John Salzman

OTD May 16, 1884. Buchanan. Isaac Murphy wins first of his 3 Kentucky Derbies aboard colt who'd bolted, run off in Nashville prep. Buchanan wins 8 races in 35 starts over 4 years w/another 24 placings. Later in year, 36 yrs after construction began, Washington Monument completed.

OTD May 16, 1925. Flying Ebony. Field of 20 go postward in 51st Kentucky Derby w/more than 6 million tuned into first-ever national radio broadcast. Flying Ebony, part of 10-horse “field” betting entry, wins w/Earl Sande. Derby only stakes win in 13 lifetime starts.

OTD May 16, 1930. Throwing Shade on Derby Winners. For first recorded time, Kentucky Derby winners meet at Churchill Downs in Shady Brook Farm Handicap. '27 Derby winner Whiskery (now 6yo) runs 2nd, '29 Derby winner Clyde Van Dusen (now 4yo) runs 10th.

OTD May 16, 1931. Twenty Grand. U.S. VP Charles Curtis presents trophy for Twenty Grand win in Kentucky Derby. Track record 2.01 4/5. As 2yo, Twenty Grand set U.S. record for one mile at CD. Knute Rockne killed in plane crash 6 wks prior, Empire State Building opens 2 wks prior.

OTD May 16, 1981. Contrefaire. Daughter of Sham, runner-up to Secretariat in 1973 Kentucky Derby, wins $25,100 Regret Stakes w/Tommy Barrow up at Churchill Downs. Crowd of 19, 299 on hand. Shortly after Regret runs, '81 Derby winner Pleasant Colony takes Preakness Stakes.

OTD May 16, 1998. Real Quiet. After taking seven tries at age two to break maiden, including pair of loses at Santa Fe in New Mexico, one-time $17,000 yearling takes Preakness Stakes. In three weeks, will come nose shy of winning Triple Crown & earning $5 million dollar bonus.

OTD May 16, 1882. Apollo Curse. Despite no starts at age two, Apollo wins 8th Kentucky Derby. He'll be last runner w/no starts at 2 to win until Justify 136 years later. Apollo won final prep at Montgomery Park in Memphis prior to Derby. Wins 24 of 55 starts in four racing years.

OTD May 16, 2009. Rachel Alexandra. After winning Kentucky Oaks by 20+ lengths, Rachel Alexandra is sold & supplemented to Preakness. With Calvin Borel aboard, she beats Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird w/new rider Mike Smith. Becomes first filly to win Preakness in 85 years.

OTD May 16, 2015. That's Two. Shortly after heavy downpour w/lightning & thunder forces infield evacuation, American Pharoah wins Preakness by 7 lengths. Only 8 run in smallest Preakness field in 15 years. Pharoah's winning time of 1.58.46 for 1 3/16 miles is slowest in 65 years.

OTD May 16, 2020. Opening Day. After global pandemic cancels Keeneland Spring Meet & forces Kentucky Derby to September, Churchill Downs gets its 146th Spring Meet going three weeks after original starting date. No spectators though, same w/Derby later in year.

OTD May 15, 1976. B’ B’ B’ Bird is the Word. In his first MLB start, Detroit Tigers rookie Mark Fidrych tosses 2-hit gem. “The Bird” goes onto start ’76 MLB All-Star game en route to Rookie of the Year & second in Cy Young. Leads MLB in ERA too. Amazing meteor across the MLB sky.

OTD May 15, 1876. Buzz Aldrin Derby. Vagrant becomes second Kentucky Derby winner. Over 9 yrs racing, Vagrant wins 20 times in 88 starts. Two months prior to Derby, Alexander Graham Bell invents telephone. Following Derby, George Custer dispatched by military to Little Big Horn.

OTD May 15, 1894. Chant. After making 25 starts at age 2, Chant wins Kentucky Derby in one of 33 starts at age 3. Over four years racing, wins 22 of 63 starts. His Derby-winning rider Frank Goodale, leading rider at CD in 1892, killed in riding accident days following 1894 race.

OTD May 15, 1926. Bubbling Over. In 52nd Kentucky Derby, Colonel E.R. Bradley runs 1-2 w/Bubbling Over winning easily. Won final Blue Grass Stakes run at Kentucky Association track in prep. It's also final start for Bubbling Over, who'll go onto sire '32 Derby winner Burgoo King.

OTD May 15, 1948. Steve Brooks. Wins six races on Saturday card at Churchill Downs. Second rider to achieve feat, first since Jimmie Lee in 1907. Brooks wins eight CD riding titles from 1946-55. Piloted Citation, Stymie, Ponder, Hill Gail, Coaltown. Racing Hall of Fame 1963.

OTD May 15, 1982. "Kaenel Outfoxed Shoemaker." Blue Grass winner...likely Derby favorite...Linkage passed on Kentucky Derby as his trainer coveted Preakness more. 16-year-old Jack Kaenel aboard Aloma's Ruler outrides Bill Shoemaker on 1-2 favorite Linkage, wins $300k Preakness.

OTD May 14, 2018. National Phil Baker Day. US Supreme Court strikes down Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act (prohibited states from legalizing sports gambling). Court majority opinion "more direct affront to state sovereignty is not easy to imagine." More of everything.

OTD May 14, 1885. Joey C. When Joe Cotton wins 11th Kentucky Derby, it's breeder AJ Alexander's third Derby winner. All told Alexander's Woodburn Stud will breed four Derby winners, 4 Preakness winners & 10 in Belmont. Joe Cotton wins 17 races (in 54 starts) in six years racing.

OTD May 14, 1886. Back to Back. Kentucky Derby run on May 14th for second consecutive year as Ben Ali wins for namesake owner James Ben Ali Haggin. Third winner for sire Virgil. Ben Ali runs 1 1/2 mile Derby in track record 2.36 1/2. Won his final Derby prep race at 1 3/4 miles.

OTD May 14, 1888. “If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow & which will not.” On cold, raw day, Macbeth II wins 14th Kentucky Derby. Gelding came into race off pair of wins in Nashville. Over seven years of racing, Macbeth II wins 25 of 106 starts.