2009 Kentucky Derby

Last updated
135th Kentucky Derby
Presented by Yum! Brands
Kentucky Derby
2009kyderbylogo.jpeg
Official logo for the 2009 Kentucky Derby
Location Churchill Downs
DateMay 2, 2009
Winning horse Mine That Bird
Winning time2:02.66
Starting price 50-1
Jockey Calvin Borel
Trainer Bennie L. Woolley Jr.
OwnerDouble Eagle Ranch et al.
Conditions Sloppy
SurfaceDirt
Attendance153,653
  2008
2010  

The 2009 Kentucky Derby was the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby. The value of the race was $2,177,000 in stakes. [1] The race was sponsored by Yum! Brands and hence officially was called Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands. [1] The race took place on May 2, 2009, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. The Atlanta-based Southern Tourism Society named the Kentucky Derby Festival, which was April 11 to May 1, as one of the top tourist attractions in the Southeast for the first half of 2009. [2] The post time was 6:24 p.m. EDT (10:24 p.m. UTC). [3] The official attendance at Churchill Downs was 153,563. [4]

Contents

Results

"Down toward the inside coming on through, that is, uh, Mine That Bird, now is coming on to take the lead as they come to the finish. In a spectacular...spectacular upset...Mine that Bird has won the Kentucky Derby! An impossible result here!"

NBC Sports race announcer Tom Durkin calling the end of the race

The ending of the race came as a shock to those in attendance as Mine That Bird, trained by "Chip" Woolley Jr. and ridden by Calvin Borel, running dead last until the final turn, suddenly moved into the lead in the final furlong. He took the lead so fast after the final turn that NBC Sports race announcer Tom Durkin didn't notice the gelding and was still heatedly describing the performance of Pioneerof the Nile and Musket Man despite Mine That Bird already opening a three-length lead over the pack. Mine That Bird won by 634 lengths for the longest margin of victory in over 60 years. He was the longest-odds horse to win the Derby in over 85 years. [5] [6]

ResultsPostHorseWinnings
Win8 Mine That Bird $1,417,000
Place16 Pioneerof the Nile $400,000
Show2Musket Man$200,000
Fourth7 Papa Clem $100,000
Fifth11Chocolate Candy$60,000

Payout

The 135th Kentucky Derby Payout Schedule
Program
Number
Horse Name
Win
Place
Show
8Mine That BirdUS$103.20$54.00$25.80
16Pioneerof The Nile-$8.40$6.40
2Musket Man--$12.00

Churchill Downs had scheduled their first futures wager pool for the year to begin on February 12, with two subsequent pools opening on March 12 and April 2. Offering 24 betting options (23 individual horses at odds ranging from 10–1 to 50–1, and an "All others" option at 5-2 odds), favorites include Capt. Candyman Can and Old Fashioned at 10–1, followed by Friesan Fire, Midshipman, Pioneerof the Nile, Stardom Bound, This Ones for Phil, and Vineyard Haven at 12–1. [7]

After the starter draw for the running, I Want Revenge was installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite. [8] His scratch later in the morning marked the first time that the morning line favorite was scratched on the day of the race.

Friesan Fire, winner of the Louisiana Derby, started the race as the 19-5 (3.80-1) favorite. [1]

The field

Post positions were drawn Thursday, April 30, 2009. [9] [10]

PostHorse nameTrainerJockeyOpening OddsStarting OddsFinishing Pos.
1West Side Bernie Kelly J. Breen Stewart Elliott 32.409
2Musket ManDerek S. Ryan Eibar Coa 19.003
3Mr. Hot Stuff Eoin G. Harty John Velazquez 28.4015
4Advice Todd A. Pletcher René Douglas 49.0013
5Hold Me Back William I. Mott Kent Desormeaux 12.7012
6 Friesan Fire J. Larry Jones Gabriel Saez 3.80 Fav.18
7 Papa Clem Gary Stute Rafael Bejarano 12.204
8 Mine That Bird Bennie L. Woolley Jr. Calvin Borel 50.601
9Join in the Dance Todd Pletcher Chris DeCarlo51.407
10Regal Ransom Saeed bin Suroor Alan Garcia 22.608
11Chocolate Candy Jerry Hollendorfer Mike E. Smith 10.005
12 General Quarters Thomas R. McCarthy Julien Leparoux 10.3010
13 I Want Revenge Jeff Mullins Joe Talamo ScratchedScratched
14Atomic Rain Kelly J. Breen Joe Bravo 55.2016
15 Dunkirk Todd A. Pletcher Edgar Prado 5.2011
16 Pioneerof the Nile Bob Baffert Garrett Gomez 6.302
17 Summer Bird Tim A. Ice Chris Rosier43.606
18Nowhere to Hide Nick Zito Shaun Bridgmohan 45.5017
19Desert Party Saeed bin Suroor Ramon A. Dominguez 14.8014
20Flying Private D. Wayne Lukas Robby Albarado 46.6019

