Kentucky Derby Recap

ANIMAL KINGDOM wins the Kentucky Derby on Saturday
over NEHRO and MUCHO MACHO MAN

What a race!  Animal Kingdom won the 137th Kentucky Derby on Saturday in very impressive fashion.

Animal Kingdom had never run on the dirt before, but that proved to be not an obstacle as he got a perfect, perfect trip.  Some may think this was an upset, but I'll disagree.  Here's what I said about him in my Derby Preview:

If you look at this guy's form without knowing he's never run on dirt, you'd like him a lot more.  That being said, he's never been worse than second.  His last race,The Spiral, was just a Grade 3, but it was still impressive as he beat two other Derby runners going away.  He'll need pace, but he's almost sure to get it in this Derby.  30/1 in the program, but could be one to take a flyer on.

Would love the be able to definitively say "I called it", but I didn't.  I don't think I even ever said who my winner was.  In my betting, I covered a lot of the field in an exacta (betting on who will come in first AND second), and I played a couple of horses across the board (betting to win (first), place (second), and show (third)).  Those horses were Master of Hounds and Mucho Macho Man.  MMM got third, so I recouped a little bit of money but not much.  In a race like this though, I'll be happy to be close.  All of the top three finishers were in my exacta.


As for the other contenders I previewed...


ARCHARCHARCH got a rough trip from the one hole.  He didn't get pinballed around like I thought he might, but he did suffer a fracture to the cannon bone in one of his legs, and has been retired.


PANTS ON FIRE was forwardly placed throughout the first mile or so before fading in the stretch and finishing 9th.


DIALED IN found himself in much the same situation as Zenyatta in last year's Breeder's Cup Classic.  He was probably 16 or so lengths back early on.  Too much ground to make up, and too much traffic to negotiate.  He did come on late, but it wasn't enough.  He'll go on to the Preakness to chase the $5 million bonus for winning the Florida Derby and the Preakness.


MASTER OF HOUNDS was shuffled back in the beginning, but found himself just two-wide going into the first turn.  He made a really nice run in the stretch, considering he was behind a wall of horses coming into the stretch.  I said immediately after the race that if he stayed in America, he could be a strong contender for the Belmont, since it looked like he had something left for that extra quarter mile.  He'll be returning to Ireland, however, but could be back for the Breeder's Cup in November, also at Churchill Downs.


SANTIVA found himself mid-pack early on, actually a good spot.  Didn't do much after that though, and had to steady in the stretch.  Finished a respectable sixth after accelerating again after steadying.


MUCHO MACHO MAN broke mid pack, and was there for most of the race.  Actually had a really nice trip, and found himself with running room on the outside.  He was passed by ANIMAL KINGDOM on the turn.  Ran on well to finish third.


MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE broke mid pack and was caught wide on the first turn.  He didn't make much of an impact and finished 16th.


SOLDAT broke well, and found himself three wide into the first turn.  Not a bad spot, but he moved out wide heading into the final turn and tired to finish 11th.


NEHRO broke well and stayed up close despite his normal running style.  The race was run fairly slowly, with the half mile going in 48 seconds and change.  He was caught four, almost five wide into the first turn and stayed there throughout the race.  Into the stretch, it looked like he might outlast SHACKLEFORD to win, but ANIMAL KINGDOM used incredible acceleration to get by them all.  NEHRO will skip the Preakness and head to the Belmont.


A fun race to watch, but now it's time to think about the prospects of a Triple Crown.  Again, we haven't seen one since 1978 and Affirmed.  ANIMAL KINGDOM answered all the "dirt questions" with his performance on Saturday.  We know he can get the distance of the Preakness (1 mile and 3/16ths), which is actually shorter than the Derby.  Plus, it looked like he had something left in the tank at the end of the race.  The question is, how will he bounce back?  According to the connections, all was well with the horse on Sunday.  


Racing again in two weeks is no easy task, and should he win that, three weeks after that will be the true test.  The Belmont, at a mile and a half, is maybe the most grueling race these horses will ever meet.  I sincerely hope he does it.  The sport needs it.

Some Stuff From Today's Show

Here's our interview with Joe Kristufek, recapping the Kentucky Derby and looking ahead to the Preakness.

On the Sidelines with Joe Kristufek by bradystiff

And here's our Stiff Arms from this week. Stupid questions, Facebook, and suit shopping getting Stiff Armed today.

