There are 16 states (dark green) that have derbies named for them, one (light green) that still has the race under another name and 15 (red) that used to have them. The other 18 (blue) never had such a race. (MapChart.net graphic)
Louisville, Ky.
There is only one Derby, right? After the Kentucky Derby, there is no other. At least not with the colloquial capital letter.
But there are plenty of other derbies with states in their names, and they are popping up with regularity now. The Ohio Derby was last Saturday. The Iowa Derby is Friday. (Give me Rightandjust at a price.) The Indiana Derby rolls around Wednesday. (I like Fulsome to run his winning streak to four.)
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Concert Tour winning his Jan. 15 debut at Santa Anita
Once uncommon, Kentucky Derby (G1) winners have run against stablemates more often in the Preakness Stakes (G1) in recent years. It is likely to happen again Saturday when Bob Baffert trainees Medina Spirit and Concert Tour are scheduled to face each other at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.
Zedan Racing s Medina Spirit quickly grabbed the lead in the Derby on May 1 and held on to finish first by a half-length in an exciting four-horse finish. Concert Tour was at Churchill Downs that day, too, but he was in his stall, a few hundred yards from the finish line. Baffert and owner Gary West had decided not to enter him in the race after he had finished a disappointing third in the Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 10.
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Kenny Had a Notion regained his winning ways in the Spectacular Bid
Kenny Had a Notion and Maythehorsebwithu, separated by a neck following a stretch-long duel in the Spectacular Bid last month, will hook up again as the primary challengers in Saturday s $100,000 Miracle Wood at Laurel Park in Maryland.
The 26th running of the one-mile Miracle Wood for 3-year-olds and the 28th renewal of the $100,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies are among six stakes, two graded, worth $900,000 on the nine-race Winter Sprintfest program.
Serving as co-headliners are the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for fillies and mares 4 and up and the $250,000 General George (G3) for 4-year-olds and up, both sprinting seven furlongs. Older horses will also go about 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 John B. Campbell and $100,000 Nellie Morse for females.