Which horse wins the Virtual Kentucky Derby? The first Saturday in May is traditionally reserved for the Run for the Roses. That’s when the Kentucky Derby, the first leg in America’s thoroughbred racing Triple Crown, is always contested. That won’t be the case this year, though. Thanks to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky is postponed until the first Saturday in September during the Labour Day weekend on Sept. 5th. However, the good news is that May 2nd won’t go by on the calendar absent of a Kentucky Derby. It may not be the actual Derby, a Grade 1 stakes race featuring the top three-year-old horses in the USA but there will still be a Derby on what would have been Derby Day. A fantasy Kentucky Derby. On April 16th, Horse Racing Radio Network announced plans to produce a special one-hour broadcast featuring 20 of the greatest Kentucky Derby winners in history, all competing in a 1 1/4-mile Fantasy Derby. “As racing fans, our hearts and minds are always at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May,” HHRC president Mike Penna told Bloodhorse.com. “Since we won't be on-site to broadcast the Kentucky Derby on this day, our team thought it would be fun to offer this special piece of programming to help listeners' minds escape the everyday concerns over COVID-19 and attempt to answer the age-old question of who would win if all of the greats were to compete against each other in one Fantasy Derby.” The Field Secretariat or American Pharoah? Affirmed or Northern Dancer? Seattle Slew or Citation? It doesn’t matter the sport, fans of ever competition love to debate the greatest of all time. Once the Fantasy Kentucky Derby is completed, perhaps we’ll have an answer to the question of which horse was the greatest Derby winner of all time. The 20-horse field for this virtual race includes nine of the 13 Triple Crown winners — Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015), Citation (1948), Count Fleet (1937), Justify (2018), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), War Admiral (1937), and Whirlaway (1941). The remaining Derby winners selected to fill this all-star field include Alysheba (1987), Animal Kingdom (2011), Barbaro (2006), California Chrome (2014), Mine That Bird (2009), Funny Cide (2003), Spectacular Bid (1979), Northern Dancer (1964), Sunday Silence (1989), Swale (1984) and Winning Colors (1988). The Broadcast Organizers of the Fantasy Kentucky Derby are taking their work very seriously. They intend to provide coverage of the event as if it were the actual Derby race. Penna will serve as host of the race coverage, alongside analyst Kurt Becker. Reporters Dan Mason, Anthony Stabile, Tom Leach and Bobby Neuman will all contribute to the broadcast of the virtual race. NBC track announcer Larry Collmus will be on the call of the Fantasy Derby race. Coverage will air from 5-6 p.m. ET on May 2nd. North American listeners can tune into Sirius 219/XM 201 to listen to the broadcast. Live streaming will be provided by HHRN via the network's website, www.horseracingradio.net. Claiborne Farm, owner of 1984 Derby winner Swale, home to 2013 Derby winner Orb and the location where Secretariat served as a sire in his post-racing career, will serve as presenting sponsor of the Fantasy Kentucky Derby. Will There Be Wagering? Post positions will be drawn, followed by the announcement of the morning line on the race is to be presented as part of HHRN’s Equine Forum show on April 25th. For information on when this broadcast will be accessible, check the HRRN website. Logically, it’s only natural to expect that once the odds are set, online sports betting sites will be quick to offer wagering on the Fantasy Kentucky Derby. When COVID-19 forced cancellation of the Grand National at Aintree, a virtual Grand National was contested and won by Potters Corner. Wagering was offered on the race, with profits going to NHS Charities Together. Handicapping Fantasy Derby Contenders Every horse in the race is a champion, so the winner will be the virtual champion of champions. Forty-seven years since his Triple Crown win, Secretariat still holds track records for all three of America’s Triple Crown races — the Derby (1:59 2/5), the Preakness Stakes (1:53) and the Belmont Stakes (2:24). Whirlaway remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown and the Travers Stakes in the same year. American Pharoah is the lone horse to win the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the same year. The Selections So which horse wins the virtual fastest two minutes in sports? Handicapping the Derby would be a challenge under normal circumstances. Picking a winner from the 20 greatest Derby winners of all time is daunting. Both the 20-horse Fantasy Derby field and ultimate order of finish were determined via a voting process. HHRN listeners and industry professionals were asked to select their top Kentucky Derby winners. The outcome is top-secret, but this is the order that they should reach the finish line: Win - Secretariat How do you bet against Big Red? His one-of-a-kind 1973 campaign produced the first Triple Crown performance since Citation in 1948. Place — American Pharoah Like Secretariat, American Pharoah suffered just one defeat during his racing career. He was also the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed, ending a 37-year drought. Show - Whirlaway Whirlaway tied a Derby record, winning the race by eight lengths. His was the second of a record five Derby wins by jockey Eddie Arcaro.
