Tom Law

Vann Belvoir flashed back to his first training experience at Churchill Downs as he watched Rocket Heat roll into the stretch of Friday’s $150,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint.

“The first horse I ran here, just in a claimer, Rafael Bejarano rode for me, I was like 4 in front at the eighth pole thinking, ‘Bejarano, 4 in front, I’ll get home, right?’ ” Belvoir said. “I got snapped at the line. I was hoping, ‘not today, I don’t want to get snapped today.’ “

Walking out of the tunnel for the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes on the Longines Kentucky Oaks undercard Friday at Churchill Downs, clouds were few and far between as the sun shone very brightly on the home of the twin spires. The temperature was near perfect; about 75 degrees with a slight breeze. With the way the media crammed into the winner’s circle area before the day’s first stakes event, one could tell it was going to be quite the squeeze there at approximately 6:34 p.m. Saturday.

The day everyone’s been waiting for is finally here. The 142nd edition of the Kentucky Derby, a race that carries with it a fast-food company sponsorship also seems to bring more significant questions than usual this year.

The entry of Florida Derby runner-up Majestomarks the first time since 1971 that a Kentucky Derby starter has had an owner, trainer and jockey who all hail from a South American country.

The Venezuelan-based Grupo 7C Racing Stables, a group of seven brothers led by the Caracas-based Alejandro Ceballos, own Majesto and Longines Kentucky Oaks entrant Paola Queen. The latter finished second in the Gulfstream Park Oaks on the same day as Majesto’s Florida Derby performance.

Growing up just about 10 minutes from Prairie Meadows Racetrack in nearby Ankey, Iowa, Jason Loutsch developed an affinity for horse racing at a very young age.

“One of my best friends I grew up with, Ben Sampson, had a farm close by in Altoona with a big pasture and we used to go down there all the time and ride Quarter Horses,” Loutsch said. “We used to wake up at 5 a.m. and think we were cowboys; we didn’t know what the heck we were doing but we had a great time doing it. I loved horses growing up.”

How about a six-pack of stakes to get the weekend off to a flying start? That’s what’s on tap Friday at Churchill Downs, the day headlined of course by a strong renewal of the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks.

Cliff Sise admits he’s looking forward to sending out his first Kentucky Derby starter after coming close to running in America’s most hyped event a few times in his career. He’s just not getting carried away with the experience.

Neophyte racing fans sipping homemade mint juleps at Kentucky Derby parties from coast to coast will notice something rather unique about the field for this year’s race with the presence of four gray entrants. The slightly more seasoned spectators will no doubt notice that three of the four share the same sire, who just so happens to be the leading sire of the last two years and the current leader in 2016. The even more savvy already know and are not surprised that Tapit is the sire.

Undefeated champion Nyquist drew post No. 13 and was pegged as the 3-1 favorite for Saturday’s 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby during Wednesday’s post-position draw in the Aristides Lounge at Churchill Downs.

Many would consider entering a winless horse in the nation’s biggest and most recognizable race to be unthinkable, illogical or even just plain stupid.