John Clay's Sidelines

Kentucky Derby odds, as announced by the track, at 7:20 p.m.Current odds for Derby

• Archarcharch 13-1
• Brilliant Speed 30-1
• Twice the Appeal 7-1 (Heavy Calvin Borel influence.)
• Stay Thirsty 17-1
• Decisive Moment 42-1
• Comma to the Top 43-1
• Pants on Fire 9-1
• Dialed In 9-2
• Derby Kitten 29-1
• Twinspired 21-1
• Master of Hounds 18-1
• Santiva 30-1
• Much Macho Man 12-1
• Shackelford 19-1
• Midnight Interlude 10-1
• Animal Kingdom 24-1
• Soldat 17-1
• Nehro 7-1
• Watch Me Go 29-1

Trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole talk at a news conference this morning at Churchill Downs about scratching Uncle Mo from the Kentucky Derby.

Here is a look at the Kentucky Derby post positions over the last 20 years. W% is win percentage. M% is in-the-money percentage.

With entries having been taken for the Kentucky Derby, we now know that 11 of the trainers have had at least one Derby horse over the last decade. Two trainers, Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher, have won the race in the last 10 years. Pletcher, Baffert and Nick Zito have all had double-digit entries over the last 10 years.

Seven trainers have a horse entered in their first Derby. Those would be Kathy Ritvo, Jinks Fires, Peter Miller, Juan Arias, Eddie Kenneally, Jeff Bonde and Kathleen O’Connell.

Here is a look at this year’s Derby trainers over the last 10 years.

Pants On Fire (H-L photo/Jonathan Palmer)

Kentucky Derby links for Wednesday:

• Kentucky Derby Museum rebuilt around Derby experience, writes Greg Kocher of the Herald-Leader.
• Don’t forget Louisiana Derby winner Pants On Fire, says my column.
• Zayat is back in the Kentucky Derby, but not the way he thought, writes Alicia Wincze Hughes of the H-L.
• Retirement didn’t really take for Larry Jones, writes Jason Frakes of the Courier-Journal.
• Horses, not money, determines the Derby winner, says Eric Crawford of the C-J.
• Repole says Uncle Mo could still sit the Derby out, reports Jennie Rees of the C-J.
• Repole is in cautious mode, writes Jerry Bossert of the New York Daily News.
• Wood Memorial winner Toby’s Corner ruled out of the Derby, writes Jesse Halladay of USA Today.
• A once-promising field grows weaker, writes Joe Drape of the New York Times.
• Ramsey overjoyed that Derby Kitten is now in the Derby, reports the Blood-Horse.
• Shackleford could be the one for Dale Romans, says Rick Bozich of the C-J.
• An author’s tribute to Barbaro, reports Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Jeff Bonde realizes Derby dream with Twice the Appeal, writes Monte Poole of the Mercury News.
• Jinks Fires finally saddles a Derby starter, writes Jerry Izenberg of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• Archarcharch is eager, writes Jeff Lowe of Thoroughbred Times.

Michael Gilchrist (Charlotte Observer photo)

Morning notes and links for a Saturday:

- Tonight is the Jordan Brand Classic in Charlotte, which features Kentucky signees Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist, Kyle Wiltjer and Marquis Teague. In fact, Ron Green, Jr. of the Charlotte Observer writes, “The Jordan Brand Classic All-American game Saturday night could almost be mistaken for a Kentucky Wildcats intrasquad game.”

My old buddy Scott Fowler of the Observer writes that the game will also give a peek into North Carolina’s future, thanks to participants James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston. Scott was covering UK for the Courier-Journal back when I first started covering UK football. That’s a side note.

Harry Pickett of the Observer has some more Jordan Brand notes.

And Ron Green, Jr. again, this time on Austin Rivers.

- The game will be televised by ESPN2 at 8 p.m.

Continue reading ‘Jordan Brand, Blue Grass Stakes and more on tap today’

Morning notes and links for a Thursday:

- John Calipari met with some local media yesterday and talked NBA draft decisions, those pesky NBA rumors and more. Cal said the NBA rumors were to screw up recruiting. He laughed at that, as well he should. But you wonder if his connections to World Wide Wes and LeBron James have anything to do with the constant pro rumor mill. Plus, it is believe that Calipari might one day want another crack at the NBA. Still, it’s hard to see him leaving Kentucky at this point and time, what with an ultra-stellar crop of recruits on board for next year.

- Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel has a notebook from the Calipari media session.

- Cat Scratches has a Calipari transcript.

- Chip Cosby writes on UK linebacker Danny Trevathan, who decided to come back for his senior season. Chip writes, “From a football standpoint, going pro might have made sense for Trevathan. But in an age where college athletes often decide to take the money and run at the first opportunity, Trevathan said he wanted to fulfill a promise he made to his mother, Michelle Hicks, and get his diploma. Trevathan is on target to graduate in December with his degree in family science.”

- The biggest news out of Louisville yesterday was not the return of Richard Pitino to the U of L staff. The biggest news was the loss of assistant Tim Fuller, who is joining Frank Haith at Missouri. With his Nike connections, Fuller had elevated U of L’s recruiting. His shoes will be tough to fill, pun intended.

Continue reading ‘Calipari and those NBA rumors, plus notes and links’

NBC just released that it has renewed its agreement to televised the Preakness Stakes, and has reacquired rights to the Belmont Stakes, meaning that the network that telecasts the Kentucky Derby again has all three Triple Crown races.

Here’s an excerpt from the release:

NEW YORK – February 22, 2011 – The NBC Sports Group will broadcast all three legs of horse racing’s prestigious Triple Crown, renewing the rights to the Preakness Stakes and reacquiring rights to the Belmont Stakes. As previously announced, NBC and Churchill Downs, Inc. renewed rights to the Kentucky Derby. This marks the first time that all three races will be on one network since NBC aired them in 2005. The agreements were announced today by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports Group, Tom Chuckas, President and Chief Operating Officer, Maryland Jockey Club, and C. Steven Duncker, NYRA Chairman. Like NBC Sports’ agreement with Churchill Downs, each agreement announced today gives NBC exclusive rights to the Preakness and Belmont through 2015.

The agreements include coverage of the Black Eyed Susan Stakes and other Preakness-day and Belmont-day programming on VERSUS. Additionally, expanded Derby week programming including the Kentucky Oaks and Derby day programming will air on VERSUS. In all, the NBC Sports Group will broadcast more than 25 hours of Triple Crown coverage (detailed schedule to be released at a later date). Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

“Everyone at NBC Sports Group is delighted that the Triple Crown has been reassembled. We are now uniquely positioned to significantly expand the reach of these iconic events with extensive coverage on VERSUS,” said Ebersol. “As we previously announced, we are continuing our long-standing partnership with the Kentucky Derby. To add this extension with the Preakness while reacquiring the Belmont gives our new NBC Sports Group the three most important events in thoroughbred racing. And we want to thank Churchill Downs Incorporated and CEO Bob Evans for his leadership in paving the way for the Triple Crown to return to NBC.”

ESPN/ABC had televised the Belmont Stakes from 2006-2010.