Kentucky Derby Picks of the Past, the 90's (How I've faired over the years - part 3 of the series)
Posted by Billy at 3/8/2010 10:38 PM 
Categories: Kentucky Derby
Tags: Breeders' Cup TVG Handicapping Triple Crown Thoroughbred Lukas The Bell Group Churchill Downs Stallions Kentucky Derby Preakness Keeneland Affirmed Horse Racing Lexington Winning Colors
Categories: Kentucky Derby
Tags: Breeders' Cup TVG Handicapping Triple Crown Thoroughbred Lukas The Bell Group Churchill Downs Stallions Kentucky Derby Preakness Keeneland Affirmed Horse Racing Lexington Winning Colors
We roll into the 90's as I'm preparing an escape from the Land of Enchantment (Entrapment if you're a native New Mexican). During this same time my first horse to race was also nearing her first start. An Exciting decade of new beginnings. However not so exciting for me in the early stages of the Derby Decade.
1990 - I was in Las Cruces, NM visiting my friend Christine Freeman (she's a day older than me). I watched the race on her 2 inch tv or maybe it was a 13 inch. Even on that small screen the moment with Carl Nafzger and Frances Genter as Unbridled was heading to the wire was epic. However, my picks Thirty Six Red, Real Cash and Dr. Bobby A. are still running I believe. 9th, 11th and 12th. Billy loses. But at least my horse would win in her 3rd start later that year.
1991 - you must know by now that I could not stand Strike the Gold. COULD NOT. Don't care - don't cry to me about it. Yuck. With that my choices were 5th - Fly so Free and 6th - Quintana (by Affirmed). The latter made a great move and I thought my man was gonna get in there. But alas the horse I liked the least in that crop wins. Billy loses. My horse won an allowance that year for me. So not all was lost.
1992 - closing in! as usual I didn't care about what comes from Arkansas. Why? Cause I'm a bitch and I have to pick places I don't believe match up to the level I like. Arkansas - that's you. Lil E. Tee won after a trip through Oaklawn and a win at Turfway (Latonia, whatever it might have been called at that time.) My picks? Casual Lies (2nd), Technology (10th). 2nd can almost be more hard to deal with than off the board. Really liked Casual Lies. Billy loses.
1993 - most likely one of my least favorite years in Derby history. Sea Hero won - great story - but not my pick. No - I had Bull inthe Heather (a rockin 11th - all bull no heather), El Bakan (18th) and Tossofthecoin (last - 19th). Awesome. I was getting ready to end my exciting life in retail in Farmington, NM to hit the big time of the Thoroughbred industry - with my hot white Mercury Topaz and $200. Billy loses.
1994 - another year that I wasn't in love with. Go for Gin wins (I have a nickname for him that I can't share). My horse of choice? 2nd place finisher Strodes Creek. I really thought I had that one nailed down. Billy loses.
1995 - oh look - another 2nd! Six years into the decade and no wins. My Dad had Thunder Gulch - I had Tejano Run (2nd) that's a $480 exacta that we didn't bet. I also had Talkin Man (love! 2nd at the head of the stretch - and then 12th), and the great Serena's Song (16th - one of the stars of the 1st Breeders' Cup I had ever attended - with my Dad. So awesome). yet - Billy loses.
1996 - So I cashed a ticket on the winner Grindstone - but to be fair - I did not pick him - I was head over heals about his entry mate - Editor's Note (6th). I also had 3rd place finisher Prince of Thieves. I'd now been in KY for closing in on 4 years - and had yet to see the Derby live - but guess what the next year would bring? not a winner. Billy loses
1997 - Silver Charm took the roses - without accolades from me. I mean - I wasn't mad at him just didn't pick him. You would think I'd have picked Free House (and I did but not to win - he was 3rd by the way). To me that horse was flat out star power, hot flashy gorgeous - like all the guys I like (well). I saw Pulpit for the 1st time in the paddock at Keeneland for the Blue Grass S. - and was almost immediately over the moon. I don't usually fall for the bandwagon horse - but this one was breathtaking. He finished 4th. Billy loses - but also wins because I watched this race from the backside at Churchill Downs. My first Derby! This would be the year someone yelled to me while walking on the track to the grandstand "Billy Idol" - I just curled my lip an waved.
1998 - all year I had cheered on Real Quiet because he had made a start (a losing one - and I say that only because too many people say he won) in New Mexico at 2. For whatever reason - I was off him when the Derby hit. Once again on the backside at Churchill, my horse was Old Trieste (10th). I could have killed myself after the finish. But lucky for you - I did not. Billy loses.
