Kentucky Derby 2022 Name Analysis
May 6, 2022 2:16:57 GMT -5
Post by grommet on May 6, 2022 2:16:57 GMT -5
Here is a breakdown of this year’s Derby horse names. I started doing this back in the late 80’s when I read a newspaper article about Derby names – the gist of it being that Derby winners tend to have strong, bold names while horses with weak names were rarely allowed to wear the garland of roses. Soon after that article, I started analyzing the Derby names every year to try and narrow down the potential winners, primarily based on their name, down to 4 horses (upped the number to 5 when the Derby field expanded to 20 horses). Essentially this eliminates 75% of the horses from the top spot. I only use this breakdown for the Derby and only use it for the win slot. Just like any other angle I don’t follow it 100% when it comes to bets, but it can help sway some final decisions or help narrow down the field. Since 1989 there have been 21 hits and 12 misses.
Positives:
- Names that have a bold sound or a ring to them (Strike the Gold, Charismatic)
- Names that seem to flow smoothly off the tongue (Sunday Silence, Street Sense)
- Names that sound a little old-fashioned (Go for Gin, War Emblem)
Negatives:
- Names with words crunched together (Sweetnorthernsaint, Atswhatimtalknbout)
- Names with abbreviations or apostrophes (Serena’s Song, Unbridled’s Song)
- Names that are devoid of meaning or seem like two random words thrown together (Excellent Meeting, General Challenge)
- Names that sound weak in general (Mister Frisky, Afternoon Deelites)
The ultimate litmus test to me is reading through past Derby winners and then deciding if a name would be a good fit. Would it belong on a name plate in the Churchill paddock area? With 20 horses you do have to sprinkle in a little racing form logic to get down to the final five. The analysis was more consistent in the 80’s and 90’s, so perhaps the name analysis has lost some steam - but it’s still fun to break down the names every year. Of course a lot of it is subjective as well.
Past Hits:
Sunday Silence
Unbridled
Strike the Gold
Sea Hero
Go for Gin
Thunder Gulch
Grindstone
Silver Charm
Real Quiet
Charismatic
Monarchos
War Emblem
Barbaro
Street Sense
Animal Kingdom
Orb
California Chrome
Nyquist
Justify
Country House
Authentic
Past Misses:
Lil E. Tee (I still have no idea how this name won the Derby. Pat Day must have been the difference)
Fusaichi Pegasus (The horse must have been supremely talented to overcome such a clunky name)
Funny Cide (He keyed one of my most profitable Derbies, but I thought the name was too 'cute' for the Derby gods)
Smarty Jones (In hindsight, this was a dumb omission of mine, considering its old-school sound)
Giacomo (Eliminated based on form)
Big Brown (Didn’t like the fact that the horse was named after a large corporation, UPS)
Mine That Bird (Eliminated for all kinds of reasons)
Super Saver (Couldn’t include a horse that sounded like a bargain shopper)
I’ll Have Another (Was somewhat close to making the cut but the name came across as too long)
American Pharoah (Didn’t like the misspelling of ‘pharaoh’ - but in hindsight, a bold-sounding name)
Always Dreaming (Had mixed feelings on this name and ultimately did not make the cut)
Mandaloun (He was the final cut - I thought about promoting him into the top 5 when King Fury scratched, but decided to roll with the remaining 4 horses).
2022 Name Analysis:
Barber Road: Owner Bill Simon stated, “The colt is named after the street my wife grew up on, and the street is named after my wife’s grandfather, Clarence Barber. Her mom and dad are in their mid-80’s and can’t travel much anymore, so we wanted to give them something to follow. We didn’t know we’d be coming all the way to the Kentucky Derby, but now they will be watching Barber Road from Barber Road on Derby Day.” The name may not get the blood pumping as much as some others in this list, but it earns big nostalgia points with its old school sound - maybe slightly reminiscent of past winners Country House and Stone Street. Earns its way into the second round.
Charge It: The name derives from the dam, I’ll Take Charge, and the sire, Tapit. Nothing wrong with paying homage to your bloodlines, but this name falls flat to me. Thoughts of shopping with a credit card don’t exactly conjure up feelings of Derby glory – although Super Saver somehow overcame that disadvantage. Have to eliminate this horse.
Classic Causeway: The name derives from the sire, Giant’s Causeway. It has a fairly nice ring to it with some alliteration bonus points a la California Chrome and Sunday Silence. Pushing through to the second round.
