In the run up to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, the Thorobros took a good hard look at the past 20 years of Derbys and tried to rank the top twelve. We were able to arrive at this highly scientific ranking through a complicated logarithm that generated a foolproof list of the best Kentucky Derbys of the past two decades. This year’s renewal of America’s most famous horse race looks to be particularly strong – perhaps we will have a new addition to these rankings come May 2, 2015.
Number 10: 1995 Thunder Gulch
The 1995 Derby was in the midst of D. Wayne Lukas’ domination of the Triple Crown Season. The year before he won both the Preakness and the Belmont with Tabasco Cat, and was ready to continue the streak with three entries in the 1995 Derby: last years 2 year old Champ Timber Country, the All-Star filly Serena’s Song and Thunder Gulch, who although was very successful that year was a bit of an afterthought.
Prelude
As is the case every year, the Horse that wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is made the de facto favorite for the next year’s Derby. Lukas’s Timber Country was such a champion. Although his form leading up to the Derby had been slightly less impressive (3rd in the San Rafael and 2nd in the Santa Anita Derby), many expected him to round back into his champion form come the first Saturday in May.
Meanwhile, Lukas’s other champion-caliber 2 year old, the speedy filly Serena’s Song, was dominating fillies and the boys all over the country. She won the three races at Santa Anita against fillies, including the Santa Anita Oaks before heading to Northern Kentucky to best the boys in the Jim Beam (now Spiral).
All the while, Lukas had a third prospect who was performing and maturing well in Florida. Thunder Gulch won both the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby at Gulfstream. However, when Lukas shipped him north to Keeneland to run in the Bluegrass, he ran an unimpressive 4th.
In a classic case of what have you done for me lately, Thunder Gulch was considered, by far, Lukas’s third best option in the race. An afterthought in many newspaper articles leading up to the run for the roses.
The Race
Timber Country and Serena’s Song were entered as a coupled entry, and sent off as the betting favorite at 7-2. Thunder Gulch, whose morning line was a respectable 9-1, was totally dismissed as the “other” Lukas at 25-1. As many race watchers/bettors know, it is often this forgotten entrant that steals the show.
As expected, Serena’s Song took the lead through the opening furlong. The field made her earn it though, as she put up fractions of 22 3/5 and 45 4/5 for the half. Thunder Gulch, although relatively close to the pace, sat about 3 lengths back and in the clear on the outside. Timber Country, a devote stretch runner, languished in the back of the field.
When Serena’s Song hit the half mile pole, her gait started to shorten. The filly was tiring out. Gary Stevens aboard Thunder Gulch began making his move and drew even with Serena’s Song at the top of the stretch. Thunder Gulch gave the rest of the field the slip by getting first run at the leader, and was strong enough to continue on to the wire for a decisive victory. Timber Country, although moving well late, had too much to do and could only manage 3rd under Jerry Bailey.
1995 Derby Video (fast forward to 11:00 for the stat of the race).
The Aftermath
Two weeks later, Timber Country remedied his defeat and showed his backers that he had not lost a step by winning the Preakness. Thunder Gulch finished third by 3/4 of a length. However, Thunder Gulch bounced back to take the Belmont (from which Timber Country had to scratch because of a fever)and secure the book ends of the Triple Crown for himself and complete the sweep and 5 in row for D. Wayne Lukas in the American Classics.
Thunder Gulch would continue his winning ways by taking the Swaps at Belmont and the Travers at Saratoga to win 3 year old Eclipse Honors. Had Thuder Gulch raced in almost any other year, his body of work in 1995 would have won him Horse of the Year. Unfortunaely for him, his accomplishments were overshadowed by Cigar’s dominance of the handicap division and the perfect 10 for 10 season.
Serena’s Song, although beaten badly by the boys in the Derby, won the second two legs of the Filly Triple, in the Black Eyed Susan and Mother Goose. She also turned the tables on the boys, by keeping her nose in front at Monmouth speedway to take the Haskell.
But Lukas’s dominance of American racing and the Triple Crown is what really stole the show. The five in a row is likely never to be equaled.
