Saturday, May 02, 2009

Kentucky Derby 135

Dear Sally:

Today is going to be my first Kentucky Derby without my father. When the race is over, I won’t have anyone to call who can spit and cuss like my father used to. Please call me today and swear as if your life depended on it. If you can fake an elderly man’s voice with a North Carolina accent, I would be touched.

I send my best to the Kentucky Derby favorite, I Want Revenge. The name is an awful lot of Karma to put on one animal, but he’s built for speed and those Bloomberg people love him. (UPDATE 11:00 AM - Revenge has been scratched! Karma, baby, karma...)
  • Mojopo's Derby Pick: General Quarters - Hands down, General Quarters is my sentimental favorite. His owner and groomer is Tom McCarthy, a really old guy who has one horse in the whole world. Tom has never been to Churchill Downs before.
  • Look For: Dunkirk - This Dunkirk kid is gorgeous! His jockey is Edgar Prado, the man who took Barbaro has far as he could go. Prado knows a thing or two about the other side of winning. Dunkirk is in good hands.
  • Hat Tip To: Hold Me Back - Jockey Kent Desormeaux pulled up the reigns on Big Brown during the Belmont Stakes in 2008, to keep Brownie from injuring himself. The guy who held Big Brown back is running a horse named Hold Me Back? Get out! I love it.
  • Don’t Forget: Friesian Fire - Friesian Fire has had weeks to think about his last race. He’s either coiled up like an industrial spring and ready to blast, or he’s thinking about the girl he left in the pasture.

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15 comments:

a. t. said...

Note to Mojo: You can not bum us out with moldy pizza and then pump us up for the Derby. It's like injecting us with speedballs. What are you tryin to give me a heart attack!

Sokay. I love you. I hope someone will cuss and spit for you just like your Dad. Peace to you and THIS Mojopost gets a 10 for your incredible descriptions of the trotters.

PS -- Scrotch says hullo!

Mojopo said...

Hullo, Scotch. May I introduce you to my friend gin?

WHOOO Uh, OK.

a.t. said...

Ya gotta believe ol Scrotch has met Gin AND her crazy cousin Verma on many occasions. I try to keep them apart.

You know, Mojo, there really only needs to be two cities in this damn country: Chicago, for when you want a nice dry martini and a decent slice of pizza, goddam you, Dino! And New Orleans, for when you want to do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Q4FqVXrKM

Anonymous said...

I will miss the Derby this year because I will on my way to a baseball game. Sadly, they won't have mint juleps at the game.

Your friend, Rusty said...

When I saw this was Derby Week I thought of you immediately.

skeeter......g said...

Did you see the little filly Rachel Alexandra win by 20 lengths on Friday in Kentucky Oaks race..... Owner said he didn't want her to run with the big boys in the Derby. Looks like she may not of had a problem.

Mojopo said...

Skeeter, no - I missed that! Whoa.

Rusty - thank you. That's such a nice thing to say.

Dunkirk's odds are up, along with Pioneer of The Nile, but I'm not loving their experience on dirt. The track is sloppy today. It's going to be like running in a gravy bowl.

PapaPig said...

I put my money on Fuzzy Math this year. It was entered by the Bank of America. So far all their Fuzzy Math has won them huge amounts of cash for screwing up and screwing their customers.

So I have high hopes he (Fuzzy Math) will screw all the other horses and win.

PS: Are my posts getting too far out beyond Pluto?

Mojopo said...

No, Papa Pig. You're doing great! Fuzzy Math, eh? I'm still thinking over the Yule Log thing. You crack me up!

Bet on any horse who can jump on the inside. It's a slopfest out there and the winners are hitting the inside early.

Skeeter, the more I think about the race I had to miss, the crazier I feel. Wasn't that something?

Mojopo said...

Did anyone else catch the Eight Belles Stakes? They rang the bell 8 times pre-gate and I cried like a girl.

She was something.

Mojopo said...

MINE THAT BIRD!!!! By a mile on the inside. 50 to 1, huh? WHOOOOO

Anonymous said...

ALL horse racing should be banned.
It's the most henius form of cruelty to animals. The horses are
bred to do one thing RUN and when they can no longer run, the are disposed of.

Old Hippy

anony tu said...

Let's ask an expert:


http://www.extension.org/faq/254

a.t. said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Queh9GK1Bg

Mojopo said...

Hippy, I disagree. When it's not a sunny day outside, we can debate this if you want to.