-
- Maiden
- Posts: 4
-
- Logged
The first Derby that I remember (and remember picking a horse) was 1976. I've overall had a pretty good track record over the years.
1976 - Honest Pleasure - Finished 2nd
1977 - Seattle Slew - Won
1978 - Alydar - Finished 2nd
1979 - General Assembly (obvious by my Avatar name) - Finished 2nd
1980 - Genuine Risk (Gotta love the pretty filly - I also seemed to have a thing for Firestone owned horses) - Won
1981 - Cure The Blues (Firestone horse AGAIN) - Finished 15th
1982 - Gato Del Sol (was taking Spanish for the first time and couldn't resist) - Won
1983 - Slew O' Gold - Finished 4th (Was one of my favorites of the '80s being by Slew and looking a bit like Buckpasser).
1984 - Swale - Won (I rooted for him from the first time I saw him. I always thought he was a better classic prospect than Devil's Bag.)
1985 - Chief's Crown - Finished 3rd (He was soooo consistent. You had to respect him.)
1986 - Snow Chief - Finished 11th (Really the only clinker in his career)
1987 - Alysheba - (Loved the name and the Alydar connection plus I thought the extra distance would help)
1988 - Risen Star - Finished 3rd (The big Secretariat colt was good enough to have taken all three)
1989 - Easy Goer - Finished 2nd (Was always on his team even though Sunday Silence had his number all but once)
1990 - Summer Squall - Finished 2nd (Loved his mother and thought she was one of the prettiest mares I had ever seen).
1991 - Strike The Gold - Won (Saw his Bluegrass and was absolutely certain he would win.)
1992 - A.P. Indy (I know he didn't start, but I couldn't bring myself to pick something else after he was scratched the morning of.)
1993 - Prairie Bayou - Finished 2nd (Was gutted when he broke down in the Belmont.)
1994 - Strodes Creek - Finished 2nd (Halo as the sire and Wittingham as the trainer.)
1995 - Thunder Gulch - Won (Thought his Bluegrass was too bad to be true. Stuck with him all Spring and didn't jump ship.)
1996 - Editor's Note - Finished 6th (I was vindicated with his Belmont)
1997 - Pulpit - Finished 4th (Awesome field)
1998 - Indian Charlie - Finished 3rd (Not enough seasoning)
1999 - Charismatic - Won (Purely on looks)
2000 - Fusaichi Pegasus - Won (If ever a horse was born to win the Derby and also looked like a Derby winner)
2001 - Point Given - Finished 5th (Needed one more prep and to be placed further back in the field)
2002 - Came Home - Finished 6th ( He reminded me of Chief's Crown)
2003 - Peace Rules - Finished 3rd (was a fan of this hard knocking horse)
2004 - Smarty Jones - Won (Knew that tactical speed would be deadly on that mess of a track.)
2005 - Afleet Alex - Finished 3rd (Was on his bandwagon from the Hopeful on)
2006 - Barbaro - Won (He just looked like a man among boys in the post parade)
2007 - Street Sense - Won (After the Juvie win I was all-in)
2008 - Colonel John - Finished 6th (Had a feeling Big Brown would win, but couldn't pick him on principle)
2009 - Pioneer Of The Nile - Finished 2nd (Champion, Empire Maker as a sire, Baffert as a trainer made it hard not to pick)
2010 - Lookin At Lucky - Finished 6th (Picked him every time he ran)
2011 - Shackeford - Finished 4th (Just liked him)
2012 - Bodemeister - Finished 2nd (Thought he was anything but cheap speed.)
2013 - Orb - Won (I thought the race was going to set up perfectly for him and it did.
Thirteen winners, Nine seconds, and five thirds.... not too bad.