lot alike on form.

As you say - Sea Hero's numbers were a little better at 2 and 3 - while the lighter raced Giacomo had better numbers at age 4 - with his last two races of his career both very solid races.

Giacomo got a setup in the Derby - but he stumbled at the start and it's never easy for a plodder without much turn of foot to weave through that big field. Still, circumstancial win, no doubt.

Sea Hero's ride by Jerry Bailey in the Derby is a coin flip with Kent D's ride on Fu Peg for 2nd best ride I've seen in the Derby. SH had a dream trip. I'd have liked to have seen what Sea Hero's trip in the '93 Derby would have looked like if the current version of Mike Smith was riding him.

Is Sea Hero the only horse to have won the Derby using a blinkers change?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Is Sea Hero the only horse to have won the Derby using a blinkers change?

I don't know.

Volponi's big race in the BC Classic came with a blinkers change though.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I don't know.

Volponi's big race in the BC Classic came with a blinkers change though.

Speaking of 'worsts of the game'!

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Speaking of 'worsts of the game'!

Yeah - he and perhaps Arcangues and Cat Thief in a pitched battle for that distinction.

There was a story I've heard before about Whirlaway getting run down on the lead in the one mile Derby Trial as a 3/5 favorite a few days before the '41 Derby.

Supposedly, Ben Jones took a knife and cut away one of his blinkers in the paddock on Derby day - he won the race by 8 lengths in record time....and his win in the Preakness next out featured one of the most amazing last-to-first wins in a major stake - along with perhaps Damascus's '67 Travers.

I guess that qualifies as a blinker change if the stories are true.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

There was a story I've heard before about Whirlaway getting run down on the lead in the one mile Derby Trial as a 3/5 favorite a few days before the '41 Derby.

Supposedly, Ben Jones took a knife and cut away one of his blinkers in the paddock on Derby day - he won the race by 8 lengths in record time....and his win in the Preakness next out featured one of the most amazing last-to-first wins in a major stake - along with perhaps Damascus's '67 Travers.

I guess that qualifies as a blinker change if the stories are true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o-5TR0m5N8