Stiff Arm Segment by bradystiff

2011 Kentucky Derby Preview

By Brady Stiff

I've professed my love for horse racing several times on the show.  I have always been a fan of the sport, going back to the days when my buddy's dad would take us to the track on Saturdays and place a couple of $2 bets for us.  Horse racing is, maybe, the best sport that nobody knows about.

That wasn't the case 20 or 30 years ago, though.  Going all the way back to the early 20th century, horse racing was one of America's great interests, along with baseball and boxing.  But with the advent of the internet, Playstation and HD TV, horse racing has sort of fallen by the wayside, especially in Chicago.

The iconic Twin Spires at Churchill Downs in Louisville,
Kentucky

The problems with horse racing is a whole other blog post for a rainy day.  Now though, it's time to celebrate the sport on the eve of the sport's greatest day.

The Kentucky Derby is one of the oldest annual events in sports.  First run in 1875, it's become maybe the most iconic race in the world.  It's the first in a series known as The Triple Crown.  The Preakness (run at Pimlico at a mile and three sixteenths in Baltimore) will be run two weeks later, and the Belmont (a mile and a half at Belmont Park) three weeks after that.  That's three long races in three weeks.  It might be that today's thoroughbreds just can't handle that workload, and that's why we haven't had a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

On Today's Show

We're on today from 4-6 PM Central Time on Chicagolandsportsradio.com.

Today, we'll talk about Francisco Liriano's no-hitter last night at the Cell, the Cubs actually winning a game for a change, and we'll also talk about the Bulls series with Atlanta.

To help us with the Bulls...

Mare Bear will be with us before she heads to the United Center for Game 2!

Plus, it's Wikipedia Wednesday.  Join in the conversation, call 312-884-8205.

Bulls Continue to Prove They're Vulnerable

By Brady Stiff

Derrick Rose shoots over
Jeff Teague in Game 1.

The Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks squared off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last night at the United Center, and the game was eerily similar to Game 1 of the series with Indiana.

The Hawks couldn't miss, and the Bulls couldn't buy a bucket early on.  They got down 9-0 at one point, and didn't take the lead until the third quarter.  Let's take a look at the significant parts of the box score....

FG %

• Bulls: 44.6
• Hawks: 51.3

3 Point %

• Bulls: 8/18 (44.4)
• Hawks: 7/13 (53.8)

Derrick Rose FT %

• 0/0 (0.00)

Rebounds

• Hawks: 38
• Bulls: 37

In Game 1 in the Pacers series, Indiana shot 56% from distance.  I mean, it was like every time they got the ball with an open look, they knocked it down right between the eyes.  Can Atlanta keep this up?

During the regular season, the Hawks shot 35% from behind the arc.  Their best regular season 3-point shooter, Jamal Crawford has been known to be either really hot or really cold.  So, can they keep it up?  The Bulls' defense improved throughout the series with Indiana, and I have no reason to think that NBA Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau won't have the Bulls playing better defense.

Derrick Rose not getting to the free throw line at all was also big.  Rose has always been a driver and a creator.  We all know of his ability to find a way to get the ball to the rim through the trees.  In Game 1 with Indiana, he went 19/21 from the free throw line, and that was instrumental in the Bulls' Game 1 win.  Rose needs to stay aggressive and get to the line for easy points.

The Bulls were second in the NBA, first in the East in rebounding margin during the regular season at +5.8, yet they were outrebounded by Atlanta.  It could be just one of those games where "all the bounces went their way", or it could be laziness.  Maybe instead of Carlos Boozer screaming "Get that s*$^ Jo", every time a shot comes off the rim, he should go get that s@#$ himself.  That's what he's paid to do.  Just a thought.

While Rose will be named the league's MVP today, that doesn't heal his ankle, which he tweaked again at the end of the game.  No matter what he says, that ankle will be a concern going forward.  He says he's fine and that he'll play.  I believe him, but you have to wonder how effective he'll be.

What the Hawks and Pacers have proven is that the Bulls may be too reliant on Rose's abilities to be a complete team.  Luol Deng has been excellent this season, and other Bulls players fill their roles effectively, but Rose may be the only player on the team who can get his shot whenever he wants it.

Execution will be key, getting to the free throw line as well.  The Hawks won't lay down, and they've proven they can win at the UC.  The Bulls just need to prove they're a better team.

What the Hell is Going On With Dempster?

By Brady Stiff

Chicks dig the long ball...
Not sure though about guys
who give up a lot of longballs.

