I will not be defeated. ~_~
Hey, so you know what ELSE I don't get out here?
NBC Sports. AKA the channel all the Derby undercard coverage is on, that's available nowhere else thanks to NBC's fucking exclusivity. We had to ask his parents for their satellite password so we could watch it online, since they do have it. ~_~ (Dish is starting continuing to piss me off - in addition to all the stuff we don't get that was basically "basic" on Comcast, they also keep switching the channels in our package with no notice - so we had Discovery Family (the channel with Friendship is Magic) for a few months, and now it's gone and we have Animal Planet (which we DIDN'T have for Puppy Bowl; only year I've ever missed it) and National Geographic. Before that, we had a channel called Ride that was all horse stuff, so...yeah.
Nyquist goes off undefeated, of course, from post 13. He's currently the favourite (which won't likely change). Mohaymen is back, Lani did come from Japan, and not only is THE Japanese jockey with him, they also sent over someone to cover it for Radio Nikkei. Creator's another grey, a horse named Whitmore is getting the, "Nobody really knows this little guy," sweetheart vote AND he's got Victor Espinoza in the saddle. Mke Smith on Danzing Candy and Gary Stevens on Mor Spirit (who's trained by Bob Baffert). Exaggerator's good (when he isn't running against Nyquist XD). Gun Runner. Every time I hear "Shagaf", I think "Shoggoth". >_> Mike Repole, who had Uncle Mo in 2011 and had to scratch the night before, has Outwork this time around, one of three sons of Mo in today's (includng Nyquist - Mo Tom is the other). Tapit's got three, too - Lani, Mohaymen, and Creator.
Rachel Alexandra's daughter Rachel's Valentina was in the Oaks yesterday, but she couldn't imitate her mother. The strong early favourite for that was a filly named Songbird, who's amazing, but she started running a fever a couple of weeks ago and they decided she wouldn't be able to make it after having to miss training. Cathryn Sophia's owners had NOT planned on running her because there were questions about whether or not she could manage the distance, but once Songbird "defected", they said, "Eh, what the hell," and dropped her name back in the hat, and, well - she managed it, alright. By daylight.
Calvin Borel retired out of nowhere a month ago. No warning. No reason (given). Just...done. Crazy.
The skies opened up over Churchill as the national anthem played, quick and fierce. The sun is back now, but a piece of debris hit one of the horses in the Woodford Reserve, who had one panic attack in the paddock (who wouldn't, after that?) and another back in his stall, and he fell there and hit his head on a concrete rail. O_o Poor baby. They say he seems to be okay, but he'll be scratched anyway.
The Woodford is the last race on the undercard, and the horses are on the track for it now. The Derby gets later and later - I remember when it used to be run around 5:30 Eastern, and now it's 6:45. (Still 5 now that I'm in Central, though. >_>)
Oh Jesus. Kasaqui just went down horribly - the horse in front of him, Triple Threat, clipped heels and stumbled badly enough that Kasaqui ran up behind and flipped over, but he got up and they both kept running, so maybe they're okay. Both the riders went down, too.
A horse ridden by Edgar Prado won that race. (Ten years and a day...)
They're all okay.
Hour to go...
Lani is apparently a right bastard who doesn't like other horses and will throw squealing kicking fits of Nope if he's too close to them, so they've brought him out early to try and keep him in line.
And now the rest start their walkover, on the way to the paddock.
Nyquist's odds haven't budged. 2-1. The bettors love him. The commentators love him. Doug o'Neill just gave him a hug. Exaggerator's behind him (as usual XD) at 5-1. Everyone else is double digits.
The horses are saddled. The jockeys are on their way down.
Riders UP!
(And I could type this with my eyes closed. Riders up, call to the post, and My Old Kentucky Home. And now the parade. Just minutes to go...)
The sun's out for good now. Track looks good. They're all just shining like silk.
Mohaymen in the gate. Nyquist. Whitmore gives a buck on the way, and they switch to the track caller and then Danzing Candy loads, and -
They're off!
YES! YES! MY BABY CAN WIN IT FROM ANYWHERE! He sat right off Danzing Candy's speed pace just like they thought he would, got passed a couple of times, Gun Runner, but then they turned for home and he turned it on, Exaggerator wanted to give him one more try but Nyqui was having none of it. None of them. And now they're doing the immediately-after on-track interview and he is SO COOL, like he didn't do a thing.
Eight for eight, and the eighth unbeaten Derby winner (was another special 8 watching out for you today? 8 and 13, this year's magic numbers). He won't be defeated, either.
