LOUISVILLE, Ky. -It's tough to pick a horse that suits your personality, especially before the Kentucky Derby is even run.
We're still getting to know them. We're hoping, as we do every year as the Triple Crown season is set to unfold, that one might emerge with the heart of Secretariat. Or the Everyman's charm of Smarty Jones. Or the fighting spirit of Barbaro.
But one thing you can do at the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday is find a trainer who speaks to your rooting interests. Maybe you want a proven, cutthroat winner who is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure a payout. Or perhaps you prefer an underdog who has come close, never seen the winner's circle, but is still on the verge of a breakthrough. Maybe you're even the sentimental type, interested in backing a long shot for reasons beyond financial.
The beauty of the wide-open field this year is that there is probably a trainer out there for you.
If you're rooting for a good story, Tom McCarthy is probably your man. The 75-year-old Louisville native - trainer and owner of General Quarters - has never had a horse in the Derby. In fact, he spent most of his life as a school teacher, having walked away from his dream to make sure he could support his family with a steady paycheck. But from afar he remained in love with the sport of kings. He has attended the Derby since the early 1950s as a fan, but he was unable to really break back into the game until recently, when he snagged General Quarters in a claiming race for $20,000. Just don't tell him his only horse, a 20-1 wager, is of humble beginnings. General Quarters proved he deserved to be here with an April victory in the Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland.
"This is one of the best-bred horses in the Derby if you'll just look at his bbreeding," said McCarthy, who has a gruff voice and a salt-and-pepper mustache. "I mean this - he - I might have been lucky enough to get him for $20,000, but this horse is impeccably bred."
Just don't expect him to get caught up enjoying the moment too much. Instead of embracing his role as the feel-good long shot this week, McCarthy has been all business. He believes he's here to win.
"I'll be sitting right there in that tack room and be with my horse all day," he said. "I don't get into all that other stuff. We're here to do a job, and [General Quarters] is the only person I need to be with on race day."
