Shaun Bridgmohan: Thoughts During And After Running of Kentucky Derby

He swung wide when they turned for home in the Kentucky Derby.  Bridgmohan drew his stick left handed and went to work on the Dallas Stewart long shot. California Chrome had gotten the jump on the rest of the field, and sprinted away home after stalking a slow early pace. While everyone else was trying to catch their breath, Commanding Curve was just starting to warm up to running. The wire approached and a jubilant Victor Espinoza raised his hand triumphantly. Bridgmohan and Commanding Curve surged past him. Next time will be different wrote the story line as the two warriors galloped out.  The day belonged to California Chrome and his non blue blood connections who are simple horse lovers with a dream to win the most prestigious race run on American soil.

It has been five days since the running of the derby and I wanted Shaun's thoughts on how he saw the race and his strategy going into the it.

The first question I asked Shaun was what were his thoughts go into the race? He replied by saying, "I thought he had a great outside chance for sure, after watching some of his races this year. He believed that the horse was doing well and could compete on this level."

I wanted to know what was his game plan coming out of the gate? Shaun said, "The game plan was to get a better break than he did last time and get him into a good rhythm."

I asked Bridgmohan about how the race developed and when did he know it was time to go on the horse?  He stated, "At the half mile pole I thought it would be good to get going."

After watching the race and seeing Commanding Curve accelerate I was curious how that felt under him.  Bridgmohan's comments were, "The horse felt great and he had a great kick to the wire and when I went to the stick the horse just kept on giving me more." Shaun also said that his horse had too much ground to makeup in trying to catch California Chrome.

I wanted to know how he felt on the gallop out with his horse and Shaun simply said, "I felt my horse ran his heart out and he tried all the way."

The Derby was over and he was back unsaddling the horse, I asked him what emotions ran through him? Shaun replied, "My thoughts was how close I came to my first derby victory." He went on to say, "I was thinking about what I could have done differently to make up that two lengths difference."


Bridgmohan didn't celebrate after experiencing his best derby result. He said, "I want to win one first before any celebrations."

Shaun Bridgmohan and Commanding Curve is hoping to turn the tables on California Chrome the next time they meet. He  said, "I really hope I win the next one with him wherever it may be." Shaun went on to say, "In order to beat California Chrome he will have to give his horse less work to do."

There are those who believe that California Chrome is the best three year old this season. Some are dismissing the ground made up by Commanding Curve by citing how jockey Espinoza geared the horse down near the wire. Some already have him penciled in as the next triple crown winner. I am not so sure. Commanding Curve caught my eye in the Louisiana Derby. He was lengthening his stride and coming on, and while some dismissed the race, I liked what I saw and quickly added him to the list of horses to watch for the derby. The more the derby drew closer, the better I liked him. I was concerned with the work he published over the Churchill Down course, but Bridgmohan and Stewart seemed confident, so I remained optimistic.  The horse ran great and closing that fast into a slow pace should be viewed as extremely positive moving forward.

Commanding Curve as of now is passing on the Preakness Stakes and waiting for the Belmont. California Chrome should make short work of his competitors in the Preakness, then the showdown in New York should take place. A possible triple crown winner with the made for television story, and a horse, Commanding Curve who is trying to write himself into the ending of this story.

Steve Asmussen Could Learn From Untapable

We all knew it was going to be part of the NBC telecast of the Kentucky Derby. I waited with anticipation to see how Steve Asmussen would handle himself when asked questions about the Peta investigation that has placed a spot light brighter than the moon on his stable for over a month. Bob Costas tried his best to be that sixty minutes journalist who got to the bottom of issues with tough, hard questions. The five minutes of video I watched on NBCSports.com and on the television coverage of the Kentucky Derby left me wondering and questioning.

Firstly, lets deal with the obvious, Steve Asmussen is a brilliant horseman. He can pluck a bottom claimer and produce winners. He can make horses produce on the track, and he always turn them out on race day, looking like a hundred bucks fresh off the mint. Jockeys have commented in the past about how much they love riding for Asmussen because you know when he leads them over, meaning the horses, they are ready to run. I saw one of Asmussen's horses, a nine year old named Jimmy Simms, produced a win last week at Churchill Downs. That horse has been in his barn for a long time and he is a true testament to the talent and love displayed by the Asmussen's stable.  He runs horses all over America, and the logistics behind that operation, require an incredible talented, hard working person, who has help from highly skilled individuals.

