Long shot MINE THAT BIRD Winner
50 to ! AWRSOME WIN

I'm not making a penny on the race but that was exciting!
CT

It sure was exciting! Odds were 50-1. Wish I'd had some $$ on that horse-haha!

I love the pomp and tradition of the race--and the ladies in their hats! Sure would like to see it in person some day.

The whole week-end of the race is parties and fun and race day is incredible pageantry and so romantic. Every woman should be able to experience the HAT Parade just once. It is a real hoot and some of those hats are works of art. I enjoyed the Kentucky Derby in Person 7 times and wish I were able to get there every year

Dunkirk the horse from Florida and 6-1 odds came in 11th place. Poor baby stumbled out the gate but ran good enough to beat the favorite Fresian Rain (came in 18th in a 19 horse race). Lost my $2.00 but it was so much fun.
CT

Well, I totally missed it. Tried to miss the trafic this evening as we were coming home from Indiana. We made it out of Louisville before the race started.

Used to be a big horse racing fan years ago (long before I lived in KY) but then a horse died after it came out of the gate and I quit watching. Someone had given it a drug it wasn't supposed to have and it slammed into the fence, they had to put it to sleep. ) :

Wow! That was so great! Just moments before the race, I said to DH, "I would love to see a Long Shot win the race" 50 to 1 !!! How amazing is that?
I would love to be there in person one day and wear "my hat"
Exciting race today. Loved it! Beautiful animals!

So nice to see Mind that Bird come from so far behind to win, also nice to read his history. Sorry to offend anyone but I was pulling against 2 horses Sheikh Mohammed' owned. He has spent a fortune on horses, nice read on the web.

Add me to the 'tickled to death Mind That Bird' won the Kentucky Derby.
The talking heads on tv have been yakking for two days that this $9500 horse that rolled into Lousiville (in a plain old horse trailer) after a 22 hour drive did not measure up caliber-wise to the other entrants.

I have two words for those reporters: NEENER NEENER

I loved when Bird's trainer told the reporters, after the race, "Now maybe you guys will have something to talk about instead of how he got here' and ended the interview. I'm sure that was a million dollar moment.

Good things don't always cost milllions of dollars.

Lori

I caught the race and boy oh boy, what an exciting finish!

Very good race, love watching it. It is the only sport I like to watch.

Sue

What a Great Race! That little pony shot ahead and ran the stretch like Secretariat! NBC had some amazing video filmed from above so that you could see exactly how Mine That Bird wove through the other horses. But - how DO they name those horses? I know that it's a combination of the names of the sire and dam, but still...

Love the pomp and the womens hats, hearing My Old Kentucky Home, all the traditions. And I was so happy to hear the interview with the winning jockey-he seemed like a very nice fellow. Glad no horses were injured this time.

Well, I watched it, too, and was relieved there were no injuries.

I'm as interested in the pre-race hoopla and talk as anything. I do wish the racing world would get with it and elect a commissioner to set the standards for the better protection of the horse.

As one of the announcers remarked, "after all, other race horses in the world seem to do well with hay, seed and water"...indicating no need whatsover for supplements or stimulants. Amen to that!

Wish I'd had some money on that long shot...what a horse, what a jockey! :)

(I didn't want the Gajillionaire from Dubai to win either.)

Hay, oats and water are just not enough. I didn't race mine but they got edible vitamins, occasional flowers and leaves, once in a great while a chunk of sugar or candy, fruits and veggies along with the hay oats and water. Horses need good balanced diets just as much as humans. I don't believe they need cortisone injections or steroids and all that stuff to race. Even the vitamin supplements injected can be most dangerous to horses. Look at the awful circumstances of the Polo Ponies in W Palm a few weeks back. A mistake in the mixing of the supplement and 21 dead horses.
Yes it was scary there in the beginning went Dunkirk went down to his knees out the gate but what a race he ran and no injuries else where in the field.
Why were so many people offended by the thought of the Sheik's horses winning? Because he is oil rich? Because they are from Dubai? The Sheik had 2 beautiful qualified horses in the race. If either had won it was the horse combined with the training and the jockey. NOT the Sheik's money. Proof it is the horse, training and jockey is in the winner.
It was very satisfying to see a long shot like Mine That Bird come in the money. That knocked the pins out from under a few of the more pompou$ owner$ and attendee$. LOL

CT.

I did not see the race as it happened so I had to settle for YouTube last night.

WHAT A RACE AND YES I'M YELLING!

One commentator compared Bird to Seabiscuit. I did not truly appreciate that comment until I saw Bird dive through two holes (love the jockey's comment: I knew we'd fit. He's a small horse') in two seconds. Now that is athleticism something, from what I read, Sea Biscuit had.
He sure was cute at the backside, wasn't he.
Bird acted like he'd just gone for a little sprint.
The jockey was cute too....
My point is Bird obviously likes what he is doing.

Lori

CT, nothing personal really about the Sheik, but I like to see the more common folk get a break, ya know?

I was worried when I saw Dunkirk stumble and I wish there was a limit on the number of horses in the field..just seems they're all at higher risk when there is a larger field (for both horse and rider). Of course, yesterday's track condition could've resulted in that stumble; I didn't catch any slow mo replay of it or analysis.

"I don't believe they need cortisone injections or steroids and all that stuff to race. Even the vitamin supplements injected can be most dangerous to horses." And I agree with you, CT. I believe that was the point of the broadcaster yesterday.

Granlan, who confesses to getting teary eyed at the singing/playing of 'My Old Kentucky Home' every time.

Thanks for mentioning it was on Youtube, Lori, just watched it several times. How cool was that?

Granlan I wasn't criticizing you or anyone else for that sentiment. Definitely you aren't the first one to make such statement, here or elsewhere. I am surprised so many people were against the Sheik's horses winning. I mean I had my favorites I bet on but I would not have been against Ransom or Desert winning had they run that well. Actually some folk were against the Sheik being allowed to have his horses in the race. I don't really understand why so many were upset. I would want my horse to run against the best in his class so when he wins everyone KNOWS how good he is. With only 19 out of the 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby this year there was some spectacular moves. I think a sloppy track is always a good race.

CT.

No problem here, CT.

How great you've been to the Derby so many times..what a thrill that would be!

And I'd love to try on and wear those magnificent hats! :)

This race was spectacular. I Loved watching it. Here are some of the hi-lites.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30547471/