Run for the Roses!

I LOVE the Kentucky Derby and I'm really looking forward to watching it this weekend! Churchill Downs is a fascinating place so if you're ever in Louisville, (Loo-ey ville of course) don't pass through without visiting. Even if you don't know one end of a horse from another, you'll still get chills walking through the museum and out onto the track. Promise.

Last year, I listened to the Derby with friends at a Derby Party. We had a wonderful time and a had a little friendly competition to see who could pick the Derby winner. After my friend Tammy's pick died the year before, she abstained from voting last year! This was quite a game of chance though. Truly, picking a derby winner can be quite intriguing if you know any Derby Lore.

Here's a few hints for you guys placing your own wagers this weekend! Most people pick Derby winners based on the Dosage index. The dosage index is really a prediction of the horse's ability to run the distance based on his sire's lineage. Look for a horse with a dosage index higher than 4. Only 3 horses with a dosage index less than 4 have ever won the Derby. However, one of my favorite Derby horses ever, Mine That Bird, won the Derby in 2009 with a dosage well below 4. Who knows!

Also, many race enthusiasts say that if a horse has stallion "Raise A Native" in his or her bloodlines, then  they are more likely to win the race. Twelve Derby winners have been direct descendants of this one stallion.

Geldings and fillies have not historically fared well at the Kentucky Derby, but Mine That Bird was a gelding and I ALWAYS cheer for the girl in the race no matter what, so if there's a filly in the field I usually pick her! Three fillies have won the Derby before but I don't even think there's a filly in this year's lineup. Could be wrong about that though.

There are many other factors such as post position, disposition, and the large heart factor, as was the case with the famous Secretariat, whose heart weighed 22 pounds.  This year my pick will probably be Twice the Appeal because Calvin Borel is the jockey. Who will EVER forget him winning the Derby on Mine That Bird? He cried like a baby and I will never forget that! He's a longshot, but hey that's what makes the derby so fascinating. Enjoy a mint julep and hum "My Old Kentucky Home". That'll get you in the Derby spirit!