When Untapable was led over for the Kentucky Oaks, she was presented so lovely, not a dimple on her, a horse that was happy and ready to run. Sure the cameras and doubting tongues were all out in full, and Asmussen made sure there wouldn't be any discussion about whether or not he should be present to see his filly run. Untapable won and the celebration ensued for the connections. There were those who hoped Asmussen and Untapable wouldn't be present for the festivities. I for one was happy that he showed up and the horse came through in flying colors.

Then Saturday rolled around and NBC started to hype their telecast, letting viewers know what was ahead on the program. I got excited because I wanted to see what Asmussen had to say about the Peta story, and what he thought about others, who thought he should go in a hole for the weekend until the Derby and the drama had passed by. The interview left me disappointed and frustrated as a fan and lover of the sport. I was told years ago as a young man that in order for things to change in one's life we need to take ownership of our failures, learn from them, and become better in the process. I listened to Asmussen not own up to anything in the interview. When asked about the Peta video, he claimed it was misleading and basically proved nothing. He went on to explain the medication situation in the video that Peta made such a big deal about, hoping to cash in on a smoking gun. When Costas asked him why he fired his top assistant Scott Blasi, he answered by saying it was because of the way he spoke about owners in the video. I scratched my head and wondered if he saw the same video I watched. Didn't his top assistant basically trashed horses in the video? Didn't his top  assistant say, "Bleep these horses, they will break your hearts always." He also went on to say that something is always wrong with them. Peta wouldn't air this video if Blasi and the Asmussen's barn were caught on camera only bad mouthing owners. They knew they had some damming statements and knew their video and cause would be strengthened by them. Peta's sole purpose is to ban horse racing, which Asmussen clearly pointed out in the Bob Costas interview, but I think Asmussen's lack of ownership of the situation bolstered Peta's claims.

Steve Asmussen could have done himself a world of good if he came out of the gate and said I messed up. He could have looked America and all its animal lovers in the eye and told them he could have done a much better job overseeing the care of his horses. He could have addressed the Scott Blasi firing by saying he didn't appreciate how his assistant talked about the animals in his care. He could have gone on to say Blasi showed a disrespect for the animals that are feeding him and his family. Asmussen failed to do that. He never once said I am sorry that I have caused some controversy in the sport he grew up loving.  Asmussen said that Peta never came up with any violations on his part. What Asmussen failed to understand that the violations doesn't have do with just drugs. The violations are the way the animals are treated in his care. He was entrusted with these magnificent animals and failed to completely protect them. Steve Asmussen was asked about the Ricardo Santana Jr. reference to using a battery to shock horses in a race. He claimed that also wasn't true. I had to pull up the Peta video once more to make sure I wasn't in a dream state. What I viewed a month ago is what I saw again after watching the video a second time. The young jock was heard on the video claiming that he had the Maquina, or battery. Gary Stevens also admitted to using the device a while back, so for Asmussen to sit there on national television and claimed that wasn't true is so disheartening to hear as a fan of horse racing. 

The Peta video maybe one of the best things to happen to horse racing in a long time. There are trainers all over America that will become better horse people as a result of the highlights shown in this video. Peta is over the top with their journey. They began the video showing a horse's head with a syringe down the center. Clearly going for the shock value, but while they are hoping to send shock waves through America and receive a sympathetic ear from the public, they may have just helped the sport to be more aware of the horses and how to better serve them. 

I just wished Steve Asmussen performed like his filly Untapable did this past weekend. She won with grace and style. She put on a show leaving no doubts in anyone's mind. Lesson to be learned by Steve Asmussen from a horse.

California Chrome Versus Untapable: Who's The Winner?

They both came into the weekend with high hopes from their owners, trainers, and a betting public that fell in love over the past few weeks. The stage was set. The television cameras and their glory waited in the wings hoping to cash that money shot that sometimes fall over a cliff leaving viewers disappointed. There weren't any disappointment if you backed The Chrome and the showy female with all the flair of a superstar in waiting.  Untapable was the first to come onto the stage. She gave us her best Zenyatta's impersonation when heading over to be saddled from the backstretch. She pranced on her toes, dancing as if listening to music that only she could hear. Her jockey, Rosie Napravnik also bought into her confidence. She climbed aboard the lady who was about to become a monster, and enjoyed the victory march to glory before the starters opened the gate. Another filly in the race got scared and flipped out at the thought of running against Untapable. She wanted out of the race and and sat down in the gate. She was scratched and hastily went back to the barn, relieved that she was out of this mashup that was about to take place. The minor disturbance at the gate couldn't stop the show from ending the way it was supposed to. Untapable settled in a comfortable spot, and when they swung for home, the jockey shook the reins, took out her pistol and fired a few times, and that was that. The race was over and she had done her part.

