When we launched our 2021 contest, it had been only five months since the 2020 edition had concluded.
As we launch this year, we’re still not sure whether last year’s winner will remain the winner.
As always in horse racing, there’s never a dull moment.
When I launched this in 2009, we were able to donate several hundred years to a racing charity.
Last year? Particpants pledged just over $2,100, bringing the total of money pledged/donated since we started this 13 years ago to about $17,000. That is an incredible testament to your generosity.
So let’s do it again! We know that there’s a lot in the racing world to be cranky about, but this isn’t one of them. Let’s raise money to benefit the horses and humans that make this sport possible–you don’t have to be an ace handicapper to have a shot at some of the prize money!
In past years, recipients have included, Take the Lead, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy, Backstretch Employees Service Team, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Days’ End Horse Rescue, Our Mims, Old Friends at Cabin Creek, ReRun, Second Stride, and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue, Florida Thoroughbred Retirement and Adoptive Care and Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program
Back when we started, I pledged $50 to the charity of the winner’s choice. Quickly, pledges and donations from participants, unsolicited, followed, in impressive, generous amounts. As always, a donation is not required to play but is welcome in any amount.
Every dollar donated goes straight to the charities, and information on pledging can be found below.
Here’s how it works:
Select a fantasy stable consisting of 12 Triple Crown-nominated 3-year-old horses. Horses earn points with top-4 finishes in official Kentucky Derby qualifying races, racing in the Kentucky Derby, and a top-5 finish in the Kentucky Derby.
Points will be allocated according to the Kentucky Derby points system. Kentucky Derby starters will earn an additional 30 points each; Kentucky Derby points will be 300-120-60-30-15, respectively, for the top five finishers.
Linda divided the Triple Crown-nominated horses into three groups (select “Groups ABC” at the tab on the bottom of the page) based on current Derby points standings.
Players will choose for their stable:
- 3 Group A horses
- 4 Group B horses
- 5 Group C horses
The groups are available in this Google doc. Click the tabs on the bottom to find the groups of horses, and post your selections as a comment on this post.
Stables must be posted in the comments by this Saturday, February 19, by 12:00 PM ET.
After the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12, the horses will be divided into two groups (D & E, again grouped by performance criteria above) and stables will be able to add:
- 1 Group D horse
- 1 Group E horse
Round 2 of the contest will begin with the UAE Derby on March 26; supplemental horses must be selected by that day, time TBA, depending on post time in Dubai. Points earned by Group D and E horses in Round 1 will not count toward the players’ total.
A reminder post will go up the week before Round 2 begins.
The contest will conclude with the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7. The winning stable will have the most accumulated points. In the unlikely event of a tie, ties will be broken as follows:
- Highest number of Derby starters in your stable
- Highest number of points at the end of Round 1
If you finish in the top 3, you’ll be able to choose the organization(s) to which your prize money is donated. All recipient organizations must be registered 501(C)3 charities and must support the well-being of the humans or animals in Thoroughbred racing or on the backstretch.
The winner will receive 60% of pledges; the runner-up 25%; the third-place finisher 15%.
If you want to play, please post the names of the horses for your stable in the comments below (if you are a first-time or infrequent commenter here, your post will be held in moderation until I can approve it, which generally happens relatively quickly.)
If you want to pledge/contribute, please leave the amount in the comments or e-mail me at Teresa@brooklynbackstretch.com. We’d love to surpass the amount of money that we raised last year.
Linda Walker has generously donated her time to set up our spreadsheet, building on the work of Mike Dorr and Chris Rossi, who handled that part of the league for several years. Linda also maintains the spreadsheet and generally keeps track of day-to-day operations; without her, this contest would not be possible.
Questions? E-mail me, leave a question in the comments, find Linda and me on Twitter (@BklynBckstretch, @LindaVA3).
Good luck, have fun, and let’s do some good for the racing community.
Brooklyn Backstretch 
A Group: Classic Causeway, Smile Happy, Jack Christopher
B Group: Courvoisier, Call Me Midnight, Major General, Commandperformance
C Group: Pioneer of Medina, Shipsational, In Due Time, Simplification, Forbidden Kingdom
Group A: Classic Causeway – Smile Happy – White Abarrio
Group B: Slow Down Andy – MacKinnon – Commandperformance – Call Me Midnight
Group C: Messier – Emmanuel – Zandon – Simplication – Newgrange
Group A: Classic Causeway – Smile Happy – White Abarrio
Group B: Slow Down Andy – MacKinnon – Commandperformance – Call Me Midnight
Group C: Messier – Emmanuel – Zandon – Simplification – Newgrange
I forgot to include my pledge of $50
Group A
• Mo Donegal
• Jack Christopher
• Make It Big
Group B
• Early Voting
• Major General
• Courvoisier
• Commandperformance
Group C
• Classic Moment
• Dakota Gold
• Loose Goose
• Rockefeller
• Shinnecock Hills
Please put me down for the same amount as last year. Thank you both for doing this again. The horses also thank you.
Group A: Smile Happy, Mo Donegal, Classic Causeway
Group B: Slow Down Andy, Early Voting, Barber Road, Dash Attack
Group C: Zozos, Zandon, Messier, Simplification, Emmanuel
Group A: Classic Causeway, Pappacap, Smile Happy
Group B: Courvoisier, Commandperformance, Barber Road, Dash Attack
Group C: Belgrade, Emmanuel, Shipsational, Simplification, Trafalgar
I forgot my pledge – the usual $50.
