Kentucky Derby Futures

With the Triple Crown season now in the books, horseracing betting enthusiasts have already begun looking forward to next year and what the season has in store.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

What becomes of Orb?

Despite only winning one of the three Triple Crown races this year – granted, it was the Kentucky Derby, the granddaddy of the circuit – Orb looked to be the breakthrough performer of the year. He got his trainer, Hall-of-Famer Shug McGaughey, his first career win at Churchill Downs and showed amazing development throughout the season.

While he won’t be running in next year’s Derby – the race is limited to 3-year-olds – it’ll be curious to see if he can make an impact throughout the remainder of this season and the next. McGaughey already has Orb training for the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, and thinks there’s an outside shot the Run For The Roses champ could also partake in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes, also at Saratoga later this month.

If not Orb, who?

As mentioned above, Churchill is reserved solely for three-year-olds, meaning anybody that wants to start handicapping next year’s race needs to start looking at the two-year-old set.

Some names to throw your way:

Fiftyshadesofgold: Bred and trained in Texas by longtime horse man Bret Calhoun, this filly ran at the $100,000 Debutante at Churchill Downs in June, on the cleverly-named “After Dark” card.

Calhoun raves about Fiftyshadesofgold’s ability: “We’ve really thought highly of this filly for quite some time,” he told the Louisville Courier-Journal – and it’s expected she’ll be ready to make an impact in 2014.

More Than Beauty: Ridden by jockey Calvin Borel, More Than Beauty burst onto the scene back in early May, winning a race at Churchill by over five lengths – in a race that Calvin wasn’t even supposed to saddle for. It was his brother, Cecil, that was scheduled to run the race, but Calvin stepped in and showed immediate chemistry with the horse, who figures to be a staple in next year’s circuit and a definite contender for the Derby.

Teardrop: Arguably the most exciting two-year-old running right now. Teardrop went into the Kentucky Oakes as a 2-1 favorite and has good lineage as she’s a half-sister of former Grade 1 winner (and $1.6-million earner) Pyro. Teardrop also debuted extremely well in her debut race; even though she started slowly and looked a bit lost, she showed great kick (and some of that Pyro spirit) by charging wide and winning by almost four lengths.

Teardrop is a product of the Winchell group – originally started by Verne Winchell, of the famous Donuts – and Winchell Thoroughbreds does have a history in the Derby. Verne himself had three starters at Churchill downs in the past: Classic Go-Go (fourth in 1981), Sea Cadet (eighth in 1991) and most recently, Valiant Nature (13th in 1994).

All told, next year promises to be an exciting one for those that like to bet on horse racing. The incoming class figures to make the 2014 Kentucky Derby one of the most exciting and unpredictable in recent memory.

About Tennessee Leduc

Born in Summersville Kentucky, Tennessee is an impassioned fan of horse racing, women, civilized debauchery, and... mint juleps. He writes, he reads, he listens, but above all he experiences the world he lives in.

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