California Chrome didn't look as intimidating as Untapable. He came onto the track with snickering from many who thought he was ripe for the picking. I thought he was ripe for the picking! The Art Sherman Disney movie of the week story that was being told for the last few weeks didn't have everyone's attention. The nineteen horses lined up for the Kentucky Derby, and unlike the Oaks when a horse got scared and wanted out, all the boys wanted to fight. They saw The Chrome and didn't think he was the real deal. When the starter unleashed them, California Chrome put all questions to rest. He burst out of the gate on his toes and was amongst the first flight of horses going into the first turn. The pace was slow. The leaders who had showed up for the first half of the fight started to lose their will to battle. They were gone and when they swung for home, Victor Espinoza gave The Chrome his head, and he sprinted to the finish line with much left in the tank. Espinoza looked back, stood up in his saddle, and raised his victorious right arm to the crowd. The doubters, including myself marveled. He sparkled and the Sherman story that was written by some young writer in Hollywood, landed on a producer's desk.


Now that the two premier races are over, the question being asked is whether or not these two giants would meet. Unlike in past years when the Oaks winner, Rachel Alexandra excluded, didn't generate any question about boy versus girl, this year's winner is different. She is fast, big, and without fear. She wants to compete and her dismantling of her competitors invite a discussion.  After the running of the Oaks, her trainer Steve Asmussen said he wouldn't want Untapable and Tapiture to meet in the Preakness. He didn't really believe that? Did he? Tapiture is a talented horse, but I got off the joy ride after the Arkansas Derby. He wasn't going to get the job done at a mile and a quarter.

Untapable is a fast horse. She has been running consistently fast all winter and spring. She received another high beyer figure after the Oaks. The beyer figure is a number assigned to horses after they compete in a race. The higher the beyer, the better. This means the horse has ran a very fast race. She has better numbers than the boys, and she has done it easily. I went back and looked at her last three races and she was geared down while the others were still chomping and dashing down the stretch. She is simply a monster! Untapable is a  monster horse who has found her way into her skin. She has figured out the racing game. Like Zenyatta who would come over to the track dancing and showing that she is aware, Untapable is starting to display that same type of flair, a horse that knows what time it is! There is nothing more exciting for a race fan than when he or she believes a horse has figured out what the heck is going on, when a horse knows it's race day. The real good ones with a mind of gold just need the saddle and someone to steer them in the right direction. Untapable is a special one. Throw out the gender and line her up next to the boys. She measures up easily.

The sports of horse racing is alive a few times a year. All the red carpet glitz and glamor died on Sunday morning when the jets took off from the Bluegrass state and headed to never never land. Horse racing needs the Untapable and Chrome showdown.  Imagine the sell and hype for the next two weeks. The California horse with the story that only lives in heads of dreamers. The female who is trying to pickup the mantle once owned by Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.

The Preakness without Untapable is going to be a walkover. I know Commanding Curve was coming and coming fast and hard, but the distance of the Preakness won't help him. He needs more distance, not a race shorter than the derby distance. The Belmont Stakes is where he will curve around big Sandy and do some damage. The new shooters are nice horses. Social Inclusion if he goes will be a huge question mark after being scratched from his last race with some foot issues. Kid Cruz? Come on!  Bayern? I rest my case. The race needs someone who will challenge the story of  California Chrome. Untapable is the needed antagonist. She is the villain with the best chance to rewrite a fairytale. I know the Winchell's and Steve Asmussen said they aren't coming back in two weeks, and without the filly, The Chrome will dance to the third leg of the triple crown without much interference.