I Want Revenge was scratched on the morning of the race because of lameness issues in the colt's left front ankle. [11] In addition, Quality Road, who had been an early favorite, [12] was withdrawn from the race on April 27 because of a quarter crack in his right front hoof. [13]

Notable achievements

Subsequent Grade I wins

Mine That Bird never won another race, though he did finish second in the Preakness to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra [14] and third in the Belmont in the same year. Several other horses went on to achieve Grade I success:

Mr. Hot Stuff never won another race on the flat, but did become a notable steeplechaser. He won the Grade I A. P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase Stakes in 2013 and the American Grand National Hurdle Stakes in 2014. [17]

Subsequent breeding careers

The most notable progeny of participants in the 2009 Derby are as follows. [18]

Pioneerof the Nile (2nd)

Chief Party Officer

Building on the longstanding tradition of drinking, partying, and general revelry in the infield, Churchill Downs officials announced that they are accepting applications to be the second "Chief Party Officer." According to Chief Marketing Officer Dave Tompkins, "The non-stop revelry can test the most die-hard partiers, so a CPO candidate must be able to take the reins and lead our infield nation to new heights of fun and frivolity." [19] In an effort to promote the position, Tim "Stymie" Snyder, the 2008 Chief Party Officer, attended Super Bowl XLIII to personally recruit applicants. [20] The winner was announced March 6, and prizes include use of an RV (billed as a "luxurious boardroom on wheels") for the year. [21] This year's Chief Party Officer is Nick Ferrara.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Official Chart of 2009 Kentucky Derby" (PDF). Equibase. 2009-05-02. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  2. "Tourism society lists Kentucky events among top in Southeast". Business First. 2009-01-12. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  3. "2009 Kentucky Derby Preview: TV Schedule, Post Positions, and Odds". Midwest Sports Fan. 2009-04-30. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Ed DeRosa and Mike Curry (2009-05-03). "Canadian champion wins American classic". Thoroughbred Times. Archived from the original on 2009-06-21. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  5. "Margins" (PDF). Churchill Downs Incorporated. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-07. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  6. "Long-odds win in Kentucky Derby". BBC Sport. 2009-05-03. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-03.
  7. Rees, Jennie (2009-02-10). "Kentucky Derby Future Wager opens Thursday". Louisville Courier-Journal . Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  8. McGee, Marty (2009-04-29). "I Want Revenge 3-1 Derby favorite". Daily Racing Form . Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  9. McGee, Marty (2009-04-29). "I Want Revenge 3-1 Derby favorite". Daily Racing Form . Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  10. The 2009 Kentucky Derby at the NTRA Archived April 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  11. 1 2 DeRosa, Ed (2009-05-02). "I Want Revenge scratched from Kentucky Derby". Thoroughbred Times. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  12. Drape, Joe (2009-04-26). "Quality Road Remains Questionable for Derby". New York Times' The Rail blog. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  13. Drape, Joe (2009-04-27). "Quality Road Out of the Derby". New York Times' The Rail blog. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  14. "Mine That Bird". Equibase. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  15. "General Quarters". Equibase. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  16. "Summer Bird profile". Equibase. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  17. "Mr Hot Stuff". Equibase. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  18. Hunter, Avalyn. "American Classic Pedigrees Home". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  19. "Churchill seeks Derby party officer". Business First. 2009-01-29. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  20. "Churchill seeking 2009 chief party officer". Thoroughbred Times. 2009-01-28. Archived from the original on 31 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
  21. "Party On". Louisville Courier-Journal . 2009-01-30. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2009-02-09.