Image Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesIt’s the first Saturday in May, and that means folks are gathering in living rooms across the country to celebrate the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby (airing 4-7 ET on NBC, with the race set to go off around 6:24). If you’re not the kind of person who appreciates having your hands covered in Daily Racing Form ink by day’s end, you might want to take a stab at rooting for some of the horses with pop-culture connections. I perused the 20 entrants to search for names or connections tangentially related to the world of music, movies, or television:
Mission Impazible (pictured): Whether you fancy Tom Cruise’s movie franchise or the iconic 1960s TV series, the little gray winner of the Louisiana Derby is the clear pop-culture standout in the field. (FYI: He gets the curious spelling of his name from his mother, La Paz.)
Sidney’s Candy: This horse is owned by Jenny Craig (she of the ubiquitous diet centers), so if you’re a fan of any of Craig’s current celebrity spokespeople — Jason Alexander (star of the devastating new drama George), Sara Rue, and Valerie Bertinelli — the Santa Anita Derby winner is your hunch bet.
Jackson Bend: If you’ve got a Jackson on your iPod — Michael, Janet, Jermaine, Rebbie, or heck even Jackson Browne — then you might want to get behind this colt, who’s never been worse than second in nine career starts.
Devil May Care: The lone filly in a field of boys should appeal to fans of The Devil Wears Prada, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, The Devil’s Backbone, and dozens of other films with el diablo in the title.
Make Music for Me: Huge longshot has a slightly generic name, but if you’re one of those folks who’s obsessed with Rock Band or Guitar Hero, he might be worth a couple bucks to show.
Homeboykris: Idol fans nostalgic for season 8, take note! (Co-owned by Dodgers’ manager Joe Torre.)
The rest of the field consists of: Lookin At Lucky, Ice Box, Noble’s Promise, Super Saver, Line of David, Stately Victor, American Lion, Dean’s Kitten, Paddy O’Prado, Conveyance, Discreetly Mine, Awesome Act, Dublin, and Backtalk. (For the record, my money is gonna spread around among Ice Box, Discreetly Mine, Sidney’s Candy, and Super Saver.) Head on down to the comments to share your own favorites, or point out any entertainment-related associations I’ve missed! And Happy Derby Day!
Yay Michael for being a racing fan! I’m rooting for our Ca. horses, Lookin at Lucky and Sidneys Candy! It’s anyones race though because of the rain,some horses hate mud!
No contest Slezak, you are my favorite because of Idolatry and horse racing. But don’t tell Jim! Homeboykris came from the farm I work at and when he got named as a 2-year-old I could barely contain my inner fangirl! So glad to see him in the big races.
Horse racing is for a-holes.
Thank you for that enlightening comment; I’m sure that you know as much about horse racing as Obama does! No class and no accountability from either of you! You are a perfect representative of your ilk!
yeah, I always vote for my president based upon his knowledge of horse-racing. What you said to the other guy applies to you in spades.
Is this why there’s no Idolatry this week? *Pout*
Since NBC is using David Cook’s “Heroes” for promo today, I’m betting on Line of David.
I watch the Derby every year, but it gets harder and harder with NBC’s coverage. For the first half an hour it was about who was wearing what, and the celebrities that are there. Really I don’t care! Tell me about the horses! Their coverage is like watching Extra. As for my pick, I kinda like Devil May Care.
I’m with you. I actually live in Louisville, and have been going to the Derby since I was a little girl. The local news coverage has even taken on an E! news vibe. We hear a lot less about the horses these days, and a lot more about the hats. And seriously, can anyone tell me what Johnny Weir was doing here? When our local news correspondent asked him what the Derby was all about, he answered: “Oh, it’s all about the amazing hats and the pageantry of the horses!” What the hell is “the pageantry of the horses” supposed to mean, and why is my local news station interviewing this guy?!
Unfortunately, Sidney’s Candy did not place, but she wins the award for the hottest jockey (Joe Talamo)!
Pop culture for my old kentucky home. My Seattle derby party loved this. Michael Slezak deserves a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 year reserve for bringing the ponies to ew.com.
Congratulations Michael, you must have done pretty well having picked both Super Saver and Ice Box!
Dean’s Kitten, what’s a name like that? Haha!I would go for Ice box, that’s cool name! He’s ice cold!
Slezak- please tell me that you put exacta money on Super Saver/Ice Box. Never doubt Calvin Borel and at 7-1.
I did indeed!
Nice. Who are you eyeing for the Preakness? I know its about a week early but hey we start looking for the Derby horse in December! And there is no Rachel Alexandra in this year. Last year it was her and everybody else.
I think with Ice Box passing the Preakness, Super Saver could be tough to beat. If anyone has a shot to beat him, maybe Conveyance, Caracortado, or Noble’s Promise?
Didn’t like Rascal Flats on Idol, liked them even less at the derby…didn’t someone tell the jerk to take his hands out of his pockets while singing the National Anthem, or was he just that bored??
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