Kentucky Derby Horse Running Essay

Many of the horses in this year’s Kentucky Derby were never sure things to make the field and so the focus of their three year old campaigns has been on qualifying for the run for the roses. But a few horses came off of well regarded two year old campaigns and their confident trainers took their time, picked their spots, and now hope to have a fresh horse rounding into form at just the right time. The third race after a horse gets a few months of rest is often seen as their best effort. This isn’t always the case, as some horses run great fresh, but generally speaking the first race back is not the best, and the third race back is the sweet spot after a horse has dusted off the cobwebs, but before it starts to wear down.

If a horse is going to step up and beat Nyquist, it might be one of the horses that is lightly raced this year and waiting to give his best effort. Unfortunately for those horses, Nyquist has also been patiently handled and this will be his third start of the year. …show more content…
He took the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby, both over full fields at the Fairgrounds. Gun Runner’s only loss came last November in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes where he ran fourth behind derby runners Mor Spirit and Mo Tom. His best race was his last, where he won the Louisiana Derby by over four lengths. He has the most qualifying points of any horse in the race and if he’s on the improve, he will be a major player.

Broady’s Cause - He finished third in the fall behind Nyquist and Swipe in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile. In his first race of the year, he finished a disappointing 7th in the Tampa Bay Derby this March. But he came back to win the Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland in April over derby runner My Man Sam. On paper, I’d put him behind a handful of other derby runners, but trainer Dale Romans has a way of getting horses to run better than their resumes would suggest in big races so I wouldn’t count him