1999 - a year that will live deep within my soul. No - not a winner for me but I spent the weeks leading up to the Derby doing interviews for newspapers, tv, and most importantly ESPN Magazine. All because of my colorful tattoo on my back - complete with the Twin Spires, Hot Air balloons, 5 horses and Janet Jackson in a derby hat. I watched the Derby from the paddock this year with my friend Beth and cheered on my pick that was in print in ESPN magazine. Menifee. He was 2nd. At least I didn't seem stupid to the world. Billy loses.
The 90's came and went as my least favorite decade for the Derby. Can't win them all right? Take note - not a winner since Winning Colors. When would this drought end? Wait for the '00s coming in a few days.
Who did you win with? Lose with?
The 90's
1990 - I was in Las Cruces, NM visiting my friend Christine Freeman (she's a day older than me). I watched the race on her 2 inch tv or maybe it was a 13 inch. Even on that small screen the moment with Carl Nafzger and Frances Genter as Unbridled was heading to the wire was epic. However, my picks Thirty Six Red, Real Cash and Dr. Bobby A. are still running I believe. 9th, 11th and 12th. Billy loses. But at least my horse would win in her 3rd start later that year.
1991 - you must know by now that I could not stand Strike the Gold. COULD NOT. Don't care - don't cry to me about it. Yuck. With that my choices were 5th - Fly so Free and 6th - Quintana (by Affirmed). The latter made a great move and I thought my man was gonna get in there. But alas the horse I liked the least in that crop wins. Billy loses. My horse won an allowance that year for me. So not all was lost.
1992 - closing in! as usual I didn't care about what comes from Arkansas. Why? Cause I'm a bitch and I have to pick places I don't believe match up to the level I like. Arkansas - that's you. Lil E. Tee won after a trip through Oaklawn and a win at Turfway (Latonia, whatever it might have been called at that time.) My picks? Casual Lies (2nd), Technology (10th). 2nd can almost be more hard to deal with than off the board. Really liked Casual Lies. Billy loses.
1993 - most likely one of my least favorite years in Derby history. Sea Hero won - great story - but not my pick. No - I had Bull inthe Heather (a rockin 11th - all bull no heather), El Bakan (18th) and Tossofthecoin (last - 19th). Awesome. I was getting ready to end my exciting life in retail in Farmington, NM to hit the big time of the Thoroughbred industry - with my hot white Mercury Topaz and $200. Billy loses.
1994 - another year that I wasn't in love with. Go for Gin wins (I have a nickname for him that I can't share). My horse of choice? 2nd place finisher Strodes Creek. I really thought I had that one nailed down. Billy loses.
1995 - oh look - another 2nd! Six years into the decade and no wins. My Dad had Thunder Gulch - I had Tejano Run (2nd) that's a $480 exacta that we didn't bet. I also had Talkin Man (love! 2nd at the head of the stretch - and then 12th), and the great Serena's Song (16th - one of the stars of the 1st Breeders' Cup I had ever attended - with my Dad. So awesome). yet - Billy loses.
1996 - So I cashed a ticket on the winner Grindstone - but to be fair - I did not pick him - I was head over heals about his entry mate - Editor's Note (6th). I also had 3rd place finisher Prince of Thieves. I'd now been in KY for closing in on 4 years - and had yet to see the Derby live - but guess what the next year would bring? not a winner. Billy loses
1997 - Silver Charm took the roses - without accolades from me. I mean - I wasn't mad at him just didn't pick him. You would think I'd have picked Free House (and I did but not to win - he was 3rd by the way). To me that horse was flat out star power, hot flashy gorgeous - like all the guys I like (well). I saw Pulpit for the 1st time in the paddock at Keeneland for the Blue Grass S. - and was almost immediately over the moon. I don't usually fall for the bandwagon horse - but this one was breathtaking. He finished 4th. Billy loses - but also wins because I watched this race from the backside at Churchill Downs. My first Derby! This would be the year someone yelled to me while walking on the track to the grandstand "Billy Idol" - I just curled my lip an waved.
1998 - all year I had cheered on Real Quiet because he had made a start (a losing one - and I say that only because too many people say he won) in New Mexico at 2. For whatever reason - I was off him when the Derby hit. Once again on the backside at Churchill, my horse was Old Trieste (10th). I could have killed myself after the finish. But lucky for you - I did not. Billy loses.
