Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/7/2023

In the peakiest of season for sports, the Kentucky Derby was a keystone must see event and it did not disappoint.  The field was in flux in the days before Derby Day as an unprecedented number of horses were scratched.  Coming into the weekend, Forte was a clear favorite.  As "My Old Kentucy Home" echoed over Churchill Downs, it was wide open with several favorites.  However, none of the shortest odds won.  Instead, Mage.  A simple name, but stout horse stole the show ridden by Javier Castellano.  Mage was about 10th place as the horses came 5 wide through the final turn but never looked back.  Ran down every contender.  Castellano was patient then ran an amazing line to cut through the field and use his horse's speed to win the race.  Great job but an amazing jockey, our Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/8/2022

Peak late Spring sports season, we have three of the four major American Sports (five of six if you throw in MLS and NASCAR) with several in playoffs, weather nice.  Etc.  Oh yeah, it's also horse racing's triple crown season.  The first Saturday in May is reserved for the Kentucky Derby.  For the first time in 3 years, full crowd and it was everything it was billed to be.  Especially if you like upsets.  In a 20-horse field, which expanded to the 21st horse just hours before, the longest shot in over 100 years stunned the field.  Ridden by our Sportsman of the Week Venezuela native Sonny Leon, 80-1 Rich Strike (strangely not "Strike Rich" like his bettors did) looked like a Ferrari amongst Kia's down the last furlong as it outpaced favorited lower odds Epicenter and Zandon to breeze to victory.  Sports.  You can't win if you're not in it.  The Kentucky Derby served as another reminder and inducted another amazing Sportsman of the Week! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/2/2021

No Kentucky Derby jockey has ever won two Derbies in an eight month span.  Leave it to COVID to change that.  John Velazquez was brilliant on a second tier horse to win the 2021 Kentucky Derby for Medina Spirit.  What's amazing is the similarities to the 2020 Derby ran on Labor Day Weekend.  Both times it was legendary Bob Baffert's only entry.  Both times the horse wasn't the favorite.  Both times, Velazquez led him to victory.  Pretty much wire to wire from the Clubhouse turn on.  The stretch was harrowing four wide as horses had a clean run, but Velazquez and Medina Spirit would not be denied  It was great that fans could see, and Medina Spirit jockey John Velazquez is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/6/2020

 

The first Saturday in May is a fixture of sports for the Kentucky Derby.  Of course, 2020 has been different, so no later than the first Saturday in September all was made right with the world with the 146th Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.  What was expected to be a coronation for the most dominant horse of 2020 and Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law, instead a surprise winner emerged.  The lone entry by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert that wasn't scratched, Authentic held off a meager charge by Tiz the Law to win almost wire-to-wire.  Jockey John Velazquez ran nearly a perfect race by getting Authentic up front and fending off all challengers.  Word was that Authentic couldn't handle the full mile-and-a-quarter but it appeared to be no problem.  No Triple Crown winner this year, as Authentic with Velazquez made sure of it.  John Velazquez is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/6/2018

The first weekend in May is one of the highlights of the American sports calendar.  The Kentucky Derby.  The iconic twin spires of Churchill Downs set against the blue sky and sun splashed hats in the grandstand.  Okay, it was really really rainy, but the race went off just the same.  And appropriate a veteran was able to pull off the victory.  Mike Smith rode favorite Justify to an easy victory to capture the rose garland.  Any time you navigate a 20 horse field the jockey had to have had a good day, and compound that with the fact that running in the back of the pack means mud splatter which could discourage a horse.  Not so with Justify.  "Money" Mike Smith finished with his white silks barely splattered and took a big first step for what could be a second horse racing triple crown in four years.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/7/2017

The first Saturday in May is a rite of the sports season, as twenty colorful jockeys mount twenty beautiful thoroughbreds and race under the blue Kentucky sky for a shot at glory.  The 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby was as wide open as ever, yet one horse clearly established himself as the class of the field.  It was veteran jockey John Velazquez who ran a near perfect race in sloppy conditions to guide 2017 Kentucky Derby Champion Always Dreaming to a comfortable victory margin.  From an ideal 5 post, Velazquez ensured Always Dreaming saved track down the first and second turn, while staying clean from the mush of a track.  Surging down the back stretch and clear down the home stretch, the Puerto Rican jockey simply asked for more and got it from the Todd Pletcher trained best horse in the field.  It was the 45 year-old Velazquez's second Kentucky Derby win (after leading Animal Kingdom to the rose blanket in 2011).  A master of his craft, his is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/8/2016

This blog loves the wide world of sports and the Kentucky Derby is on top of the list of favorite sports events.  The 142nd edition did not disappoint.  Okay, maybe it did a little bit as bettors never like when the favorite wins.  But when they do it in impressive fashion that is fun to watch.  Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Nyquist easily outpaced the field for his 8th win in 8 starts.  Gutierrez rode brilliantly, stalking the known pace setter in Danzing Candy, taking an efficient path around the turns, then lightly pressing the horse down the stretch without needing to panic.  It was his second time to win the Derby (in two starts) from the 13th position or wider with the same strategy.  The native of Mexico will go for the second leg of the triple crown in Baltimore in two weeks, but he is our Sportsman of the Week!

Gutierrez also sets a record for longest duration between Sportsman of the Week nods at 207 weeks.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/5/2013

An amazing effort in the biggest horse race in the United States earns this weeks Sportsman of the Week due honors.  Dominican Republic native Joel Rosario guided post-time-co-favorite Orb around 14 other horses in the last half mile to give Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey his first Kentucky Derby win.  Rosario's patience to keep his horse off an impossible pace in the slop led to a fresh colt who surged past the other horses as if they were standing in mud.  Rosario is the hottest jockey in racing now, having also won the $10M Dubai Cup a mere weeks ago, and is a worthy Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/6/2012

An amazing sports week concludes, this week I have to lean toward someone who made history in his first opportunity.  With honorable mention to Jered Weaver, this week's sportsman of the week is Mario Gutierrez.  A brilliant Derby ride stalking in 7th or forward the entire race, a little wide on the last turn, but I'll Have Another had plenty of juice to overtake Bodemeister down the stretch. Extra credit for being the first jockey to win from the 19th position.  I believe Mario to be a serious budding star of the tracks for years to come, you are the Longhorndave on Sports sportsman of the Week!