It's Kentucky Derby Day!
Hastings' insiders Mike Heads and Bailey Williams analyze the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, while we also look back at Friday's Kentucky Oaks and the remarkable Thorpedo Anna
10 Kentucky Derby Pedigree fun facts
Courtesy kentuckyderby.com Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com
Sierra Leone first made headlines when commanding the top price of $2.3 million as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga. Now he’s making news as a leading Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.
As his auction price suggests, Sierra Leone boasts a terrific pedigree. Both of his parents were major winners themselves – Horse of the Year Gun Runner and Grade 1 queen Heavenly Love – and his maternal relatives include Japanese superstar and KY Derby rival, Forever Young.
Here are 10 pedigree fun facts on Sierra Leone:
Hastings Picks
Hastings Statistics for Saturday
Thorpedo Sinks Kentucky Oaks Rivals
In a bold, front-running display on the sloppiest of surfaces, THORPEDO ANNA made virtually every yard of the pace under a confident Brian Hernandez Junior to give trainer Kenny McPeek the Kentucky Oaks win he has craved for so long, writes Nigel Reid.
Hernandez reported an incident-free run on, or close, to the front throughout, repelling all attacks and turning back what looked, briefly, like a race-winning challenge from the favourite, JUST F Y I (Justify).
Hernandez said: “She got a little nervous in the post-parade, I think that was from her not racing in a while. Today she got out there and she was just cool, calm, taking it all in. When I seen the way she was in the post-parade, I thought, man, it's going to take a really, really good horse to beat her today.
“Like I said, it was a magical moment, because turning for home, she was so relaxed and cruising, I was able to enjoy the roar of the crowd for a few jumps. And then when I called on her, she responded and just ran away from them.”
For McPeek, the victory ended years of trying to win a race he has come close to landing on several previous occasions.
McPeek said: “She was a bear today. She has been training great and when I saw Brian had the race in control I thought she could do it. It’s just so amazing to finally win this race. We’ve been close for a long time but it’s a great feeling to get it done.
“We work our tail off. And the seconds were a little frustrating. I'm really proud of the fact that we bought her. And a couple of the others we have run in the race, I bought at auction. You just work at it, and you work at it, and you try to figure out what kind of formula it's going to take to come up with a horse that can win races like these. It's come together today.
“And you can't take any of it for granted. You just keep at it.”
Snagged for just $40,000 by McPeek as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale, THORPEDO ANNA is by Fast Anna out of Sataves, an unraced Uncle Mo mare who is a granddaughter of Aldebaran Light, dam of Grade 1 winners, Eskendereya and Balmont.
The winner was bred by her part-owner Judy Hicks, who reported her pride and joy was far from easy to rear.
Hicks said: “Emotionally, I can't really describe how it feels. She was always a tyrant at the farm. You went into the stall to try to catch her with her mother and she would turn and fire at you with everything she had.”
“Her mother was premature; seven, eight weeks premature when she was born. She was 45 inches tall, weighed 60 pounds. Her hocks were crushed. And there wasn't much hope of any future for her. So I volunteered to take her from the owners, Mr. Sanford Robertson and Kathryn Nikkel, who bred her. And Mr. Robertson graciously gave her to me when I volunteered to keep her. And I tried to do my magic and it worked.”
Win a Racing Club Membership on Mother’s Day!
Racegoers at Hastings on Mother’s Day can win a fully-inclusive membership to the exciting Hastings Racing Club. Simply find the red BC Racebook tent on the tarmac and enter to win. There’s no entry charge and the winner will be announced at the end of live racing.
Hastings Racing Club Membership includes:
Reserved grandstand seating in the Hastings Racing Club section*
Accompanied paddock access before your races*
Free program on Club Race Days
Accompanied backstretch access to watch your horses in training
Orientation event
All costs associated with training, vet, blacksmith, stabling, entry fees
Updates about your horses, plus racing and ownership information