1999 - a year that will live deep within my soul. No - not a winner for me but I spent the weeks leading up to the Derby doing interviews for newspapers, tv, and most importantly ESPN Magazine. All because of my colorful tattoo on my back - complete with the Twin Spires, Hot Air balloons, 5 horses and Janet Jackson in a derby hat. I watched the Derby from the paddock this year with my friend Beth and cheered on my pick that was in print in ESPN magazine. Menifee. He was 2nd. At least I didn't seem stupid to the world. Billy loses.
The 90's came and went as my least favorite decade for the Derby. Can't win them all right? Take note - not a winner since Winning Colors. When would this drought end? Wait for the '00s coming in a few days.
Who did you win with? Lose with?
The 90's
| Picks | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | win % |
| 20 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
For what it's worth, the 90s treated me no better & we share Editor's Note as a favourite. I had Silver Charm, only because my mom had a school girl crush on Baffert & I finally relented. I don't even remember who I liked now for that Derby.
I did like Thirty Six Red, as well, and then many moons later, he would be the sire to Premium Red (thankfully TSR finally got to the barn to breed) and Premium Red foaled Premium Tap... who brought me into my first Grade 1 winner's circle.
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Nice list!
The 90s were a bit of a hiatus for me from racing; Go For Wand's death shook me so badly, I lost my avid following for a few years. But..I was definitely a Free House fan...and Real Quiet started me on the road back to my passion for racing. Well, he and his fabulous "side show" act of Baffert/Pegram, a team I adore to this day. Man, they were fun!
I remember the first time I "met" Victory Gallop at Winstar...couldn't even look at him, LOL. Not his fault of course, but it is what it is.
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Well this gets into the decade where I was actually at the Derby and could bet it, so who I love and did I cash a ticket become somewhat separate issues.
1990 My picks were Summer Squall and Thirty Six Red. 2nd and wherever TSR ended up.
1991 Bite me, I LOVE Strike the Gold, cashed on the 3 top finishers, made a lot that day.
1992 I honestly didn't pick a horse that year because it was the one year in the 90s I didn't go to the Derby. I had one horse, AP Indy, and he scratched raceday. So I just watched to see what would happen. I was a big fan of Pat Day, so I was happy for him.
1993 I was in love with no one that year, but was on Bullintheheather. As I was there, my friend Leslie and I saw Sea Hero come stomping and snorting into the paddock with 2 handlers, like a prize fighter on his way to the ring. So we ran and bet him. So, yeah, I cashed a ticket. I'd call that a push.
1994 This Derby was hitting me a lot like the previous one, though I had always loved Go For Gin. When the rain poured an hour before the race, I struggled with it no more. Gin was a mudder. Jackpot.
1995 This is another push. My horse was Timber Country who ran 3rd. But I did bet Thunder Gulch as well, as he went off at 25-1 or some such, he basically covered all my other bad bets.
1996 A win by default. As they still coupled entries in those days, I got Grindstone because I bet Editor's Note. I also like Prince of Thieves who ran 3rd.
1997 My horses were Silver Charm (love, love), Free House and Pulpit, so 1st, 3rd, 4th. Was very proud of my sister, who cashed her first Tri on the race. Yeah!!
1998 Was so upside down on this one. I had all the right horses in all the wrong order. My horses were Cape Town and Halory Hunter (4th and 5th) keyed over Real Quiet, Victory Gallop and Indian Charlie (1st 2nd 3rd). What saved me is I bet a bundle on Victory Gallop to place and show.
1999 My horse was Cat Thief, he ran 3rd and frustrated me pretty much his entire career. I bet him-he punks, I don't-he wins.
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While the 90's were rough on you, Billy, they were good to me because that was when I got interested in the sport (well, it was at the very end of the decade, but whatever). I was nine years old in 1999 and that was when I happened to turn on the tv and find that the coverage of the Derby was on. At random, I picked Menifee to win, but it was Charismatic that I ended up falling in love with. I cheered him on in the rest of his bid for the Triple Crown and was heartbroken when he became injured in the Belmont. Charismatic actually stayed my favorite racehorse for years and it took a lot of doing from Cosmonaut to take over. It's still a huge goal of mine to make it to Japan and visit Charismatic at stud.
And as for my first horse that I ever picked in a race, Menifee? Yeah, I love him, too, and support him as a sire--it's always a good day when a Menifee baby wins.
So yeah, I can't complain...1999 was a good year for me.
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