2011 Kentucky Derby

			For 137 years the Kentucky Derby has captured America’s heart as not only a horse race, but as a tradition and even that is as big as the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. It may not seem like much to a lot of people, but for the over 100,000 people that pack into the track, the millions that watch on television, and to the owners and trainers of the horses, it means a lot. From the mint juleps to the call to paddock to the singing of my “Old Kentucky Home”,  the Kentucky Derby is steeped in rich history and tradition.(Kind of reminds you of another race in May that happens about 100 miles north)                          Last year unknown jockey turned hero, Calvin Borel, rode Super Saver to victory. Borel would then go on to complete his own “Triple Crown” as he rode to victory in the Derby, Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness Stakes. 2010 also marked the first time I picked the winner of the race; unfortunately though, I’m not old enough to bet, so my genius earned me nothing.                          This year the favorite coming in is a horse named “Uncle Mo”, but the horse has been "scratched" due to illness and will not race. The field is considered to be most even in years. Horses Dialed In and Nehro are the favorites, with odds of  4:1 and 6:1, respectively.            For the first time since 2003, a woman will jockey a horse. Rosie Napravnik will be aboard Pants On Fire, who she won the Louisville Derby with. Napravnik will be trying to be the first woman jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.            I will be pulling for “Twice the Appeal”, ridden by Calvin Borel; a jockey who has won the Kentucky Derby twice. Here is a list of the horses and their current odds, in the order of posts. -Updated(as of 3:00 p.m. 5/7/2011) odds in parenthesis Archarcharch                        10:1(13-1) Brilliant Speed                      30:1(26-1) Twice the Appeal                  20:1(10-1) Stay Thirsty                          20:1(16-1) Decisive Moment                  30:1(38-1)  Comma To The Top              30:1(36-1) Pants On Fire                       20:1(7-1) Dialed In                                 4:1(5-1) Derby Kitten                         30:1(34-1) Twinspired                            30:1(29-1) Master of Hounds                 30:1(12-1) Santiva                                 30:1(35-1) Mucho Macho Man              12:1(9-1) Shackleford                          12:1(24-1) Midnight Interlude                10:1(8-1) Animal Kingdom                  30:1(22-1) Soldat                                  12:1(14-1) Nehro                                     6:1(10-1) Watch Me Go                       50:1(29-1) Information gathered from: www.freep.com www.si.com www.kentuckyderby.info