It seemed like it would have taken a greased shoehorn to get another person into Oaklawn Park on Saturday.
Patrons with parking passes were being diverted to the infield, which generally has 12 to 15 overflow cars, mostly media or Oaklawn employees. But this time it looked like a Frank Fletcher car dealership.
Fletcher was the big, zealous, generous horseman at Oaklawn on Saturday who took a step closer to his dream of winning the Arkansas Derby.
Saturday's spectacular day became joyous for Fletcher when his lightly raced maiden, Wolf Man Rocket, won the $100,000 Northern Spur by almost 2 lengths after trailing by more than 4 at the head of the stretch.
Before his previous race, at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert had warned Fletcher that his horse was not going to win that day, that a sprinter from his stable -- also entered that day -- was faster for 6 furlongs, and Wolf Man Rocket was bred to go two turns, which generally translates into a mile or more.
Baffert is the John Calipari of horse racing. He gets the most talented, high-dollar horses in the country and wins the most big races.
On Saturday, Baffert easily won the Arkansas Derby with American Pharoah, who won after running second instead of on the lead like he had in his past three wins.
American Pharoah and his undefeated stablemate, Dortmund, might be the first and second betting favorites in the Kentucky Derby. Dortmund, 6 for 6, is coming off a victory in the April 4 Santa Anita Derby.
Now Wolf Man Rocket, who hasn't earned enough points for the Kentucky Derby, may be the third-best horse in Baffert's stable, in front of One Lucky Dane, who ran second in the Santa Anita Derby.
And if Wolf Man Rocket follows the path of his sire, 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, he might be the one with the most development left. Mineshaft won $70,000 at age 3, but he won four Grade I distance races and more than $2 million as a 4-year-old before retiring to stud.
Everyone who saw the Arkansas Derby was incredibly impressed with American Pharoah's 8-length victory, but in the quarter mile between 6 furlongs and a mile, he covered the ground in :25.20.
Wolf Man Rocket covered that distance in about :25.09. The difference is about the time it takes to blink your eyes.
Wolf Man Rocket is improving and was running stronger when he crossed the finish line than at any other time in the race.
The Arkansas Derby is always Fletcher's top target, but Wolf Man Rocket is harnessing his considerable raw talent and there are some great races down the road this year where he should be a factor.
As for the Kentucky Derby, it could be a Baffert exacta and if One Lucky Dane runs, maybe a trifecta.
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Inevitably, the comparisons will begin, as unfair as they may be.
Jordan Spieth wins the Masters, the most coveted tournament in golf, and the 21-year-old will now find himself thrust into comparisons with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and others.
It is what people do, and right now Spieth is the best thing that could have happened to American golf.
The PGA needs a hook with Woods' image and game still on the mend. Television was so desperate for some glory that CBSsports.com had a Tiger Woods link on its Masters page.
Woods had rounds of 69 and 68, but they were sandwiched by two 73s. And while most golfers would drink week-old buttermilk if it meant shooting 5 under at Augusta National, that's below the standard expected of Woods.
Spieth was below par in every round and had 28 birdies, a tournament record. His opening day 64 was the lowest by a Masters champion.
The Texan -- and he's all Texas, listing his favorite teams as the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Stars and the University of Texas -- mostly played like a seasoned veteran, which is rare in someone that young.
Sports on 04/14/2015