Canonero II was the only Derby I ever attended (a couple of days before my 21st birthday). I went down with a couple of buddys born and raised in Kentucky, who I worked with at Great Lakes Steel in Ecorse, Michigan. Great memories and a great day.
GO American Pharaoh!
Check out Amer Phar's first 2 races. He was soundly beaten as favorite in his first start, a maiden race (race for non-winners), ran 5th, beaten just over 9 lengths. Then, still a non-winner, they enter him in a Grade 1 major stakes race and he runs away with it! Very weird. Jockey Martin Garcia was up on that only loss of his 7-race career. Current joc, Victor Espinoza, has been perfect on him ever since.