I know there are those who believe that you can ruin a good horse by doing too much too soon. There are those who believe that Rachel Alexandra wasn't the same horse after her Preakness win. I don't buy into that argument. Horses are horses and if they are champions they can compete on levels that will blow our minds away. Untapable could be that special. She has potential, and we need to see that potential put to the test. I don't know what happened to Untpatable when she ventured to California. Her two races there were not what champions would write, but she has rewritten her story and now the storyline is back on track. This race needs to take place. Give us something to get excited about for the next two weeks.  Allow race fans from all over the globe to come back for two more weeks and enjoy the script being written. Let the jets fuel up once more and turn Baltimore into a landing strip. Give us what we want and what the sports need.

Untapable versus California Chrome. Who's The Winner?

Shaun Bridgmohan: A Jockey's Journey To Kentucky Derby Dreams

He traveled from the tiny island of Jamaica, an island that is rich in the tradition of jockeys. Shaun Bridgmohan didn't begin his journey into the life of a jockey on the island, but after arriving in Florida, he got the urge. The riding bug hit him when he was seventeen, and after graduating from high school he began writing his journey not knowing how far the racing gods would take him. Shaun Bridgmohan began riding in 1997 and quickly recorded his first win. The bug boy, a name given to a young jockey who hasn't won a certain amount of races moved his journey to New York. Six months later he won six races in one day at Aqueduct racetrack. When I asked Shaun about his greatest achievements, he  highlighted the six wins that he had the privilege of accomplishing twice. He achieved this feat in New York and then came back at the Fairgrounds in New Orleans a few years later, and duplicated the achievement as a journey man jockey. After arriving in New York, the young apprentice would go on to win the Eclipse award for best young apprentice, which essentially is the academy awards for horse racing. The journey had taken full flight.

Shaun Bridgmohan's career as a journey man jockey progressed well while he was in New York. He had  his first graded stakes win, wrote his legacy with some stirring rides on horses like Brutally Frank, Evening Attire, who he rode in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Volponi, and one of my favorites Peeping Tom whom he also rode in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Bridgmohan also climbed aboard Midnight Lute at Saratoga and rode him masterfully. Shaun would continue writing his story in New York with over nineteen graded stakes wins. Something was missing. He was deeply rooted in a jockey colony with Hall Of Fame jockeys rubbing elbows with him in the jockeys' room. Trying to break into the top barns proved challenging. He believed in his skills. He knew he had the talent, so he had to make a move.

Bridgmohan's career really blossomed when he journeyed to Arlington Park in 2005. Being new to the colony the young rider knew he had to prove himself to trainers and owners on the circuit. Shaun took the riding colony by storm and won the riding title. He found his way into many barns, but one trainer took extra notice of his talent and something special was about to be born. Trainer Steve Asmussen liked how the young rider sat on a horse. He admired his horse intelligence and quickly gave him the status of stable rider, which meant that Shaun would have the first call on horses in the barn. This is how Bridgmohan always saw his career evolving when he dreamt about success. He knew if given the chance consistently to sit on horses that are runners, his ceiling would be very high. He was now on the national stage and not just a journey man jockey lost amongst the midst of Jerry Bailey, Richard Migliore, and Johnny Velasquez in New York. The stage now belonged to him. Bridgmohan and Asmussen became a formidable team. Asmussen and "Bridge' as he is called by racing fans, quickly formed a bond that cashed many winning tickets. Asmussen and Bridgmohan teamed up three times in the Kentucky Derby. Their best horse together was Pyro who was on every one's top ten list going into the 2008 derby. Pyro and Bridgmohan didn't set anyone on fire that day and finished ninth in the prestigious race.

In this year's Kentucky Derby, Shaun will be aboard the West Point owned Commanding Curve. The three year old is trained by Dallas Stewart whose long shot Golden Soul almost left us dumbfounded. Golden Soul came running last year and finished second in the Derby. Commanding Curve is a late developing horse. He broke his maiden by getting his first win after four starts. His maiden victory was a nice win on a chilly Saturday at Churchill Downs with Bridgmohan in the saddle.

Dallas Stewart shut the horse down after that win and shipped him down to Fairgrounds for the winter. After a few steady works, Commanding Curve made his three year old debut in the Risen Star, an ambitious start for a horse who had only won one race. But this is the time of the year when trainers are figuring out if they have a derby contender or just a nice horse. His try in the Risen Star didn't put him on any list to win the Kentucky Derby. He waltzed home sixth that day. Stewart knew exactly what he is doing with the horse. He knew the horse would need a race compared to some others who already had made a couple starts for their three year old campaign. He got Commanding Curve working, and he tightened him some more for his next start.  Commanding Curve showed he belonged with the titans when he came back in the Louisiana Derby and finish a troubled third behind Vicars In Trouble. The young horse was reaching at the end of the race wanting to go further. He will get that this Saturday as the three year olds all attempt to navigate a mile and a quarter for the first time. When asked about Commanding Curve and how he sees the horse in the derby, Bridgmohan states,"Commanding Curve is an improving three year old with a lot of upside. The race should have a lot of speed which should benefit my horse's running style."

