Last 5 Kentucky Derby Winners Analysis

Written by Caitlin Patton
Tuesday, 15 March 2011 11:53

In 2010 the Kentucky Derby winner was a horse named Super Saver.

He was trained by Todd Pletcher; this was Pletcher’s first Derby win after 24 previous Derby entrants had not managed to win him the roses.

Super Saver and Borel won by two and a half lengths on a muddy track.  It was the second year in a row that Borel won the Derby, and his third win in four years – a record-setting feat.

Borel also rode the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird, whose time was 2:02.66.  Mine That Bird was trained by Bennie L. Woolley, Jr., an unknown trainer from New Mexico, and owned by Mark Allen of Double Eagle Ranch.  Mine That Bird, who sold for less than $10,000 as a yearling, was a 50-1 long shot, making his win the second-biggest upset in the history of the Kentucky Derby.  He paid $103.20, the second-best price in the entire history of the Kentucky Derby (only Donerail in 1913 returned more).

Mine That Bird, a gelding, came from behind (at the first turn he was ten lengths behind the rest of the field) on a sloppy track to win by six and three quarters lengths.  It was the biggest lead since Assault dominated the Derby by eight lengths in 1948.  Many said that Borel’s handling of Mine That Bird was similar to the way he handled Street Sense in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

2008’s Derby winner was Big Brown, ridden by Kent Desmoreaux.  This horse was trained by Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. and owned by IEAH Stables and P. Pompa.  His time was 2:01.82.  Although he won the race, Big Brown was not draped with the traditional rose garland.  Evidently Big Brown hates flowers, and the jockey refused to allow the garland to be placed on the horse because he did not want to upset his mount after such a successful race.

Big Brown won by four and three-quarters lengths.  He was the seventh unbeaten horse ever to win the Kentucky Derby.

Street Sense won the Kentucky Derby in 2007.  He was ridden by Calvin Borel, trained by Carl Nafzger, and owned by James B. Tafel.  He finished in 2:02.17, coming from behind to win by two and a quarter lengths.  Borel kept him on the rail throughout the race to save distance, a ride he repeated two years later on Mine That Bird.

In 2006, Barbaro, ridding by Edgar Prado, won the roses with a time of 2:01.36.  He was owned by Lael Stables and trained by Michael R. Matz. Barbaro was the sixth unbeaten horse to win the Kentucky Derby, a feat that Big Brown repeated two years later.  He won the Derby despite stumbling at the start of the race.

Two weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby, Barbaro started the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in the Triple Crown, as the favorite.  Tragically, during the Preakness he broke three bones in the ankle of his right rear leg.  He went through a total of six surgeries as he veterinarians attempted to save him, and his ankle eventually healed.  However, he developed laminitis in all three uninjured legs, and there was nothing more his veterinarians could do.  He was put down on January 29, 2007, to the sorrow of hundreds of thousands of fans.

As a descendent of Mr. Prospector, Barbaro was related to 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown and several other Derby winners.  He won the 2006 Kentucky Derby by six and a half lengths.