The “Thunder over Louisville” fireworks extravaganza, which marks the beginning of the Festival events, occurred this past Saturday, with over 750,000 in attendance. More Derby events will take place before the big day, including the Great Balloon Race, the Great Steamboat Race, the Pegasus Parade, and the mini-Marathon.

The actual Derby race is a Grade I stakes race, meaning it has more praised horses and prize opportunities than any other grade races. With the track being a one-and-a-quarter mile distance from starting gate to finish line, early leads typically do not end up as victors. The event takes place annually on the first Saturday of May, and is considered in the media world to be “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

But what does Derby season mean to the average Louisville native?

Well, despite all the glamour and media coverage of the events, it is hard not to overlook the hell that is Louisville traffic during Derby. There’s no denying that our city gets turned upside down by tourists every year, making it impossible for some to even park their cars in front of their own houses. If you are a person who is afraid of crowds, traffic, fireworks, cameramen, police, loud noises, horses, drunks, or losing money then be sure to take your two-week vacation starting in April.

However, despite its ill-fates, the Derby can be the most magnificent time of year in Louisville. It’s a time when the people of the area come together as a community. During the year we may all have our differences, but when it comes time for Derby season, we all have a common Derby-thread that links us together. It’s a holiday just like Christmas or Thanksgiving, but even more exciting because you can win money.

Being here at IU during The Derby these past couple of years has been tough. I feel as if I’m defying my heritage by not going home.  Therefore, it’s difficult not to resent Indiana for having finals the week after Derby, making it near impossible to go home and enjoy the races.

Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of a culture that brings pride and unity to your city? During Derby season there’s more smiles, more colors, less stress, and lots and lots of hats. Who can resist a big, floppy, ridiculous looking Derby hat? I know I can’t.

Yes, you might have to wait in traffic for hours because three-fourths of the city’s population is in the same location, but “give me a hat and a beer and I’m as happy as a horse with a rose blanket over its back,” as my family always said.

So if you have the privileged opportunity to attend the Kentucky Derby, be prepared to submerge yourself into an accepting culture of chaos, beautiful colors, and good times unlike any other.

The two contenders that I’m talking about this year are Eskendereya, a runaway winner of the Wood Memorial and Fountain of Youth, and Sidney’s Candy, who has won three graded stakes in a row, including his most recent victory in the Santa Anita Derby on April 3^rd.

Eskendereya Compares to 2008 Winner Big Brown

Who can forget that beautiful bay colt Big Brown barreling down the Churchill Downs backstretch in 2008 with an amazing display of style, confidence, and strength? Big Brown looked like the best three-year-old colt on paper before the 2008 Kentucky Derby and once the gates opened, he ran like it as well.

This year another dominant colt has emerged at the forefront of the 2010 Kentucky Derby hopefuls. Eskendereya, trained by Todd Pletcher, has absolutely left his competition behind in his last two races, with an eight-and a-half-length victory in the Fountain of Youth and a nine-and-three-quarter lengths victory in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

The comparisons between these two colts began in both of their first lifetime starts. Both Eskendereya and Big Brown began their careers in September of their two-year-old campaigns, going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf at Saratoga.

It’s obvious from both of their pedigrees that they should excel on the turf. Big Brown won that race by over eleven lengths while Eskendereya finished a solid second.

Both colts then placed themselves firmly on the Derby Trail with their second lifetime starts, which were both scheduled for the turf but were taken off due to weather and run on the dirt. Eskendereya won the Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park by over seven lengths, while Big Brown won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park by over eleven lengths.

Although Big Brown’s trainer Rick Dutrow and Eskendereya’s trainer Todd Pletcher both thought these two horses would run their best on the grass, the second races of their careers is what made their connections realize that they had a legitimate Derby contender in their barns.

The similarities don’t stop there. Both of these colts began their three-year-old campaigns in sunny Florida at Gulfstream Park. They each won both of their two races at Gulfstream and, amazingly, they ran the exact same Beyer Speed Figure in their second to last race before the Kentucky Derby, as they both registered a 106 at Gulfstream Park.

Finally, Eskendereya and Big Brown both solidified their status as Derby favorites with immensely impressive final prep races. Big Brown won the Florida Derby by a commanding five lengths, and Eskendereya made easy work of the Wood Memorial with a nearly ten-length win.

They even have similar running styles, as both like to rate off of the early speed and then take over the race coming into the home stretch. Big Brown took his talent and became the 134^th winner of the Kentucky Derby. To draw the most important comparison to Big Brown, Eskendereya will have to do the same in this year’s running of the Kentucky Derby.

