Looking In On Kentucky’s Two Passions
- Well, the seemingly inevitable has finally been confirmed – point guard phenom John Wall will spend his one year in college playing basketball at Kentucky. He was a virtual lock to go to Memphis before John Calipari left for Kentucky. Since then he flirted strongly with Duke, and he even reportedly gave a soft verbal commitment to Miami of all places, but he has landed in the place that totally makes sense for him. The dribble-drive offense is tailor made for a guy like Wall just as it was for Derrick Rose. In fact, Wall is frequently compared to Rose, though he is said to be even faster and more athletic. That’s scary for opposing teams to hear.
With the news, Kentucky becomes an immediate national title contender. They are absolutely loaded. There can be a painful transition when a new coach takes over a program, but Calipari has the advantage of not having to mold the existing lineup to his system. He’s bringing in a ridiculously strong freshman class that will make up the core of his team. Patrick Patterson pulled out of the draft to play in the system, and he’ll be a natural fit. Leading scorer Jodie Meeks is still in the draft, but he’s a borderline first round pick, and I find it hard to imagine that he’d stay in the draft when he could return for a legitimate title shot. With Meeks back, this team would be almost unstoppable from the outside. Memphis was always a ton of fun to watch under Calipari, and there won’t be a drop-off in Kentucky. I can’t wait. With Walls on board, that first Calipari-Pitino showdown is going to be absolute must-see TV.
- I have been in love with horse racing for as long as I can remember, and I don’t think I have ever seen a jockey situation as strange as the one facing Mine That Bird. Calvin Borel rode him in the Derby and got the win. Borel opted to ride Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness instead – the first time a Derby winning jockey hadn’t been in the saddle the next time the horse hit the track. That opened the saddle for Mike Smith – a hall-of-famer who was a more than adequate replacement for Borel. Smith rode the horse nicely in the Preakness, and it seemed like Mine That Bird had a new handler. But then strangeness occurred. Instead of sticking with Mine That Bird in the Preakness – a race that the gelding will likely be favored in and which Smith has never won, Smith has instead chosen to ride Madeo in the Charlie Wittingham Stakes at Hollywood Park the same day. Smith has ridden for Jerry and Ann Moss, the owners of Madeo for a long time, and won the Derby for them with Giacomo. He’s understandably loyal to them, but no owner would begrudge their jockey a real shot at a Classic.
There’s a bigger undercurrent here, though – Zenyatta is also owned by the Moss family. She’s the top older filly in the country – a true freak. Smith rides that horse, and obviously wants to continue – especially since a very high profile showdown with Rachel Alexandra inevitably looms this summer or fall. You have to assume that Smith is showing his loyalty by riding Madeo to ensure he stays with Zenyatta. It seems very odd, but he must think it is necessary. So now the best three year old male in the country is again without a rider.
It appears less than likely that Rachel Alexandra will run in the Belmont, so popular opinion seems to be that Calvin Borel would return to the saddle. If I was Mine That Bird’s connections I wouldn’t want anything to do with that. Borel is still committed to Rachel Alexandra, and the gelding and the filly seem quite likely to meet again this year – perhaps in the Haskell or the Travers, or maybe even at the Breeders’ Cup. If that happens (and I desperately hopes it does) then they would again have to shop for a new rider. Instead, they should use this time find a suitable rider and then make them commit for the rest of the season. There’s an obvious fit here, and it would add yet another layer or two of intrigue to this already fascinating Classic season. Chantal Sutherland is a top Canadian jockey. She has spent time at Santa Anita and in New York. She rode Mine That Bird as a two year old, and they combined to be named the two year old Canadian champion. Sutherland is also Mike Smith’s girlfriend. She’s more than talented enough to ride the horse, she has an established relationship with him, and she’d easily and happily commit to the horse for the rest of his career. Too perfect.
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Tags: Calvin Borel, Chantal Sutherland, Jodie Meeks, John Calipari, John Wall, Kentucky Wildcats, Mike Smith, Mine That Bird, Zenyatta
