Kentucky Derby 2009
Kentucky Derby Odds
Kentucky Derby Contest
Leaderboards
Kentucky Derby 2008 Winners
Horse - Big Brown
Big Brown is a retired Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and 2008 Preakness Stakes. Bred by Dr. Gary B. Knapp's Monticule Farms in Lexington, Kentucky, the three-year-old was undefeated in his first five career starts. He was sired by Grade III winner Boundary, a son of North American Champion sire Danzig, who was a son of Northern Dancer.
On May 3, 2008, in his fourth race, the 2008 Kentucky Derby, Big Brown was the 2–1 favorite.
An interesting fact of this race was that he became the first horse since 1929 to win it from the 20th gate, winning by 43/4 lengths over filly Eight Belles, who was euthanized after breaking both front ankles during the post-race cool-down. The final time for the 1 1/4 mile race was 2:01:92.
Jockey - Kent Desormeaux
In 2008 Desormeaux won his third Kentucky Derby aboard Big Brown, in a time of 2:01 4/5. Big Brown won by just under five lengths. Desormeaux followed this victory with his ride on Big Brown to victory in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD in a time of 1:54 4/5. In the final race of the Triple Crown, however, the Belmont Stakes, Desormeaux was forced to ease Big Brown in after the colt tired at the quarter pole.
After that, he won the G1 Haskell Invitational in August and Monmouth Stakes in September with Big Brown en route to a planned start in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Trainer - Richard Dutrow, Jr.
Richard E. "Rick" Dutrow, Jr is one of the most experienced American thoroughbred racehorse trainers and third in the national standings through Oct. 5, 2008; Dutrow has won 140 races from 576 starts, for $10,301,726. Dutrow, Jr. is also a finalist for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer for 2008. He won an alternate award from horseraceinsider.com. Impact Trainer of the Year Insider Award 2008 for demonstrating all that is right and all that is wrong with the state of the game.
In 2008 he trained Big Brown to a Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes victory, although failing to capture the Triple Crown with a dead last finish in the 140th Belmont Stakes.
Some sort of controversy about this race was brought up because Rick Dutrow admitted that he administers stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, to his horses, including Big Brown, on the 15th of every month. However Dutrow stated to ESPN that Big Brown did not take the May 15th shot for the Belmont Stakes. This kind of steroid is banned in 10 states but not in any of the states where the Triple Crown races are held.
Trophy
Since the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby in 1924, Churchill Downs has annually presented a gold trophy to the winning owner of the famed "Run for the Roses."
History is unclear if a trophy was presented in 1875 to the winner of the first Kentucky Derby, and trophy presentations were sporadically made in following years. Finally, in 1924, legendary Churchill Downs President Matt Winn commissioned that a standard design be developed for the "Golden Anniversary" of the Derby.
Outside of the jeweled embellishments that were added to note special Derby anniversaries in 1949 (75th), 1974 (100th), and 1999 (125th), only one change has been made to the original design. For the 125th Kentucky Derby in 1999, Churchill Downs officials decided to defer to racing lore and change the direction of the decorative horseshoe displayed on the 14-karat gold trophy.
The horseshoe, fashioned from 18-karat gold, had pointed downward on each of the trophies since 1924. To commemorate Derby 125 the change was made and the horseshoe was turned 180 degrees so that its ends pointed up. The trophy now annually incorporates the horseshoe with the ends pointing up. Racing superstition decrees that if the horseshoe is turned down all the luck will run out.
Since 1975 the trophy has been created by New England Sterling located in North Attleboro, MA. The trophy, which is topped by an 18-karat gold horse and rider, includes horseshoe shaped handles, is 22 inches tall and weighs 56 ounces, excluding its jade base.
The entire trophy is handcrafted with the exception of the horse and rider that are both cast from a mold.
To complete the trophy by April, craftsmen begin the process during the fall of the previous year and literally work hundreds of hours. The trophy is believed to be the only solid gold trophy that is annually awarded the winner of a major American sporting event.
Kentucky Derby News
Husbands sidelined with broken leg
Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Veteran jockey Patrick Husbands underwent surgery Tuesday after suffering injuries Monday at Woodbine. Full Story...
