Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

noel — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:55:35 GMT

Who are the other 12?

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Bold Forbes — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:47:19 GMT

Bold Forbes Derby was fifth fastest all time and fastest wire to wire until Spend A Buck took advantage of a rock hard strip. If not for a serious leg injury suffered in the early stages of the Preakness, Bold Forbes would have been a Triple Crown winner.

Incidentally, his Wood Memorial, Kentucky Derby and Belmont were faster than Seattle Slew.

A stakes winner from 6 furlongs to 1 1/2 miles, he was a truly underrated horse. He was not the only three year old who was affected by the pro Firestone media bias; Revidere, who was 3yr old filly champ also never got her just due because of the love affair the media had with Optimistic Gal.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

danziggirl — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:11:56 GMT

I agree with Donna re Riva Ridge - he was always in Secretariat's shadow. But for a sloppy track he would have been a Triple Crown Winner.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Blood-Horse Staff — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:55:59 GMT

Depalma13: According to the official Derby chart, Count Fleet broke on top and had the lead at every call.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Colors — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:23:11 GMT

People who are slamming Winning Colors obviously know nothing about racing.

She beat one of the most talented fields ever assembled for a Kentucky Derby right after she beat the boys in the Santa Anita Derby.

Winning Colors #1 all the way...

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

depalma13 — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:54:27 GMT

Spend a Buck should easily top this list. It was the best wire to wire win in the history of the derby. :45 4/5 and a six length lead at the half mile pole and he just kept running.

How is Count Fleet even on this list? He didn't take the lead until just before the half mile pole, hardly wire to wire. Just listen to the call and it's quite obvious.

www.lkyradio.com/WHASKentuckyDerby.htm

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Brenda — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:12:37 GMT

THANK YOU Shaban..For pointing out that this is about the horses DERBY PERFORMANCE, Not their whole career.

I do Love seeing everyones passion about the Sport...SOOOO COOL!

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

shaban — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:33:18 GMT

In my opinion, we're supposed to rank their Derby performances, not their careers. Bold Forbes' career does not match up to the rest, but I think his Derby performance was better than the rest of these. Go to the front, set honest fractions, take a short break on the turn, then outrun the favorite (and your pedigree) down the stretch. No rivals getting left at the gate, no excuses from his opponents, no lousy rides from Pat Day - just a gutty performance, reminiscent of that of Northern Dancer.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

lady suffolk — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:42:14 GMT

The reason no one mentions Count Fleet not running after the Belmont--lets see, ran on a bent shoe, was eased in the stretch bringing his win down from over 50 lengths to 25 in a common canter. So I guess we want to remember how great he was, not what he suffered while giving the world that thrill. Best Belmont ever--hands down.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

fhgbooklover — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:03:23 GMT

I too am surprised by Bold Forbes being # 6 and Winning Colors being # 2! Bold Forbes took the lead and Cordero kept letting him out a notch, as needed, and he would open up a length on Honest Pleasure every time. Riva Ridge did have the lead the first time under the wire, and I remember his long rabbit legs winning the Derby with authority. I think Slew was on the lead maybe right at the wire or right past it--he had a bad start but commanded after that. I will never forget Bold Forbes winning the Belmont after Laz's training job getting him ready with long gallops the week before the Belmont. They were designed to "dull" his speed and get his lungs ready to take him that distance--Laz told reporters that he had to run him long in the mornings to get him to "know" that he was going to run long cuz of the horse's amazing blazing speed out of the gate--I remember him coming down the Belmont stretch and the 2 big horses coming up on him--he would NOT let them past him and it was one of the most stunning races I've ever seen. He never got the credit he deserved. A tiny 15.2 hand horse that beat the big boys. I think Cordero used to turn his head so he could see out of his blinker cups. Just a blazing horse who loved to run. Saw him in Kentucky and will never forget him.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

SusanR — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:32:28 GMT

WINNING COLORS all the way - catch me if you can and they couldn't. If you racefans want to see a truly outstanding performance watch her Derby, she the best of her generation look ordinary.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Citation — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:08:16 GMT

Regret ran in filly races twice.A Belmont allowance race and the Gazelle handicap.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

SCOTCHIRISHPOL — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:04:19 GMT

1. SIR BARTON

2. COUNT FLEET

3.BOLD FORBES

4. SPEND A BUCK

5.REGRET

6. RIVA RIDGE

7. WINNING COLORS

8.WAR EMBLEM

9.KAUAI KING

10. JET PILOT

THE BEST IS YET TO RUN? WOULDN'T IT BE SOMETHING IF IT WERE A FILLY.THEY JUST HAVEN'T FOUND THE RIGHT CLICK. RACHEL ALEXANDER?

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

general assembly — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:26:50 GMT

Spend A Buck is one of the most overlooked derby winners of the past. He actually beat a pretty deep field that included Stephen's Odyssey, Chief's Crown, Proud Truth, Skywalker, and Tank's Prospect. Plus the fractions that he set, pressured or not, were pretty impressive (23, 45 4/5, 1:09 3/5, 1:34 4/5, and 2:00 1/5). He also did it playing, jumping shadows, tracks, etc. While the track might have been playing fast, it was not as freakishly fast as 2001.