There are various accomplishments that define an athlete. In the NBA its the end of year championship, and in football, the Super Bowl is the pinnacle that all football players journey towards at the beginning of every season. In horse racing the Kentucky Derby is the ultimate goal. Bridgmohan has won titles at various tracks. He has ridden in Dubai on Dubai World Cup night. He has won several grade one races and has made a very good living as a jockey. However, this journey that began at the age of seventeen in Florida, when he knew he wanted to be jockey, won't be complete without a Kentucky Derby win. Bridgmohan said,"Winning the derby would mean everything to me, it is the ultimate prize." Bridgmohan also thinks a win in the derby would have  an impact on the island of Jamaica that has many great athletes.

Will he win? Only the racing gods know what will happen. They have the race scripted from a few weeks ago when Commanding Curve was on the outside looking in, hoping to get in the body of the race. Unfortunately some horses had to withdraw because of various issues and a spot opened for Commanding Curve, Bridgmohan, Stewart, and WestPoint Stables.  Don't be surprised if when the horses turn for home at Churchill Downs, the voice of Larry Collmus picks up Commanding Curve weaving through horses to win. Don't be surprised! Bridgmohan won't be. His wife and kids won't be surprised either. The people of Jamaica won't be. This is the journey he has been on. A journey that started in Spanish Town, Jamaica, a journey scripted when he was seventeen years old and making the decision that he wanted to be like his idol Mike Smith.

Untapable A Freak Amongst Ladies

In the mornings she glides around the race track with the gentleness of a lady, but in the afternoon she demolishes everyone like a freak. Untapable the three year old filly trained by Steve Asmussen will be the favorite in this year's running of the Kentucky Oaks. The Oaks is the female version of the Kentucky Derby and is usually run a day before the boys take their running to the track. After this weekend is over, everyone may only be talking about the filly that sent shock waves through Kentucky. Rachel Alexandra did that in 2009 when she took jockey Calvin Borel on a joy ride in the Oaks. Her win opened pocket books and wallets. She was sold to Stonestreet Stables who quickly moved the horse to trainer Steve Asmussen. The Rachel saga grew as she took on and beat the boys in the second leg of the triple crown, the Preakness Stakes. Untapable has a lot more to do before she can be compared to Rachel Alexandra, but she is well on her way.

Untapable broke her maiden in a five and half furlong race at Churchill Downs. She came back in the Pocahantas and while racing a little green surged at the wire to win by a head.  That win propelled her into an early betting choice for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The young star disappointed that day. She finished up the track a disappointing eighth. She would then be wheeled around a month later at Hollywood Park for the Grade One Starlet, where she would finish third.  Horse racing is all about what have you done for me lately, and after that showing on Breeders' Cup day, and at Hollywood Park, people started to sway in other directions. Her trainer, Steve Asmussen  gave her some time off and sent her down to the Fairgrounds in New Orleans where he does most of his business for the winter.

The Fairgrounds woke up the freak in this talented young lady and she began her three year old journey with a resounding win in the Rachel Alexandra. She reunited with Rosie Napravnik who was her pilot for her first two wins. The two made little work of their competitors, and the swaying tongues that had began to look elsewhere for their next delight started to sing her praises once more. While Untapable was bringing back her lovers to her, another three year old filly was starting to write her own history. Unbridled Forever,  introduced herself to the world when she won in her first start at Churchill Downs. Her win had those fickle lovers jumping on her bandwagon. They have found another one to fall in love with. She also went down to the Fairgrounds with her trainer Dallas Stewart and began a love affair with the sweet melody of Louisiana. Unbridled Forever made her three year old debut in the Silverbulletday and sent her rivals back to their stalls with their heads hung. She wanted everyone to know that Untpable wasn't the only female in town trying to secure princess status. The buildup began. Who would win in a matchup between Untapable and Unbridled Forever? The lovers took sides and the money showed they favored Untapable a little more when they both met in the Fairground Oaks. The race wasn't much of a race by the time the females turned for home. Untapable with Rosie using her strong hand urging and whip, left Unbridled Forever and the other wannabe princesses in the midst of her freakiness. She crossed the wire and Unbridled Forever gasped home in third. Her time for the running of the Fairgrounds Oaks was better than the Louisana Derby winner and the older horses that day. How would she fair in the Kentucky Derby? Sadly we won't know because the derby and its point system doesn't include the filly races. That is a case to be tackled for next season, but this season she will compete against the girls on the first Friday in May.