Crown Pride: I’m on the fence with this name that derives from the sire, Reach the Crown, and the dam, Emmy’s Pride. The words in the name sound redundant to me, for whatever reason - and the word ‘pride’ sounds a little arrogant despite the 1967 Derby winner Proud Clarion having a worthy Derby name. On paper the horse looks capable and Japanese horses have been on a roll, but I will eliminate this horse early knowing that it won’t make the Final 5.
Cyberknife: This horse was named for the prostate cancer procedure that was received by owner Al Gold. "I am using this name to get the word out that when you have prostate cancer, you are afraid, but this is a form of cancer that is treatable," Gold told The Courier Journal. Awesome story about Al Gold, but I don’t feel a good name fit for the Derby – a fully robotic radiotherapy device just doesn’t sound like something the Derby Gods would be interested in. The horse looks visually impressive from a handicapping standpoint with a quick turn of foot, but for the name analysis he’s being eliminated.
Epicenter: Co-owner Ron Fisk stated, “Ron (Winchell) and I both grew up in California where earthquake stories are ubiquitous, so we are aware of Richter scale terminology maybe more than a lot of people. I can’t remember how we came up with Epicenter as a name, but there could’ve been some reporting or a Weather Channel story about earthquakes at the time that subliminally entered our consciousness.” This is a simple one-word name and it has a nice ring to it, in my opinion – and kind of evokes thoughts of the horse shaking his competition off their feet. An easy qualifier for the second round.
Ethereal Road: The name derives from the sire, Quality Road. It doesn’t catch me as nicely as Barber Road, with the word ‘ethereal’ evoking thoughts of delicacy. You need to be tough to win the Derby, not light and airy. On paper, the horse looks overmatched and for Lukas fans only. Tossing.
Happy Jack: The owners at Calumet Farms nicknamed this colt Jack at birth. When it came time to register an official name, they combined the nickname with "happy" due to his sunny demeanor. The name doesn’t necessarily sound bold, but does have a little old-school sound to it, a la Paul Jones and George Smith. Including in the second round of analysis.
Messier: Named after NHL great Mark Messier. The wife of Tom Ryan (Tom Ryan is part of the ownership group SF Bloodstock) is the daughter of former Edmonton Oilers forward Pat Hughes. Tom Ryan met Mark Messier during an Oilers team reunion in 2017. Hockey names have a nice history with Nyquist winning the 2014 Derby and Tikkanen winning the 1994 BC Turf. A simple one-word name and an easy inclusion for round 2.
Mo Donegal: The name derives from the sire, Uncle Mo, and the owners, Donegal racing. No immediate strikes against and has a bit of an old-school sound reminiscent of Morvich and Donerail. However, I don’t feel like the Derby gods are fans of owners that toot their own horn, so to speak. The colt looks capable of winning on paper but I’m confident he wouldn’t make the final 5 and will eliminate early.
Positives:
- Names that have a bold sound or a ring to them (Strike the Gold, Charismatic)
- Names that seem to flow smoothly off the tongue (Sunday Silence, Street Sense)
- Names that sound a little old-fashioned (Go for Gin, War Emblem)
Negatives:
- Names with words crunched together (Sweetnorthernsaint, Atswhatimtalknbout)
- Names with abbreviations or apostrophes (Serena’s Song, Unbridled’s Song)
- Names that are devoid of meaning or seem like two random words thrown together (Excellent Meeting, General Challenge)
- Names that sound weak in general (Mister Frisky, Afternoon Deelites)
The ultimate litmus test to me is reading through past Derby winners and then deciding if a name would be a good fit. Would it belong on a name plate in the Churchill paddock area? With 20 horses you do have to sprinkle in a little racing form logic to get down to the final five. The analysis was more consistent in the 80’s and 90’s, so perhaps the name analysis has lost some steam - but it’s still fun to break down the names every year. Of course a lot of it is subjective as well.
Past Hits:
Sunday Silence
Unbridled
Strike the Gold
Sea Hero
Go for Gin
Thunder Gulch
Grindstone
Silver Charm
Real Quiet
Charismatic
Monarchos
War Emblem
Barbaro
Street Sense
Animal Kingdom
Orb
California Chrome
Nyquist
Justify
Country House
Authentic
Past Misses:
Lil E. Tee (I still have no idea how this name won the Derby. Pat Day must have been the difference)
Fusaichi Pegasus (The horse must have been supremely talented to overcome such a clunky name)
Funny Cide (He keyed one of my most profitable Derbies, but I thought the name was too 'cute' for the Derby gods)
Smarty Jones (In hindsight, this was a dumb omission of mine, considering its old-school sound)
Giacomo (Eliminated based on form)
Big Brown (Didn’t like the fact that the horse was named after a large corporation, UPS)
Mine That Bird (Eliminated for all kinds of reasons)
Super Saver (Couldn’t include a horse that sounded like a bargain shopper)
I’ll Have Another (Was somewhat close to making the cut but the name came across as too long)
American Pharoah (Didn’t like the misspelling of ‘pharaoh’ - but in hindsight, a bold-sounding name)
Always Dreaming (Had mixed feelings on this name and ultimately did not make the cut)
Mandaloun (He was the final cut - I thought about promoting him into the top 5 when King Fury scratched, but decided to roll with the remaining 4 horses).