Last night, there weren't enough TV's in my house to keep up with all that was going on.  The NFL Draft, NBA Playoffs, NHL Playoffs, both baseball teams playing...too much.

I did, however, turn the Cubs game off before Ryan Dempster even recorded an out in the bottom of the first.  A leadoff double (on the first pitch), a four pitch walk, a hit by pitch, and a grand slam (on an 0-2 pitch, by the way), was more than enough for me to see.  Click.  Final score?  Diamondbacks 11, Cubs 2.  Oh, Dempster gave up seven runs and recorded one out, for an ERA of 189.0.

What is up with Ryan Dempster?  The Cubs' Opening Day starter has just one win on the season.  He's got a league-high 9.58 ERA and has given up a league-high nine home runs.

Despite the numbers, I don't think Dempster has pitched all that terribly this season.  Going back to 2010, it's been the big inning that's gotten him in trouble.  He's allowed at least four earned runs in every start he's made this year.  Ryan Dempster is not a bad pitcher.  He just needs to stay out of the big inning.

In the big picture, though, it should worry the Cubs, as Gordon Wittenmeyer writes in today's Sun-Times.  If Dempster is going to continue to be bad, that leaves the Cubs with two legitimate starters: Matt Garza and Carlos Zambrano.  Those guys have two wins between the two of them...Zambrano has both.  The Cubs have also won every game that Zambrano's started except for one.  Matt Garza leads the NL in strikeouts, but he also has given up a ton of hits.

Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner are on the DL with arm injuries, and Wells isn't expected back for another week or two.  Casey Coleman and James Russell have been starting in their places.  Coleman has been average, but James Russell has been awful.  I sort of feel bad for the guy, but I really have to put the blame on the Cubs for failing to have someone else ready to go at the minor league level.  I understand that they were put in a tough spot with two starters going down at the same time, but you'd think that after 2-3 weeks, they'd be able to find someone that's better than James Russell.

We all knew that coming into this season, the Cubs would need a big effort from the starting rotation.  It's true with any team, but with the Cubs lack of production in the middle of their order, the starting rotation's performance is magnified.  The Cubs are dead last in the majors with just six quality starts, when last year they  were first in the NL, second in all of MLB.  Sure some of that has to do with the injuries, but still, a number that low?  Terrible.

The Boys in Blue have now lost four in a row, and they look to turn it around tonight in Arizona when Carlos Zambrano goes against Armando Gallaraga.

....And Now a Rant

By Brady Stiff

Derrick Rose will lead the Bulls against
Kirk Hinrich and the Hawks in the
second round of the NBA Playoffs

This time of year is very exciting in the world of sports, especially in Chicago.  Both baseball teams are...well...hanging around, the Bulls have a real shot to win the title, the Blackhawks finally did make the playoffs, and the Bears will add some new faces over the next few days.

Now that hockey season is over here in the Windy City, the focus turns to Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.  This playoff run is going to be a lot of fun, mainly because of Rose.  He'll be the MVP, and he may be the best point guard in the league.

That being said, here's five reasons why I can't stand the NBA...

1.  Illegal Defense
Look, defense is already nearly non-existent in the NBA.  Shouldn't the NBA encourage defense by making any form of defense legal?  Besides, can anyone tell me what the hell makes defense illegal?

2.  Music During Game Action
You know your on-court product is bad if you have to play music while the ball is in play.  Shouldn't the "best basketball players in the world" be enough entertainment?

3.  Flat-Out Bad Basketball
Cleveland won just 19 games.  Minnesota won just 17 games.  I know, I know.  There are bad teams in every sport, no matter where you go.  But, bad basketball is no fun to watch.

4.  Old Men
I really have no desire to watch anyone over the age of 30 play basketball.  Kurt Thomas and Shaquille O'Neal are great novelties, but when their combined age is 77, that becomes an issue.

5.  Officiating
Yes, I ref high school basketball here in Illinois.  Part of this is up to the players.  But at the same time, it's the league's issue.  I can't believe that the number of technical fouls a player can get before he gets suspended is 16 (or whatever it is).  Over an 82 game season, I would set it at five.  After five T's, the player is suspended for one game without pay.  After another technical foul, it's two games without pay.  And so on.  Take away guys' money, and they'll straighten up.

I also can't stand when defenders just wrap a guy up who has just beaten them to prevent an easy layup.  At every other level it's an intentional foul, which would give the ball back to the offense after free throws.  But now, in the NBA, players can afford to play lazy defense because they can just wrap the guy up.