Where Horse Racing and Baseball Meet
Contributed By Post Time PetePosted on 4/22/10 9:12 PM
There's a long shot running in the Kentucky Derby this year that brings a smile to Joe Torre's face. His name is Homeboykris and as of this writing, he's running at 60 to 1 odds. That doesn't faze Torre though. "Just taking part of the Derby is pretty special and who the hell knows what's going to happen," he said.
For anyone unfamiliar with baseball, Joe Torre is the current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He managed the New York Yankees to four World Championships in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. It was during his time with the Yankees that his love of horse racing was rekindled. His bench coach at the time, the legendary Don Zimmer, talked Torre into investing in a horse. They doubled their money on that investment and that was all it took to keep Torre hooked.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner shares that passion with Torre. Steinbrenner owns Kinsman Stud Farm in Ocala Florida and has made several attempts at winning the Derby, most recently with Bellamy Road in 2005. "This is something that stands the test of time," Torre said. "The Kentucky Derby is the Kentucky Derby. You can do all kinds of other things but this seems to be the Oscar."
Torre's co-owned other horses, but this is his first Derby contender. Unfortunately, he won't get to attend the race as his Dodgers will be hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates. You can bet he'll be watching prior to first pitch though. "He's ready, he's very excited," Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said of Torre. "You can tell he loved this."
Unfortunately, Homeboykris hasn't shown much success in the past months. He finished 5th at the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and hasn't had a win since October 2009 in the Champagne Stakes (G1). However, the Derby has a way of turning long shots into heroes, proved last year by 50-1 long shot Mine the Bird. It may be nothing more than a compelling story, but there's definitely something special where horse racing and baseball meet.
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