Horse Race Handicapping College - Thoroughbred Horse Racing and the History of the Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby Countdown:

36 Days Until May 3rd and the 134th Kentucky Derby

Thoroughbred Horse Racing and the History of the Kentucky Derby

One of throughbred horse racings Triple Crown events, the Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday of May each year, ( 3 May 2008 ).

Horse racing in Kentucky has a deep history, dating back to 1789 when the first race course was built in Lexington. However, it was not until 1875, that Churchill Downs officially opened and began its tradition as "Home of the Kentucky Derby."

The Kentucky Derby is the most famous and prestigious horse races in the world. It is the first leg of the United States Triple Crown.

Churchill Downs was started by a group headed by a man named M. Lewis Clark in 1874. The group built the racetrack on land owned by the Churchill family of Louisville, Kentucky. The track officially opened on May 17, 1875 and that was the day of the first Kentucky Derby won by Aristides.

The races in the late 1800's were modeled after the English Derby and were 1.5 miles long. In 1896 they changed the length of the Kentucky Derby to 1.25 miles, which is the current length of the dirt track.

The first leg in the pursuit of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby is viewed by many as the most exciting 2 minutes in sports. The two spires atop the homestretch grandstands were added in 1895 and remain one of the most recognized structures in all of sports.

Be sure to order your Kentucky Derby tickets early.

Kentucky Derby tickets at Churchill Downs in premier seating-all backed by an unprecedented 200% money back guarantee.

Serious horse race handicappers will secure their tickets early for this yearly sold out event.

Kentucky Derby Tickets

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Horse Race Handicapping College - 21 Contenders for the 2008 Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby Countdown:

37 Days Until May 3rd and the 134th Kentucky Derby

21 Contenders for the 2008 Kentucky Derby

----- Horse ------------- Last Start -------------Next Start

1.	Pyro	Won Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 8 at Fair Grounds	Toyota Blue Grass S. (G1) on April 12 at Keeneland
2.	Colonel John	Won Sham S. (G3) on March 1 at Santa Anita	Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5 at Santa Anita
3.	Cool Coal Man	Won Fountain of Youth S. (G2) on Feb. 24 at Gulfstream	Toyota Blue Grass S. (G1) on April 12 at Keeneland
4.	Georgie Boy	Won San Felipe S. (G2) on March 15 at Santa Anita	Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5 at Santa Anita
5.	El Gato Malo	Second in Sham S. (G3) on March 1 at Santa Anita	Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5 at Santa Anita
6.	Denis of Cork	Won Southwest S. (G3) on Feb. 18 at Oaklawn	Wood Memorial S. (G1) or Illinois Derby (G2)
7.	War Pass	Seventh in Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 15 at Tampa Bay	Wood Memorial S. (G1) on April 5 at Aqueduct
8.	Visionaire	Won Gotham S. (G3) on March 8 at Aqueduct	Wood Memorial S. (G1) on April 5 at Aqueduct
9.	Elysium Fields	Second in Fountain of Youth S. (G2) at Gulfstream	Florida Derby (G1) on March 29 at Gulfstream
10.	Court Vision	Third in Fountain of Youth S. (G2) on Feb. 24 at Gulfstream	Possibly Florida Derby (G1) on March 29
11.	Big Truck	Won Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 15 at Tampa Bay	Undetermined
12.	Fierce Wind	Won Sam F. Davis S. on Feb. 16 at Tampa Bay	Florida Derby (G1) on March 29 at Gulfstream
13.	Gayego	Second in San Felipe S. (G2) on March 15 at Santa Anita	Undetermined
14.	Adriano	Won Lane's End S. (G2) on March 22 at Turfway	Undetermined
15.	Into Mischief	Second in San Vicente S. (G2) on Feb. 10 at Santa Anita	Undetermined due to sore feet
16.	Tale of Ekati	Sixth in Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 8 at Fair Grounds	Wood Memorial S. (G1) on April 5 at Aqueduct
17.	Yankee Bravo	Third in Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 8 at Fair Grounds	Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5 at Santa Anita
18.	Big Brown	Won allowance race on March 5 at Gulfstream	Florida Derby (G1) on March 29 at Gulfstream
19.	Hey Byrn	Won allowance race on March 2 at Gulfstream	Florida Derby (G1) on March 29 at Gulfstream
20.	Atoned	Second in Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 15 at Tampa Bay	Undetermined
21.	Sierra Sunset	Won Rebel S. (G2) on March 15 at Oaklawn	Arkansas Derby (G2) on April 12 at Oaklawn

Horse race handicappers are really looking forward to this years Kentucky Derby as there are many quality horses lining up to capture the 'big prize'.