Who can dethrone this filly whose muscles are breaking through her flesh. Who will be able to break her will if she is a hundred percent? A close look at the field and one would see horses that she already defeated with ease. Ria Antonia with Mike Smith in the saddle comes to town after being shipped to Bob Baffert's barn where she displayed a nice run in the Santa Anita Oaks. She galloped home second behind a young lady who is developing a lovely style of her own. Fashion Plate will bring her high cat walk fashion to town after winning the Santa Anita Oaks. She has won three in a row and will be ridden by Hall Of Fame jockey Gary Stevens. She will be the second choice behind Untapable and some believe her to be very dangerous in the Oaks. Unbridled Forever comes back for more and this time hopes to give Untapable some of her own medicine. The rest of the field is comprised of lovely young ladies who will be heard from down the road. Their story lines will be written throughout the summer.

This Friday, it is hard for me to see Untapable getting beat when the starter lets them go. If she breaks well and settle in her normal spot, a few lengths off the leader, then turning for home she will take them apart and break their wills. Will we see a Rachel Alexandra's type of performance? We all don't know. This field has some nice young ladies who can run, but if she was to display that same type of freakish behavior like Rachel, then in two weeks she may just show the boys how its done in the Preakness. One race at a time and that first race is Friday. I am looking forward to seeing this princess strut her style over the Churchill surface leaving a memorable performance  with lovers wanting and begging for more.

Willie Simms...1901..The End

They dominated the sports and then they were by gone by 1904. Black jockeys stood in the stirrups and won race after race before sweeping racism soared over racetracks barring them from doing what they enjoyed most. Most of these riders didn't attend school but handling a race horse was the genius found in their hands. They knew how to get run out of a horse, by getting the horse to do more than they would for any other jockey.

One black jockey that stood out amongst the crowd was Willie Simms. Willie was born in Georgia in 1880,  and the glamor of horse racing placed its love in his blood from an early age. He knew he wanted to be a rider. Simms took his skills to Kentucky and quickly showed that his talents weren't just a tongue filled wish but God given. He rode in the Kentucky Derby in 1896 and in 1898. Both times he entered the race the young jockey produced winners. He guided Ben Brush in 1896 and then came back aboard Plaudit in 1898 to win once more.

 Willie Simms gifts enabled him to do what other black jockeys at the time didn't do and that was to win all triple crown races. He won the Belmont Stakes in 1893 and 1894 and also won the Preakness Stakes in 1898. Willie Simms took his riding style over the ocean and introduced the American style of riding in England.  The English called him a "Monkey On A Stick" but quickly the riding style was adopted. They called his riding style the "American Seat".  He became the first American to win in England.  The young jockey skills was much taller than he ever was.

The climate of the country changed and white jockeys started to boycott as a result of black jockeys and their tremendous riding skills. White jockeys would deliberately do things on the track to impede them. Jim Crow flew with wings that spread wide and far. Many believed that  these young talent belonged on the back stretch of the race track. They believed that they should be the one doing the preparation not the one that the crowd came to see. Unfortunately, the climate of the time caused many of these young men to abandon the sport they loved. They migrated to the stalls, mucking and shucking. Willie Simms hanged up his riding skills in 1901.


Today most African American youths are running towards other sports. They are not chasing the glory of the black jockeys from yesteryear. Sadly, when we think of icons in American sports and the contribution that African American made , we tend not to remember the black jockeys who rode and dominated the sport. You can ask any youth and they can tell you a little about Jackie Robinson and the major impact he had. My son who is ten years old saw the Jackie Robinson movie a couple years ago and quickly fell in love with the man. He plays baseball and forty two is the number he always request at the start of the season.

