I Want Revenge Is Early Derby Fave

Barns damaged at home of Kentucky Derby

(NEWSER) - A tornado hit the home of the Kentucky Derby Wednesday night, damaging several barns and leaving horses running loose. No injuries to humans or horses were reported after the tornado at Louisville's Churchill Downs, reports the AP . The horses were corralled and no damage to the racetrack's iconic twin spires was reported. Thursday's race card has been canceled. More»

Diet, prayer, breathing, going to a shrink didn't do the trick for Tom Durkin

(NEWSER) - "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" turned out to be the most hellish for the man who has been tasked with calling the race 13 times. Tom Durkin's annual preparation went well beyond poring over photos of horses and flash cards and toting around a notebook containing more than 2,000 colorful adjectives and phrases. It has also consisted of medication, prayer, breathing exercises, time on a psychiatrist's couch, diet, exercises, and anything else he could think of, as the anxiety over describing the pandemonium creating by 20 horses blazing down the track began to build months in advance. More»

Race expected to go on, just soggier

(AP) - Heavy rain has postponed early morning workouts at Churchill Downs, where all 20 Kentucky Derby horses are still expected to start. Most turf races were being moved to the main dirt track today, at least until late in the day. That sparked numerous scratches in minor races. Kentucky state veterinarian Bryce Peckham said he knew of at least 15-20 horses that wouldn't be running in the Derby undercard. More»

(NEWSER) - Kentucky Derby favorite I Want Revenge has been scratched because of an ankle injury, reports Newsday. The 3-year-old colt—the morning line had him at 3-1 odds to win today's race—showed soreness in his left front ankle after an early workout, said trainer Jeff Mullins. "We could tell he wasn't 100 percent." The new favorites: Dunkirk and Pioneer of the Nile at 4-1, followed by Friesan Fire at 5-1, notes the Online Gambling Paper. More»

All you need is a buck and 3 key stats

(NEWSER) - Put down that mint julep: The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow, and you still don’t have a horse to bet on. But you do have a prayer, because Christina Settimi of Forbes, with help from horse racing expert Dean Keppler, outlines a winning strategy. With $118 million wagered, novices have a good shot at hefty payoffs, Keppler says. More»