Da Derby

[Mugwump]

LOUISVILLE ? Always Dreaming does, indeed, have the stuff dreams are made of.

Anthony Bonomo?s son, Anthony Jr., spent $100,000 more than was budgeted to obtain the $350,000 yearling. MaryEllen, Bonomo?s wife, named him because their family always dared to dream. And trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez did their jobs so well that the 143rd Kentucky Derby became the race the Bonomo?s dared to imagine.

Always Dreaming, winless through two starts as a 2-year-old but now undefeated through four races this season, shook off a sloppy surface and an overmatched field of 19 to prevail by 2 ? lengths against longshot Lookin At Lee on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Pletcher showed rare emotion as tears welled beneath his sunglasses.

?It?s very special,? he said.

Pletcher, winner of a record seven Eclipse Awards as outstanding trainer in North America, had produced only one victory with 45 previous Derby starters. That came when Super Saver benefitted from a wet track and a ground-saving trip from Calvin Borel in 2010.

It appeared that nothing was going to stop Always Dreaming. He broke sharply and patiently sat off front-running State of Honor, biding his time until Velazquez signaled that it was time to go. He blew past State of Honor entering the final turn and was on his way. A resurgent Irish War Cry menaced briefly but did not have nearly enough punch.

Always Dreaming covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.59. He returned $11.40, $7.20 and $5.80. Longshot Battle of Midway and Classic Empire, who endured a rough start, finished third and fourth, respectively.

[LizStreithorst]

https://www.americasbestracing.net/the-sport/2017-storybook-kentucky-derby-ending-always-dreaming

[Tony44]

Great race on muddy track

[LizStreithorst]

I love a horse that can run in the mud.  It will be fun so see how he runs against the cream of the crop on a dry track.  He is kind of an ungainly horse to my eye.  He don't have the conformation of Secretariat. He had a jockey on him that knew how to get the best from him. 

What we never see these days is a horse that can come from behind to win,  Carry Back was my all time favorite race horse.  He was a little guy.  He wasn't fancy.  He came out of nowhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHUkiGn6up0and whupped the other horses asses.  He couldn't take the distance of the Belmont but he was a heart stopper in the Derby and the Preakness. 

[Tony44]

Yea he was not the best looking out of the bunch.i thought Irish was the most likely to win he was a solid horse