Derby Numbers

Pat Day aboard Lil E. Tee in the 1992 Kentucky Derby

I was perusing drf.com when I happened upon a posting they put up of every Kentucky Derby winner's lifetime past performance chart dating back to 1992. It really was enlightening to notice a lot of things I'd forgotten. A couple of the more interesting points, since 1992:

4 Kentucky Winners never raced after the classics were over: Grindstone (96), Charismatic (99), Smarty Jones (04), Barbaro (06)

4 horses won as the Derby favorite: Fusaichi Pegasus (00), Smarty Jones (04), Street Sense (07), Big Brown (08)

Funny Cide ('03) has the most career starts of any of the winners at 38, 31 of them coming after the Derby.

Grindstone ('96) has the least career starts with 6.

War Emblem ('02) won 7 races from 13 starts. In the 6 races he lost, he finished 5th or worse each time.

3 horses were ridden by only 1 jockey throughout their entire careers: Street Sense ('07 Borel), Giacomo ('05 Smith), Smarty Jones ('04 Elliott)

7 horses were ridden by Jerry Bailey at some point in their career: Sea Hero ('93), Go for Gin ('94), Thunder Gulch ('95), Grindstone ('96), Real Quiet ('98), Charismatic ('99), Funny Cide ('03)

9 horses won a stakes race as a 2 year old: Sea Hero ('93), Go for Gin ('94), Thunder Gulch ('95), Silver Charm ('97), Real Quiet ('98), Funny Cide ('03), Smarty Jones ('04), Barbaro ('06), Street Sense ('07)

Only Fusaichi Pegasus ('00) and Monarchos ('01) failed to win a race as a two year old.

Smarty Jones ('04) was the highest earner at $7.6 million, Silver Charm ('97) was next with $6.9 million.

Grindstone ('96) was the lowest earner at a paltry $1.224 million, Go for Gin ('04) is next with $1.38 million.

Only horses ran past their 4 year old year: Silver Charm ('97 to 5), Funny Cide ('03 to 7)

Monarchos ('01) ran the fastest time since 1992 at 1.59 4/5

Smarty Jones ('04) ran the slowest at 2:04

Nothing earth shaking, just found that interesting.