Betty's Critters - & History Views

The 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled to get underway at 6:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday, 4 May.  The annual "Run For the Roses" has a purse of $5,000,000 this year, and, as usual, the winner of this race is the only horse that might be able to win the Triple Crown.  Run at the Classic distance of 10 furlongs, 1 1/4 miles, each of the entries will carry 126 pounds on the first Saturday in May.  The field is limited to 20 entries, and there are two alternates "on stand by" this year in case of illness or injury.  The horses who are competing this year earned points in other races; with the two Japanese entries winning a specific race to earn the ability to race in the Derby.  Both of the colts representing Japan this year are paternal descendants of Kentucky Derby winner Sunday Silence.    In the full field of 22, there is a single gray/roan, West Saratoga; two chestnuts, Society Man, and the alternate Mugatu; all others are bay or dark brown.  All of the en

 The 150th running for the Kentucky Oaks will be held Friday, 3 May 2024, at Churchill Downs, outside of Louisville, Kentucky.  The 3-year-old fillies compete for a purse of $1,500,000 and a garland of pink lilies.  This year, as in the recent past, the fillies vie for enough points in other races to gain entry into the Oaks.  A field of 14 fillies (and two alternates, in case of illness or injury) faced the post position draw this evening.  Before listing the entries with corresponding information, I write my usual odd observations...    All of the qualifying fillies were bred in Kentucky, except for Fiona's Magic, who was bred in Florida.  There are two chestnuts in the field: Power Squeeze and Tapit Jenallie.  There are two grey/roans in the field: Everland and Lemon Muffin.  The others are bays or dark browns.  The stallion Into Mischief is represented by two entries: Leslie's Rose and Into Champagne.  The dam of Leslie's Rose was bred in Ireland; and the sire of one of