Sidney’s Candy Compares to 2007 Runner Up Hard Spun

Hard Spun turned for home in the 2007 Kentucky Derby with the look of a winner. He had led throughout, and jockey Mario Pino found more horse underneath him as they turned into the Churchill Downs stretch. That was until Calvin Borel executed his famous rail trip and got Street Sense to fire past Hard Spun in the lane. Even in defeat, Hard Spun still ran one of the best Derby races in the past ten years. He was nearly six lengths ahead of the third place finisher, Curlin.

Unlike Eskendereya and Big Brown, Sidney’s Candy and Hard Spun showed off their talent early on as two-year-olds in some very quick sprint races. Hard Spun won his first two career sprint races at Delaware Park in dominating fashion. He broke his maiden by nearly nine lengths and then backed that up with a five length victory in a small stakes going six furlongs.

Sidney’s Candy ran an extremely quick maiden race at Del Mar as a two year old going five and a half furlongs. He posted a 99 Beyer in a four length win and stopped the clock in an amazing 1:02 and change. There was no question that Sidney’s Candy and Hard Spun were two of the fastest two year old sprinters at the time, but the real question was could they stretch out to meet the demanding mile and quarter distance of the Kentucky Derby?

They both answered that question with front-running victories in their first two turn races. Hard Spun won the LeComte at Fairgrounds while leading at every pole. Sidney’s Candy won the San Felipe in the exact same style. Now it was evident that both colts could take their early speed and ration it out over a longer race.

Ironically, Hard Spun and Sidney’s Candy each had one disappointing race on their form, both were 4^th place finishes at very short odds. They even had the same excuse of struggling early on to find front running position. To add one more final comparison, they both won their last prep race going a mile and an eighth on a synthetic surface. Hard Spun and Sidney’s Candy each display a beautiful combination of speed and stamina, two essentials of a good Kentucky Derby runner.

The comparisons between Eskendereya and Big Brown as well as Sidney’s Candy and Hard Spun are very clear. They have taken very similar paths to put themselves in position to be a top three year old contender for the Kentucky Derby. Big Brown won the 2008 Derby and Hard Spun was a game second in 2007. Will the similarities continue in the136th Kentucky Derby with an Eskendereya-Sidney’s Candy 1-2 finish? Stay tuned. The Kentucky Derby will be run on Saturday May 1^st.

Santa Anita Park

One and a sixteenth mile

Two of the most anticipated colts on the 2010 Derby Trail will make their three-year-old debut on Saturday in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita Park in California. Tiz Chrome and American Lion might be two of the top five Derby Contenders early on in the racing season.

Both horses have a lot in common — they each ran impressive debut maiden races and both were purchased privately.

American Lion ran second to Call Shot in a fast maiden race at Arlington Park in September for trainer Richard Budge. He was then purchased by WinStar Farms and given to trainer Eoin Harty.

In October, American Lion demolished a field of 10 other maidens at Keeneland earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. His connections shipped him west to run in the Hollywood Prevue in November at Hollywood Park. Here, American Lion obliged the strong backing that he had at the betting windows and won the Grade 3 race by a half-length at 3-5 odds.

Tiz Chrome popped out of the starting gates quickly on November 1 in his career debut at Churchill Downs and never looked back. He led at every pole and scored an upset win at 15-1 for trainer Allen Crupper. Just like American Lion, Tiz Chrome was purchased privately and given to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert — who also trains the early Derby favorite Lookin at Lucky.

Tiz Chrome ran one race for Baffert at Hollywood Park in December and showed exceptional talent and speed. He won the $53,000 Stuka going six-and-a-half furlongs in a lighting quick time of 1:14.3 seconds. He earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, which is higher than any speed figures Lookin at Lucky has ran in any of his six career races.

The similarities don’t end there for Tiz Chrome and American Lion. Both are from the same sire, Tiznow and, on Saturday, both will have to try two turns for the first time to see if they can handle the longer distance that the Derby preps require.

The winner of this race will put their name at the top of the Derby contenders list alongside Buddy’s Saint and Lookin at Lucky.

Fairgrounds

1 Mile and 40 Yards

Saturday’s 10^th race at Fairgrounds in New Orleans will be the 66^th running of the Grade 3 LeComte and will also be the first prep race leading up to the 136^th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 1. Throughout the next threes months, these races will paint the picture of which horses can make an impact in this year’s Derby. The top 20 three-year-old colts in earnings will have the chance to make history in Louisville and put their names with other greats like Secretariat, Alysheba, and Affirmed.