Everyone talks about how great the '87 crop was, but the '85 crop might have been just as deep. Chief's Crown was a serious racehorse that very rarely gets his due. He was not only champion two-year-old, but he won the Flamingo, Blue Grass, Travers, and Marlboro Cup plus placed in all three triple crown races. Tank's Prospect took the Arkansas Derby after running well at two, then bounced back after the derby to win the Preakness in a photo over Chief's Crown in track record time. Proud Truth took the Florida Derby and the Breeder's Cup Classic later that year. Skywalker won the following year's Breeder's Cup Classic. At the time, it was considered the most competitive field in a long time, and Spend A Buck destroyed them with the third fasted time (at the time), behind ONLY Secretariat and Northern Dancer.

Count Fleet may have been the best horse of the bunch listed, but Spend A Buck definitely gets the nod in this race for his performance coupled with the depth of the field he faced.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Kelsum — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:06:16 GMT

What about Seattle Slew? He would have beat them all and he loved to run on the front. Why is he not on the list?

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

zappaman — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:36:52 GMT

Hey COLDFACTS get yer fax straight, 5th fastest maybe not fourth, don't forget the 2 minutes flat that the greatest thoroughbred, sire and runner of all time NORTHERN DANCER ran, the 2"00 min flat was to be tied by secretariat nine years later.(how could you have possibly forgotten him}

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

rjb — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:46:31 GMT

spendabuck's victory in the monmouth handicap after the derby will show you why he is the most tenacious front runner of them all. if you can watch that race from an archive you won't be disappointed.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

TIZNOW — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:02:25 GMT

War Emblem being Victor is one of my favorite riders....only thing i wasnt crazy about was the horse was bought right before the derby so the thoroghbred corp could try to get a derby winner sayin it was there horse being baffert hardly did any prepping or training...just got the horse handed to him with next to zero effort....

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Terry — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:08:51 GMT

My choices are based on who he or she beat, and how dominant the horse was that year.

#1—Sir Barton won the Triple Crown plus the Withers in a space of 32 days. The Preakness was just four days after the Derby! And he kicked butt in every one of these races.

#2—Count Fleet was undefeated at 3 and also won the Withers before taking the Belmont by 25 lengths. He totally dominated his generation.

#3—Regret, never defeated by a filly in her career, whipped the colts on a regular basis. Maybe the best filly of all time based on her record.

#4—Winning Colours defeated an incredible field, including Risen Star, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner and Regal Classic.

#5—Anybody's guess! I have the rest ranked pretty much equal. I placed the last six as follows: Jet Pilot, Riva Ridge, Bold Forbes, Spend A Buck, War Emblem and Kauai King. But in a day or two I could easily switch those six around in a different order.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Boriken7 — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:41:25 GMT

To me Bold Forbes is # 1 then Spend A Buck

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

pn112 — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:43:36 GMT

I had Bold Forbes a lot higher on my list. I can't believe he's 6th!! I worked on the track, and worked in the barn next to the stakes barn at Pimlico. I watched him train every day. I LOVED him (did I say I loved him??) I watched him run the most idiotic race I've ever seen in the Preakness. I watched it from the roof of one of the barns on the backstretch - perfect view. The track was VERY deep that day (they had scraped about 8" off from it in preparation of the race, but it left a 8" ridge along the inside rail. When the Budweiser horses went galloping down the stretch before the Preakness, one of the wheels caught that ridge and crashed into the inside rail - delayed the races for quite a while). I saw him go head and head for the lead with Honest Pleasure from the 1st jump. It was pure suicide. Ridiculous fractions. Honest Pleasure completely collapsed in the turn, but Bold Forbes hung on somehow. Until Eloqutionist (spelling??) rallied and passed him in mid stretch. He was magnificent in defeat. He confirmed my love for him that day. Of that list, he is Number One with a bullet in my book.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Jorge — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:47:19 GMT

I selected (1)Bold Forbes, (2)Winning Colors and (3) Kauai King because the most meritorious front running victories should be awarded to those regarded as non-heavy favorites who ended up beating an extraordinary opponent. But if the winner was quite superior for the group, or ended up winning the Triple Crown, then his front-running victory is not that magnificent. For that reason I prefer to honor the tough ones rather than the megastars.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

da3hoss — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:13:05 GMT

To Bloodhorse Staff: I'd be interested in that link, 'cause even the race replay calls him first..

Just a note, then, if the way the race was called changed, then the comparisons aren't fair, so the "gate to wire" is flawed by its inconsistency...I mean, it's fine for fun.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

Blood-Horse Staff — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:23:06 GMT

da3hoss: According to the official Derby chart, War Admiral was second at the first call, which in those days was at the start of the race. You're right though, he was in front soon after and never looked back.

The way the charts are written was changed in 1957, when the first call in route races was made after a quarter mile, not at the start.

re: Kentucky Derby Wire-to-Wire Winners

da3hoss — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:18:54 GMT

Regret deserves a huge ranking...she went against 16 starters in her Derby,(coming out of a two year-old season of a schedule including racing in 3 stakes in 14 days, always against colts, carrying top weight of 127 lbs) Her Derby was her first start of her 3 year old year and the first time she ever ran over 6 furlongs, something we'd all be aghast at in this day and age...she ran so hard she permanently damaged her breathing and ran the rest of her career with breathing problems...she beat the best of her day, all but once against the boys, being defeated only twice, once by a nose,

Regret had heart.