I hope one day that the racing community and the sporting world would pause and remember these giants who were too tiny to fight the claws of Jim Crow and racism. I hope one day that this sport that I fell in love with as a youth, would be generous in remembering those who didn't read and write very well, but whose hands were gifted from God in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing.

Fake Dirt And The Kentucky Derby

Have you ever eaten tofu chicken? It was presented to me on a lovely plate, accompanied by some vegetables and dressed up with some type of sauce that would typically cover chicken. When the impostor hit my mouth and began that dance I automatically began to revolt. This isn't chicken and my mind and body knew it. Horse racing has been eating some fake chicken over the past few years, and as a result the Kentucky Derby and even a Breeders' Cup classic race were hijacked by horses who wouldn't otherwise be entered. Gio Ponti almost won on the fake dirt but Zenyatta restored order that day. Gio Ponti was a very nice horse but wasn't a dirt horse, and even the fake stuff couldn't help him beat one of the great horses that we have seen in a while.

The Kentucky Derby over the past few years has become a mixture of dirt horses and horses that really don't like dirt but who have accumulated enough money or points to qualify. The Bluegrass ran at Keeneland, and the Spiral who does its business at Turfway, are the main contributor to this disruption of purity. We have seen some horses ran well at Churchill who were mainly fake dirt and turf horses, but those horses are usually really good horses who can compete on levels that superstar compete. Animal Kingdom and his dominant win in the derby gave false hope to trainers and owners. They began to believe that their horses can run over the dirt, but most quickly find out that their horses aren't Animal Kingdom. Another horse that send out the wrong message was Dullahan. He ran third in the 2012 derby and came back to win the Pacific Classic at DelMar  a few months later. His best finish after that win was a third place finish in the Arlington Handicap. Paddy O' Prado also gave false hope to many. He ran third in the derby after finishing second in the Bluegrass Stakes, but his most accomplished performances were done on the grass. Not a true dirt horse.

Over the years other horses have tried the fake dirt to real dirt method but failed. Dominican finished eleventh in the derby, Stately Victor finished seventh, Brilliant Speed finished seventh, Java's War was taking notes from the back finishing a rousing thirteenth, but those results have not deterred many. They keep coming hoping to strike gold. This year's fake dirt to Kentucky Derby hope and dreams are Dance With Fate,  We Miss Artie, and Harry's Holiday. We Miss Artie came running at the end of Spiral under a strong ride by Johnny Velasquez. He nosed out Harry's Holiday who came back to finish off the board in the Bluegrass Stakes. But onward march to the derby. Dance With Fate seems to be the most talented of all the fake dirt to Kentucky Derby dreamers. He took apart a good field in the Bluegrass Stakes,  and the horse who ran behind him, Medal Count, is a pretty good horse, but he too may love the lawn and fake dirt more than the Real McCoy.

I am all in for owners and trainers who want to get dressed up and show up with their charges on derby day hoping and dreaming. If you earn the points then its within your rights to participate, but I  did a little reggae dance when I heard that Keeneland who had lost their mind in the last few years is abandoning fakeness for the real stuff. I understand the mentality behind the fake dirt. I understand safety issues and all the studies did by someone in a lab somewhere. This is horse racing. Dirt and grass. Ditch the impostor.

When the odds are laid out this year by Mike Battaglia I believe We Miss Artie and Harry's Holiday will be in the midst of 50 to 1 and Medal Count and Dance With Fate much lower. On derby day We Miss Artie and Harry's Holiday will probably be higher, but they give hope to someone somewhere until the finish line come calling. I am curious about how Medal Count will perform. I think he has the ability to be a freak. He is strong and powerful, and Dale Romans has talked him up all winter. I wouldn't be surprised if he charged home like Dullahan or Paddy O' Prado. Dance With Fate looks like a runner. He did some nice work in California before strutting his attitude in Kentucky. If he loves the dirt then his chances goes up immensely.  I am going to pass.

Do the best horses always win the derby? Of course not, but I am willing to take my shot against those who are really up against it, especially when so many horses who love the real dirt seem capable of dominating. I am throwing out the fake dirt madness this year. Mine That Bird. I know. Not Real. Just an aberration.

I look forward to the races at Arlington Park and Colonial Downs this summer. I look forward to touting horse like Dance With Fate and Medal Count. I look forward to the Ramseys winning another turf race with We Miss Artie, but for the derby I want real chicken and what those three horses are serving I am not just eating.