Best opening 8f's run in the Ky Derby

[Port Conway Lane]

Here are the horses who've won the KY Derby with a 1st call Moss Pace figure of 57 or lower since Beyers were first published in 1991....

16: Mine That Bird
34: Street Sense
35: Grindstone
44: Fusaichi Pegasus
45: Monarchos
45: Strike The Gold
48: Sea Hero
53: Lil E Tee
54: Giacomo

Of those nine winners - none of them repeated in the Preakness or Belmont.

The scariest fact about this list is that Giacomo was the most productive runner after the Belmont.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Port Conway Lane

The scariest fact about this list is that Giacomo was the most productive runner after the Belmont.

You would say that Giacomo was more productive than Street Sense? Giacomo had his doors blown off in the Preakness and Belmont and didn't win another race until the '06 San Diego Handicap. At least Street Sense won the Jim Dandy and Travers, albeit against very soft competition. I would say Street Sense was more productive.

I would also say that Strike the Gold was more productive despite only winning another three races and one of them being an allowance. He did win the PImlico Special and Nassau County Handicap in consecutive starts in 1992 and finished 2nd in the Jockey Club Gold Cup the same year, just ahead of subsequent BC Classic winner A.P. Indy.

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

You would say that Giacomo was more productive than Street Sense? Giacomo had his doors blown off in the Preakness and Belmont and didn't win another race until the '06 San Diego Handicap. At least Street Sense won the Jim Dandy and Travers, albeit against very soft competition. I would say Street Sense was more productive.

I would also say that Strike the Gold was more productive despite only winning another three races and one of them being an allowance. He did win the PImlico Special and Nassau County Handicap in consecutive starts in 1992 and finished 2nd in the Jockey Club Gold Cup the same year, just ahead of subsequent BC Classic winner A.P. Indy.

I'll take that back about SS,I didn't recall those spa victories. I guess all I remembered was both horses finished 4th in the BCC. Strike the Gold's wins trump Giocomo's grade 3. I was too lazy to look it up. I knew I could count on someone to jog my memory.

[Indian Charlie]

Fupeg also won that very fast mile stakes, I think it was the Jerome.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Here's the first turn position in the '95 Derby.



The horse setting the pace with the black line to his inside is 18th place finisher Honour And Glory - he won the Met Mile in 1:32 4/5 at 12/1 next time out. Honour and Glory was 3rd in that years BC Sprint.

Unbridled's Song has the blue line. He finished 5th in one of the all-time greatest performances in Ky Derby history.

Skip Away has the red line - he gets caught 5 wide on the first turn and 7 wide on the 2nd turn chasing that pace. He ended up 12th by 17.

Louis Quatorze has the yellow line - he ended up 16th beaten 24 lengths. He won the Preakness next time out - setting the stakes record and equalling Secretariat's unoffical Preakness record time. Also was 2nd by a nose in the BC Classic.


Grindstone - the winner of this race - was loose on an uncontested early lead - while facing just four other plodders in division 2 of this race. He has the green line.





Wire-to-wire Preakness winner:




Preakness 2nd:

SKIP AWAY

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Point Given had to deal with the same type of thing as Unbridled's Song.



Songandaprayer is setting the KY Derby pace with the red line. Congaree the blue - and Point Given the green line.



Point Given ran some pretty big races - he won the Travers with a 117 Beyer wearing a bar shoe. He won the Belmont by over a dozen lengths - Ky Derby 1-2 finishers Monarchos and Invisible Ink were both obliterated in that Belmont.

However, I think the KY Derby might have been the best race Point Given ever ran in his career - he wasn't a natural miler and Congaree was.