134th Kentucky Derby : How to Pick a Winner from the Field

For over 134 years, Churchill Downs Racecourse in Kentucky has raced horses. They sponsor an annual race with a $2,210,000 purse for the winner if all twenty horses entered into the race run.

A friend of mine races her horses in Washington. From her I learned just how expensive it is to raise a winning horse. Horses are bought, sometimes after a mare is bred but before the filly is born, sometimes the owner pays the stud fee. From the moment of conception until race day, that horse is fed, housed, checked by a veterinary, and trained by a trainer. Three years later, the horse may be ready to race, sometimes four years later.

If the horse is trainable, healthy, strong enough to race and has the will to win, the horse is entered into a race. To cover expenses, my friend typically created an owner consortium, a group of people willing to pay a portion of the upfront costs and take the risk that the horse will never race. If a horse races, it will earn money for the owner or consortium from the race purse. Usually, the first five placing horses will earn a return for the owner. Races that are listed as claiming races run an additional risk for the owner, that someone will pay the claiming amount and purchase the horse that they've already invested so much money in.

What makes the Kentucky Derby exciting for the owners is a chance to win over two million dollars. What makes the Kentucky Derby exciting for the audience is the incredible beauty, strength, drive, speed and daring a race embodies in the form of the best horses in the country competing against each other.