Maximus Ruler almost pulled off a 50-1 shocker in his maiden debut at Churchill Downs. Trainer Clark Hanna brought him back two weeks later in an allowance race where he faced winners as a maiden. Maximus Ruler was able to find a nice position early behind the speed horses and took over emphatically in the stretch run to break his maiden at 3-1.

He has not raced since then and like seven other horses in this race, he will be making his 2010 debut. What he has going against him is the experience factor. He is the only horse in the field with only two starts and has only raced at one track. All of that aside, Maximus Ruler looks to be a very talented colt and I was very impressed by his maiden victory which resulted in a Beyer Speed Figure of 85.

Breaking from the No. 3 post is Worldly trained by Paul McGee. Out of the 11 horses in the field, Worldly has the best pedigree for the long and demanding mile and a quarter length of the Derby’s track. Worldly ran a distant third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill. McGee brought him back January 3 at Fairgrounds at the same mile and 40-yard distance as the LeComte. He ran second that day by a length. Now, he has the benefit of a race over the track at the same distance and I think Robby Albarado will tuck him in right behind the speed horses (DePaul, Citrus Kid, and Cool Bullet).

A horse to look for coming on the scene very late is Ron the Greek trained by Tom Amoss. In all three of his career races, he has been dead last through the first four furlongs, yet he has an electric turn of foot and gets jockey James Graham whose specialty is bringing closers late. Honestly this is a pretty weak field of three year old colts. I don’t see any of them making a huge impact on the Derby trail but we will have to wait and see. Talent-wise, Maximus Ruler is the best horse in the field and that’s why he is my winning selection.

Predictions

1. 1. Maximus Ruler
2. 2. Worldly
3. 3. Ron the Greek

The Derby might be one of the most unique sporting events in the United States. A lot of people have heard of it, but very few know how it works or what makes it so special.

Every year, the city of Louisville puts on a two week long Derby Festival that includes parades, art and fashion shows, balloon glows, steamboat races and one of the biggest firework spectacles in the world. All of these festivities for just one horse race: The Kentucky Derby, which this year will be May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Here at iusportscom.com, ROAD TO KENTUCKY DERBY 136 will be a three-month-long series detailing everything there is to know about the 2010 edition of the Derby. From long shots to top contenders, I will be analyzing the horses that have a chance to win the garland of roses on that first magical Saturday in May. Ideally, this series will attract those who have never watched a horse race as well as advanced handicappers who know all there is to know about the Sport of Kings.

Caleb Keller is a junior at Indiana University studying Sports Communication. He grew up only 15 minutes away from Churchill Downs. He knows everyone from the head of media relations, to the guy who clocks the horses’ workouts, to the guys that train the thoroughbreds.

Gulfstream Park

One Mile

The 21^st running of the Holy Bull at Gulstream Park is scheduled to be run at one mile and has nine runners entered. Unlike the Lecomte, the Holy Bull has some colts that could really make a name for themselves as Derby contenders with a win on Saturday.

The horse that will be talked about the most and will likely be the post time favorite is the number nine, Jackson Bend. This horse had a great two-year-old campaign at Calder, winning his last five starts, including four stakes races. He dominated his last race in October, going a mile and a sixteenth in a field of 8 two year olds including one horse in this race, Thank U Philippe. He earned a big 100 Beyer, and now has transferred barns to be with legendary trainer Nick Zito. Jockey Jeremy Rose will get the leg up for the first time on this colt, so look for him to find a nice mid-pack position early on from an outside post position.

The six horse, Winslow Homer, ran a very impressive race at Philadelphia Park in late November over a muddy track, winning an allowance race by over 12 lengths. Winslow Homer is bred to run in races over a mile, so the distance will be just right for him. This colt was a $310,000 purchase at the 2008 Keeneland sale, and he is looking to win his first stakes race.

The horse that I like in this race is the number 8, Aikenite. He debuted at Saratoga in August and ran past a very talented horse in Gun Rock to break his maiden. Trainer Todd Pletcher placed him in the Grade 1, hopeful for his second career start where he missed the break badly, but still ran on late for third. His next two races were over synthetic surfaces, a second in the Breeders Futurity and a fifth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita where he was steadied in deep stretch. Todd Pletcher has given him two months to rest up for his three year old debut and he displayed a quick 59 4/5 seconds workout for five furlongs on January 17^th. If Aikenite can get a little closer to the early pace, he might be the horse to beat.

Predictions

1. 1. Aikenite
2. 2. Winslow Homer
3. 3. Jackson Bend