$50 pledge
A: Classic Causeway, Smile Happy, Epicenter
B: Early Voting, Barber Road, Dash Attack, Slow Down Andy
C: Emmanuel, Simplification, In Due Time, Trafalgar, Chasing Time
$50 pledge
A: Classic Causeway, Mo Donegal, Smile Happy.
B: Call Me Midnight, Early Voting, Major General, Slow Down Andy.
C: Belgrade, Blitz Fang, Chasing Time, Forbidden Kingdom, Zandon.
I’m in for 50 again this year.
Smile Happy
Epicenter
White Abarrio
Slow Down Andy
Early Voting
Commandperformance
Call Me Midnight
Chasing Time
Volcanic
Zandon
Ben Diesel
Sir London
Thanks,
Doug S
@possumtariat
Group A: Smile Happy
Rattle N Roll
Classic Causeway
Group B: Barber Road
Slow Down Any
Dash Attack
Major General
Group C: Zandon
In Due Time
Shipsational
Simplification
Golden Code
Good Luck again to all!!
$60 pledge
A: Smile Happy
Classic Causeway
Rattle N Roll
B: Early Voting
Call Me Midnight
Major General
Barber Road
C: Emmanuel
Messier
Charge It
Simplification
Zandan
A: Classic Causeway, Mo Donegal, Smile Happy
B: Call Me Midnight, Courvoisier, Early Voting, Mackinnon
C: Emmanuel, Forbidden Kingdom, In Due Time, Morello, Simplification
Pledging $25.
Thanks again!
D: Epicenter
E: Secret Oath
Group A
Classic Causeway
Epicenter
Smile Happy
Group B
Early Voting
Slow Down Andy
Major General
Call Me Midnight
Group C
Charge It
Forbidden Kingdom
Rattle N Roll
We The People
Zandon
Pledge $200
Thank you and Good luck to everyone
Hi!
Rattle N Roll is not a Group C horse, please select another. Thanks!
Oops . I will go for Crown Pride (Jpn) then. Thanks for pointing this out
Mo Donegal
Classic Causeway
Pappacap
Early Voting
Call Me Midnight
Command Performance
Barber Road
Kitten Mischief
Dakota Gold
Bourbon Heist
Gilded Age
Trafalgar
$50 Pledge
Group A
Classic Causeway
Smile Happy
Pappacap
Group B
Courvoisier
Command Performance
Call Me Midnight
Slow Down Andy
Group C
Forbidden Kingdom
Shipsational
Trafalgar
Simplification
Gilded Age
Posting on behalf of Bob Deering:
$50
A: Classic Causeway, White Abarrio, Smile Happy
B: Major General, Dash Attack, Early Voting, Commandperformance
C: Echo Zulu, Emmanuel, Shipsational, Simplification, Zandon
A: Pappacap, Epiccenter, Mo Donegal
B: Major General, Dash Attack, Slow Down Andy, Barber Road
C: In Due Time, Charge It, Zandon, Pioneer of Medina, Pioneering Spirit
$100
A: Classic Causeway, Mo Donegal, Smile Happy
B: Barber Road, Dash Attack, Early Voting, Slow Down Andy
C: Emmanuel, In Due Time, Messier (The Captain), Newgrange, Zandon
$100 pledge
I’ll email with my pledge…
Group A
Classic Causeway
Smile Happy
Pappacap
Group B
Dash Attack
Courvoisier
Barber Road
Call Me Midnight
Group C
Trafalgar
Miss Mattie B
Zandon
Wit
Gilded Age
Posting on behalf of Michael Beychok:
Mo Donegal
Rattle N Roll
Pappacap
Slow Down Andy
Early Voting
Commandperformance
Mackinnon
Ethereal Road
Golden Glider
In Due Time
Newgrange
Zandon
Adding Geraldo Barrows and Emmanuel . thank you
Group D
• Smile Happy
Group E
• In the Union
D: Giant Causeway
E: Galt
I’m going to guess you meant Classic Causeway 🙂
D: Epicenter
E: Rattle N Roll
I’d like to add Classic Causeway and Emmanuel.
Thanks!
Doug
I am adding Epicenter and Secret Oath from Group D & E respectively
Forbidden Kingdom
Secret Oath
Thanks
Un Ojo and Secret Oath
D: Epicenter
E: We the People
D – Epicenter
E – Secret Oath
D – White Abarrio
E – Messier
Morello
Messier
A Horses: Classic Causeway, Jack Christopher, Make it Big
B Horses: Courvoisier, Slow Down Andy, Call Me Midnight, Commandperformance
C; Horses: Constitutionlawyer, Line of Soul, Shipsational, Echo Zulu, Pioneer of Medina, Tiz the Bomb
Chris, it looks like you reposted your first group of horses?
You can pick D and E groups until 8am tomorrow.
Duh – I will redo it. Sorry!
I read the rules wrong — sorry! I thought it was time to refresh the entire stable — I jumped the gun. I will give myself 40 lashes with a wet noodle as atonement.
Leave me A/B/C horses as is, and here are my additions:
Group D: Morello
Group E: Mr White (JPN)
Group D: Epicenter
Group E: Cyberknife
May I add // Thank You!
(D) Forbidden Kingdom
(E) We All See It
Group D: Epicenter
Group E: Secret Oath
Good luck to all in the contest and thanks again for running it . Should be an exciting finish and with 300 points for the Derby winner it’s possible to come from a long way back to win it .
Ps. My Messier pick on March 24th doesn’t appear on the spreadsheet (saying this now just in case he wins 😉) I saw the with Tim Yakteen press conference and he does seem to be a very nice chap .