Kentucky Derby Could Be Wet. Sierra Leone, One Of The Early Favorites, Won In Slop

(CTN News) – In a battle for position, twenty Kentucky Derby horses stampede toward the first turn. There will be a screaming crowd of 150,000 spectators and maybe a few showers that will dampen the dirt strip at Churchill Downs.

There will be a 150th Kentucky Derby this year. The race has a wide open field, aside from a couple of early betting favorites.

At 6:57 p.m. on Saturday Eastern Daylight Time. The weather forecast calls for overcast skies, 82% humidity, and a 20% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Dirt surface was upgraded to good midway through the afternoon’s racing from muddy early on.

There was a flood of fans entering Churchill Kentucky Derby Downs in colorful outfits and large hats adorned with feathers. A line of people formed to purchase mint juleps in souvenir glasses. There was a strong smell of cigar smoke in the humid air.

Weather conditions that are wet could benefit six horses that have previously won in mud or slush, including early favorites Fierceness and Sierra Leone. In addition to Dornoch, Just a Touch, Mystik Dan, and Society Man, there are other companies with experience on messy surfaces.

 The Kentucky Derby will answer the perennial question of which 3-year-old is best prepared to run 1 1/4 miles in front of the largest crowd of their lives.

Fierceness will be ridden by John Velazquez from the No. 17 post, where there has never been a Kentucky Derby winner.

In the 20-horse field, Sierra Leone is the most expensive colt at $2.3 million.

“Many times you purchase a horse such as that and they are not able to run,” said Peter Brandt, one of the six owners. In my opinion, he is very, very fortunate to have reached this point in his life. It is our pleasure to take care of this horse and we look forward to this race as well as the future.”

On the other hand, Larry Demeritte paid only $11,000 for Saratoga West. Since 1984, when the 74-year-old Bahamas native began training, he has won 180 races and nearly $5 million in purse money. Demeritte is only the second Black trainer to saddle a horse in the derby since 1951.

It is truly remarkable how we have reached this position with this horse,” he said. As a result of the record purse of $5 million, the winner of the Kentucky Derby earns a total of $3.1 million.

This is the second consecutive year that Japan has entered two entries: Forever Young and T O Password. In the history of the race, the country has never won. The celebrated Italian jockey, Frankie Dettori, has returned to ride Society Man after an absence of 24 years.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddles Fierceness, has been participating in the Kentucky Derby for 24 years and he never gets tired of it. It has twice been won by him. “It just makes things more nerve-racking,” he explained.

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