Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

heather — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:57:04 GMT

Great series....love the videos. :) And you did great.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Sharon — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 22:00:07 GMT

Wish that Charismatic would get to Kentucky Horse Park. He won two legs of the Triple Crown and finished third - injured! - in the Belmont. He is a true champion and deserves to come home!

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Elizabeth — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:09:21 GMT

The Grindstone and Giacomo videos were particularly fine. Thank you.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Lee — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:08:54 GMT

I'm really enjoying the videos of past Derby winners. For many of us, they disappear after going to stud. So nice to see how they are doing years later. I've been enjoying many of the Bloodhorse videos. THANKS!

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

LACS70 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:13:36 GMT

Can anyone tell me how the oldest living Derby winner, Strike the Gold (1991) is doing? The last I heard about him, as well as the 1993 winner Sea Hero, was that they were in Turkey. After what happened to Ferdinand, it scares me about what could happen to these champions unless all of us who care show interest in their well-being.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

da3hoss — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:34:43 GMT

Loved the first 4 visits, especially since I picked all 4 for their Derbies, LOL!

Monarchos is due a big winner...maybe next Saturday?

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Bellwether — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:02:55 GMT

keep up the good work EXPOSING our National Treasures...Long Live The King!!!...

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

MRO — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:51:15 GMT

I'm glad Monarchos is doing well. Add Strike The Gold to the list of Derby winners that need to come home!

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

merrywriter — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:08:27 GMT

To Barbara - thanks for Secretariat on YouTube - it was great to watch him run free.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

merrywriter — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:59:58 GMT

Love to see Big Brown having a good time - and of soft turf for those hooves.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

sheila — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 06:35:55 GMT

Esther, it must have been great! I hope to see Funny Cide this summer.

Since we have lost Genuine Risk and Alysheba, who is the current oldest Derby winner? Genny was and then Sheba was. Just curious.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Barbara — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:07:48 GMT

Love your series Esther.

Here is Secretariat running in his paddock. Look how low he gets to the ground;)

www.youtube.com/watch

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Greg J. — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:11:26 GMT

For Big Red,

Actually, If you click on his picture, then goto the bottom right, second line up, above the word TOP, click on it, there are some great pictures of him(4 Pictures)....

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Greg J. — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:08:17 GMT

Esther,

Awesome blog, Incredible videos, Kudos to you...

For Big Red,

Iburi Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaidōis, Is where

Charismatic stands, Here is their Website, Scroll down to Charismatic(Put cursor over each pictue, will give name in english on the bottom of page), There is a current picture of him(Sorry, No video), He sure looks great(Silver Charm and Boston Harbor are there too)...

Enjoy:

www.jbba.jp/.../picture.html

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

joe — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:52:03 GMT

I echo Karren; Bold Forbes at the park was a sweet old guy. And I recall my anticipation in 1996 traveling to 3Chimneys to see Seattle Slew. BOY HE KNEW WHO HE WAS. Last time I visited, 1999, they just left him in his stall; looking out his window, he turned rather offended that I snapped his picture and violated his solitude. Affirmed was a shock-gorgeous color and big; his sleek coat so warm to the touch on a summer day. Claiborne let me enter the legendary stall of a sleeping Unbridled (knowing his gentle nature) and he rose in a blur to he feet as my camera clicked. It is something to see them away from the track.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

da3hoss — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:05:16 GMT

You are doing a great job on the videos! It's nice to see some old favorites that the newer fans may have only heard about...we always want to remember our "old friends"...it's nice to hear about the younger stallions, too.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Karren — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:16:09 GMT

What a cool Blog topic. Thank you so much. I had the pleasure of visiting Unbridled at Claiborne in 2000. It was amazing to stand next to that gentle giant. Also got to see Pleasant Colony and Bold Forbes at the Kentucky Horse Park. Bold Forbes still had an "air" about him though he was quite old. Beautiful horses.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Midnight Hill — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:34:47 GMT

I have had the oppertunity to visit all of the Derby winning stallions you have seen in your journeys, plus several more that have since passed and as always it is a pleasure and an honor to stand before such impecable horseflesh. All of them that I have ever come across have had an air about them and a look in there eyes. Not to mention that I would gladly live where these horses do any day - they are treated like the royalty they are! I look forward to viewing more videos on these Kings of the Sport.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Karen in Indiana — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:52:33 GMT

Thank you for the videos & I look forward to all of them. I went to Three Chimneys last year, mainly to see Big Brown. It was just a few weeks after he got there and he was still adjusting to the change so I look forward to seeing this video. Sounds like he's settled in nicely! But I have to confess - while everyone else was oohing and aahing over Smarty Jones, I was on the other side watching Sky Mesa and thinking good thoughts to him. He ambled over to see me and I got some nice pictures.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Robin — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:01:08 GMT

I couldn't agree more with any of the comments. Had a chance to visit Claiborne farm last year, and it was breath-taking!! To be in the presence of such great animals was remarkable. Anyone who visits Kentucky needs to go to any of the farms. The stallion managers really know their charges. Claiborne will always hold a special place in my heart for it is there that the GREAT SECRETARIAT lies. Just to try to picture him running in his paddock is heart stopping. It a shame he left us all far too early, what only might have been.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

Wanda — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:13:57 GMT

Thank you for the article! For Big Red I am just now reading the book on Charismatic and Chris Antley. The book is called "Three Strides Before The Wire".

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

txhorsefan — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:04:01 GMT

What a wonderful series! So far I have totally enjoyed the videos of Grindstone and Thunder Gulch, along with the replays of their Derbies. Thank you for doing them!

For Big Red, I'm right there with you wishing we could see something about Charismatic - I love that horse, and of course the book Three Strides Before the Wire was a compelling read about his connections and the sad story of Chris Antley. My hope is that some sweet day Charismatic and War Emblem will be able to come home much like Alysheba.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

For Big Red — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:27:31 GMT

Esther, thank you for doing this blog. I absolutely LOVE the videos and look forward to all of them. The story about Grindstone and his halter is funny. :)

Sigh...I wish we could see a video of Charismatic. I know he's standing in Japan and hasn't much of a record as a sire, but I love that horse. Also, coming from SoCal, I'll always remember the tragic story of Chris Antley, who probably saved Charismatic's life, but who couldn't overcome his problems to save his own.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

DONNA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:26:00 GMT

Esther, I couln't agree with you more. I too was in awe the first time I went to a horse farm. I had been a fan of Point Given ever since he ran in the Triple Crown races. In the fall of '03 I visited Three Chimneys and finally got to see the horse in person I had so much admired. Getting to stand beside him and pet him was like a dream come true. Later that day I visited Claiborne and stood beside Monarchos. He was so laid back. When you see these horses in person it's kind of hard to believe you are actually petting a Kentucky Derby winner or in the case of Point Given, a Horse of The Year. They are just fantastic wonderful animals and a thrill to see in person.

re: Visiting with Past Kentucky Derby Winners

aspradling — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:53:09 GMT

Thank you Esther for taking time to write this guest blog! It is a great blog and I could actually put myself in your shoes next to each of these horses. Amazing.