Everyone has an opinion on which horse will win, but all bets are off when they head down the stretch at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Historically speaking, the early favorite usually disappoints and the overlooked horse has an incredible trip and has a very generous payoff.

The horse race handicappers who are able to sift thru all of the data and discard the hype, are the ones who cash the winning tickets, especially for the 'big' races.

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Horse Race Handicapping College - Thoroughbred Horse Racing 1979 Preakness Classic

Kentucky Derby Countdown:

38 Days Until May 3rd and the 134th Kentucky Derby

Thoroughbred Horse Racing 1979 Preakness Classic

And Down the Stretch they Come.

Spectacular Bid runs away with this one in a short field of only 5.

Watch as the initial pace setters ran out of steam on the final turn.

Most horse race handicappers prefer not to handicap short fields, but the Preakness is an exception.

The 2008 Kentucky Derby is only 38 days away and the chatter is increasing with each passing day. Now is the time to fine tune your horse handicapping skills.



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Horse Race Handicapping College - Thoroughbred Horse Racing Contender Victorious

Kentucky Derby Countdown:

39 Days Until May 3rd and the 134th Kentucky Derby

Thoroughbred Horse Racing Contender Victorious

Adriano surged to a commanding lead with little urging from jockey Edgar Prado entering the stretch of the $500,000 Lane’s End Stakes (G2) on Saturday at Turfway Park and coasted to a 2 1/2-length score.

Prado and the chestnut A.P. Indy colt drew clear in the final furlong as Adriano comfortably secured his first career stakes victory.

Trained by Graham Motion for owner-breeder Donald Adam’s Courtlandt Farms, Adriano entered off an unplaced finish on February 24 at Gulfstream Park in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), in which he was steadied entering the first turn of his first career start on dirt.

Adriano previously had shown plenty of promise on turf, winning a maiden special weight race on grass by three lengths at Saratoga Race Course in August and posting a dominant 6 3/4-length romp in 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park on January 11 in his season debut. He finished fourth in the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1) as a juvenile on the all-weather Polytrack surface at Keeneland Race Course, and delivered a dominant performance on Turfway’s Polytrack in the Lane’s End.

Adriano stalked pacesetter Duke of de Buqe from fourth through an opening quarter in :23.03 in the 1 1/8-mile race. Adriano accelerated ahead to challenge for the lead on the far turn when Prado let out a notch on the reins and powered clear to a two-length advantage at the eighth pole.

“I thought he was extremely impressive,” said...

The Rest of the Story

Adriano is just one of the 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders. Horse race handicappers will no doubt have their skills tested this year.

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Horse Race Handicapping College - Steroids and Thoroughbred Horse Racing

Kentucky Derby Countdown:

40 Days Until May 3rd and the 134th Kentucky Derby

Steroids and Thoroughbred Horse Racing

While slots have become the chief battleground in the fight between Maryland’s horse racing industry and its neighbors’, a pharmaceutical front has opened.

Pennsylvania and Delaware authorities have banned steroids in thoroughbreds, while Maryland officials are deferring a decision. Bets are still off, however, on whether those states’ precedent-setting bans will give them yet another advantage over Maryland horse racing.

Maryland’s racing industry has been losing ground and revenues to competing tracks in Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, partly because of the attraction of legalized slot machines in those states. Maryland voters in November will consider a referendum on legalizing slots at some tracks.

In the meantime, if Maryland is left as the only ‘‘steroid state” in the region, some observers fear owners and trainers won’t bring their best horses here. Yet others say the lure of being able to use steroids might attract more top horses.

The governing bodies of thoroughbred horse racing and harness racing in Maryland and Virginia and harness racing in Delaware are delaying....

Rest of the Story

Horse racing handicapping and wagering, although a legal form of gambling, does not guarantee that the risk of losing your money has been eliminated.

Always wager with money that you can afford to lose, do not violate your money management rules, and do not be greedy, there will always be another horse race to wager on.

Fact: Only 2% of all horse race handicappers actually make money wagering.

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