NBC Sports. AKA the channel all the Derby undercard coverage is on, that's available nowhere else thanks to NBC's fucking exclusivity. We had to ask his parents for their satellite password so we could watch it online, since they do have it. ~_~ (Dish is starting continuing to piss me off - in addition to all the stuff we don't get that was basically "basic" on Comcast, they also keep switching the channels in our package with no notice - so we had Discovery Family (the channel with Friendship is Magic) for a few months, and now it's gone and we have Animal Planet (which we DIDN'T have for Puppy Bowl; only year I've ever missed it) and National Geographic. Before that, we had a channel called Ride that was all horse stuff, so...yeah.
Nyquist goes off undefeated, of course, from post 13. He's currently the favourite (which won't likely change). Mohaymen is back, Lani did come from Japan, and not only is THE Japanese jockey with him, they also sent over someone to cover it for Radio Nikkei. Creator's another grey, a horse named Whitmore is getting the, "Nobody really knows this little guy," sweetheart vote AND he's got Victor Espinoza in the saddle. Mke Smith on Danzing Candy and Gary Stevens on Mor Spirit (who's trained by Bob Baffert). Exaggerator's good (when he isn't running against Nyquist XD). Gun Runner. Every time I hear "Shagaf", I think "Shoggoth". >_> Mike Repole, who had Uncle Mo in 2011 and had to scratch the night before, has Outwork this time around, one of three sons of Mo in today's (includng Nyquist - Mo Tom is the other). Tapit's got three, too - Lani, Mohaymen, and Creator.
Rachel Alexandra's daughter Rachel's Valentina was in the Oaks yesterday, but she couldn't imitate her mother. The strong early favourite for that was a filly named Songbird, who's amazing, but she started running a fever a couple of weeks ago and they decided she wouldn't be able to make it after having to miss training. Cathryn Sophia's owners had NOT planned on running her because there were questions about whether or not she could manage the distance, but once Songbird "defected", they said, "Eh, what the hell," and dropped her name back in the hat, and, well - she managed it, alright. By daylight.
Calvin Borel retired out of nowhere a month ago. No warning. No reason (given). Just...done. Crazy.
The skies opened up over Churchill as the national anthem played, quick and fierce. The sun is back now, but a piece of debris hit one of the horses in the Woodford Reserve, who had one panic attack in the paddock (who wouldn't, after that?) and another back in his stall, and he fell there and hit his head on a concrete rail. O_o Poor baby. They say he seems to be okay, but he'll be scratched anyway.
The Woodford is the last race on the undercard, and the horses are on the track for it now. The Derby gets later and later - I remember when it used to be run around 5:30 Eastern, and now it's 6:45. (Still 5 now that I'm in Central, though. >_>)
Oh Jesus. Kasaqui just went down horribly - the horse in front of him, Triple Threat, clipped heels and stumbled badly enough that Kasaqui ran up behind and flipped over, but he got up and they both kept running, so maybe they're okay. Both the riders went down, too.
A horse ridden by Edgar Prado won that race. (Ten years and a day...)
They're all okay.
Hour to go...
Lani is apparently a right bastard who doesn't like other horses and will throw squealing kicking fits of Nope if he's too close to them, so they've brought him out early to try and keep him in line.
And now the rest start their walkover, on the way to the paddock.
Nyquist's odds haven't budged. 2-1. The bettors love him. The commentators love him. Doug o'Neill just gave him a hug. Exaggerator's behind him (as usual XD) at 5-1. Everyone else is double digits.
The horses are saddled. The jockeys are on their way down.
Riders UP!
(And I could type this with my eyes closed. Riders up, call to the post, and My Old Kentucky Home. And now the parade. Just minutes to go...)
The sun's out for good now. Track looks good. They're all just shining like silk.
Mohaymen in the gate. Nyquist. Whitmore gives a buck on the way, and they switch to the track caller and then Danzing Candy loads, and -
They're off!
YES! YES! MY BABY CAN WIN IT FROM ANYWHERE! He sat right off Danzing Candy's speed pace just like they thought he would, got passed a couple of times, Gun Runner, but then they turned for home and he turned it on, Exaggerator wanted to give him one more try but Nyqui was having none of it. None of them. And now they're doing the immediately-after on-track interview and he is SO COOL, like he didn't do a thing.
Eight for eight, and the eighth unbeaten Derby winner (was another special 8 watching out for you today? 8 and 13, this year's magic numbers). He won't be defeated, either.