The Cavalry Charge to the Starting Gate

Derby fever can be caught by the very best of us and this would be absolutely fine if we all had a horse with a live chance to compete in the race. We dont. There's a fine line between having a horse with a chance to win and having a horse with a chance to enter and that line is getting blurred.

Every horse fan in America, perhaps the world, at some point wishes they had a horse in the race. What makes it interesting is that some of these people say, "If only!," pause a minute, then realize that they do actually have a horse with the money to be in the race, albiet with no chance to win. Enter Bwana Bull and Imawildandcrazyguy, two horses totally removed from the Derby trail, back in the picture simply because they can be. Dont get me wrong, I'd do it too. Mark Shuman, trainer of Xchanger has made it clear that he doesnt want to run the horse back in the Derby to get beaten up in a 20 horse field...but if you should want to take a shot then the horse is for sale. It's like buying the Derby dream on Ebay. Each owner realizes the incredible draw, the once in a lifetime opportunity to own a horse whose every move makes headlines, to have their silks in every picture and painting of the 2007 field moving around the first turn, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the greats of the sport, to get interviewed by Jeanine Edwards on national television, to maybe get a free rental car for the week. I cant say I wouldnt do it too. I like rental cars.

As happy as this crowd is just to be there, I wouldnt expect either to finish in the top12 and horses who probably would, like Teuflesberg and the Michael Matz trained Chelokee, wont get a chance to find out. I applaud those owners and trainers of horses like Chelokee, Slew's Tizzy, and Birdbirdistheword for thinking of the horse first and resisting the urge to find a way into the gate. Not that the others arent working in the best interest of their horses (I dont know of anyone who would race an unhealthy horse), but it's nice to see someone affirmatively taking steps for his colt's well being.

Its entertaining to note that the connections of Bwana Bull are treating the Derby as a backup plan, having intended to run in the Derby Trial on Saturday before the transport to Kentucky left the Bull with a few minor scratches. Lucky for them they had a Plan B when their Derby Trial plans were snatched from their grasp.