One of the more popular meetings of the Lexington Rotary Club every year comes the Thursday before Derby Day. Thursday afternoon Keeneland Racing Analyst Gabby Gaudet offered video of a recent race of her top pick. “Here’s Bourbon War unleashing a big run down the center, but Code of Honor is going to hang on to win the Fountain of Youth, three points of a length.”
Gaudet said she’s closely followed the progression of of another horse, Code of Honor. “I think finally now they’ve gotten him under a routine and a schedule and they finally have him where they want him and Shug MaGaughey, his trainer, has always said we’re not going to take him to the Kentucky Derby, he’s going to take us to the Kentucky Derby,” added Gaudet.
Now with the favorite Omaha Beach scratched, Gaudet also likes “Roadster” and “By My Standards” in Saturday’s 145th running of the Derby.
Gaudet has grown up in a horse racing family. Her father, mother, sister, and husband have all trained horses. She believes the horse racing industry stands ready to address issues of fatal injuries and drug testing. “We’ve been put in a situation right now where we have an opportunity to improve our sport and our industry and I see racetracks and companies throughout the country, throughout the world really trying to make those changes for the longevity of our sport,” explained Gaudet.
Much attention recently has centered on the number of horses being put down, particularly at Santa Anita in California.
Gaudet says she doesn’t believe the future of horse racing is in jeopardy, adding she thinks it will, quote, “get better, and safer, and fairer.”?
Keeneland Racing Analyst Gabby Gaudet spoke with Weku's Stu Johnson following her Rotary speech. The sounds in the background are of tractors working the Red Mile race track:
