2017 Horse Racing - Inside the Kentucky Derby Trail
From Bloodhorse.com: On January 24, we will kick off the 2017 Derby Dozen on Bloodhorse.com. Ever since my Daily Racing Form colleague Steve Feldman and I inaugurated the first Derby Dozen in 1993, analysis of the early Kentucky Derby contenders has become a rite of winter. As I watch the first snow of the winter fall on Hamilton Square on a cold gray morning I can’t help but think of Amanda McBroom’s brilliant closing lyrics to her hit song The Rose: “Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snow, lies the seed that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes the rose.”
What better way to bring color to winter than to envision roses in bloom on the first Saturday in May, scented green leaves adorning glasses of mint juleps, and the famed Twin Spires piercing a bright cerulean sky. Each year those images beckon all those who dare to dream.
At this time of the year, hopes run high, as trainers and owners across the country look at their promising 3-year-olds and have visions of grandeur and Kentucky Derby immortality. This is that special time when the different paths on the Derby trail are being meticulously mapped out and everyone’s dreams are still alive. -- but with the knowledge that one wrong decision, one bad ride in a crucial race, one bad step, or one lingering illness can crush those dreams in a heartbeat.
With every move and every scheduled prep race so critical, there are many ways of approaching the arduous and often perilous road to Louisville. Be aware that many trainers are going to lose their way and prove unable to complete the journey, due to various types of misfortune or poor decisions or the pressure that continues to build over a four-month period. Only one will make every right decision, luck out with injuries, have their horse peaking on the first Saturday in May, and get to drape the blanket of roses over their horse’s neck.
More at: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2017/01/06/inside-the-kentucky-derby-trail.aspx
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