2022 Name Analysis:
Barber Road: Owner Bill Simon stated, “The colt is named after the street my wife grew up on, and the street is named after my wife’s grandfather, Clarence Barber. Her mom and dad are in their mid-80’s and can’t travel much anymore, so we wanted to give them something to follow. We didn’t know we’d be coming all the way to the Kentucky Derby, but now they will be watching Barber Road from Barber Road on Derby Day.” The name may not get the blood pumping as much as some others in this list, but it earns big nostalgia points with its old school sound - maybe slightly reminiscent of past winners Country House and Stone Street. Earns its way into the second round.
Charge It: The name derives from the dam, I’ll Take Charge, and the sire, Tapit. Nothing wrong with paying homage to your bloodlines, but this name falls flat to me. Thoughts of shopping with a credit card don’t exactly conjure up feelings of Derby glory – although Super Saver somehow overcame that disadvantage. Have to eliminate this horse.
Classic Causeway: The name derives from the sire, Giant’s Causeway. It has a fairly nice ring to it with some alliteration bonus points a la California Chrome and Sunday Silence. Pushing through to the second round.
Crown Pride: I’m on the fence with this name that derives from the sire, Reach the Crown, and the dam, Emmy’s Pride. The words in the name sound redundant to me, for whatever reason - and the word ‘pride’ sounds a little arrogant despite the 1967 Derby winner Proud Clarion having a worthy Derby name. On paper the horse looks capable and Japanese horses have been on a roll, but I will eliminate this horse early knowing that it won’t make the Final 5.
Cyberknife: This horse was named for the prostate cancer procedure that was received by owner Al Gold. "I am using this name to get the word out that when you have prostate cancer, you are afraid, but this is a form of cancer that is treatable," Gold told The Courier Journal. Awesome story about Al Gold, but I don’t feel a good name fit for the Derby – a fully robotic radiotherapy device just doesn’t sound like something the Derby Gods would be interested in. The horse looks visually impressive from a handicapping standpoint with a quick turn of foot, but for the name analysis he’s being eliminated.
Epicenter: Co-owner Ron Fisk stated, “Ron (Winchell) and I both grew up in California where earthquake stories are ubiquitous, so we are aware of Richter scale terminology maybe more than a lot of people. I can’t remember how we came up with Epicenter as a name, but there could’ve been some reporting or a Weather Channel story about earthquakes at the time that subliminally entered our consciousness.” This is a simple one-word name and it has a nice ring to it, in my opinion – and kind of evokes thoughts of the horse shaking his competition off their feet. An easy qualifier for the second round.
Ethereal Road: The name derives from the sire, Quality Road. It doesn’t catch me as nicely as Barber Road, with the word ‘ethereal’ evoking thoughts of delicacy. You need to be tough to win the Derby, not light and airy. On paper, the horse looks overmatched and for Lukas fans only. Tossing.
Happy Jack: The owners at Calumet Farms nicknamed this colt Jack at birth. When it came time to register an official name, they combined the nickname with "happy" due to his sunny demeanor. The name doesn’t necessarily sound bold, but does have a little old-school sound to it, a la Paul Jones and George Smith. Including in the second round of analysis.
Messier: Named after NHL great Mark Messier. The wife of Tom Ryan (Tom Ryan is part of the ownership group SF Bloodstock) is the daughter of former Edmonton Oilers forward Pat Hughes. Tom Ryan met Mark Messier during an Oilers team reunion in 2017. Hockey names have a nice history with Nyquist winning the 2014 Derby and Tikkanen winning the 1994 BC Turf. A simple one-word name and an easy inclusion for round 2.
Mo Donegal: The name derives from the sire, Uncle Mo, and the owners, Donegal racing. No immediate strikes against and has a bit of an old-school sound reminiscent of Morvich and Donerail. However, I don’t feel like the Derby gods are fans of owners that toot their own horn, so to speak. The colt looks capable of winning on paper but I’m confident he wouldn’t make the final 5 and will eliminate early.
