Many confectioners have tried their hands at making the perfect pie. The folks who set the bar as high as it gets were Walter and Leaudra Kern and their son George.
They moved to Louisville in 1954 to begin management of the great Melrose Inn which was an Oldham County destination for many who came through Prospect. That’s where the first slice of Derby Pie was served, and Kern’s Kitchen was born. Mad kitchen scientist George Kern came up with the sweet, chocolate nut concoction whose name was ironically pulled from a hat. So, I guess the Kern’s are responsible for another Derby party tradition.
Kentucky is a tradition rich commonwealth. The most popular one takes place every year on the first Saturday in May and has since 1875. Much like Derby Pie, the Kentucky Derby has a very unique and patented recipe which has endured for the last 150 years. Breeders, owners, trainers and jockeys are all part of that recipe. When the Garland of Roses is placed over the winner’s withers, it tastes as sweet as a big slice of George’s invention with a huge dollop of whipped crème on top.
Let’s take a look at a bakers’ half dozen (7) of horses who have the right ingredients to win a slice of Derby history.
BURNHAM SQUARE: has to be included off his Bluegrass Stakes win and being an Oldham County neighbor of the old Melrose Inn. I know Skylight based trainer Ian Wilkes and his Hall of Fame Assistant Carl Nafzger have had their slices but would love to win it for one of their top clients, the Whithams.
SANDMAN: this stunningly beautiful gray has shown he’s a serious player after trouncing the field in the Arkansas Derby. He ran fast down the Oaklawn stretch, in every direction, but got the job done for trainer Mark Casse. Casse has won everything there is to win except he’s missing one ingredient, the Kentucky Derby.
JOURNALISM: he’s the current Derby favorite by consensus. He has as many owners as Kern’s have sold pies. He’s the fastest runner of his generation so far and his lineage suggests that he and his Italian jockey will love the Derby distance.
TAPPAN STREET: is the name of s light rail station located east of Tappan Street in Brookline Massachusetts. He won the Florida Derby in only his fourth start and seems to be improving rapidly. Trainer Brad Cox hopes he rolls like a locomotive down the stretch at Churchill Downs.
SOVEREIGNTY: you want to talk about ingredients. This one is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who is no stranger to the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs. He’s a sly fox who knows how to point his horses to a peak effort. Sovereignty has an ingredient that most in this race won’t have, a win over the track in a stakes race. His work this past Saturday was jaw dropping (1:00.2). Especially for a horse who hates to practice in the mornings. He’ll be taking dead aim on the leaders at the head of the stretch. He gets his regular pilot back for the Derby, Junior Alvarado.
FINAL GAMBIT: Juddmonte has never won the Derby but most every other meaningful race on the planet. When he won the Jeff Ruby at Turfway on a synthetic surface, the concern by Brad Cox was how he would take to the dirt, having never run on it. Someone forgot to tell Final Gambit that. This Saturday he skipped over the Churchill dirt in 1:00 and change and brought a big smile to Cox’s face. He’s run the fastest final quarter of any horse in the Derby. Look out!
PUBLISHER: all I will say about this Asmussen runner, who’s still a maiden, is watch his work in company with stablemate and fellow Derby competitor, Louisiana Derby winner Tiztastic. It was a blow out. He had a 3-length lead over Tiztastic who could never get by him, even on the gallop out. Dismiss him at your peril friends.
These are the ones that I think a good pastry chef / handicapper would deem to have all the right stuff to win the roses and pay homage to Kern’s Kitchen. One caution though, George’s recipe is patent protected. They even went to court over it. Be careful, as Derby Pie is chock full of nuts. The kind you may be allergic to. Don’t blame me, blame George.
