I have just experienced nine memorable days at the Derby City Classic and I will share what it was like to be there.
Before doing so, however, I’ll take note that Diamond butchered the event for a second straight year, and few were on hand when the Master of the Table was decided and even fewer saw the 9ball final, which began at about 8:15 AM on Sunday.
Day 1, Friday January 19, 2024
Arrived at the hotel at 5:00 PM. I saw Shaw vs Gorst in the Big Foot, a good tussle up to 6-6 but Fedor was brilliant in the closing racks for the win. I then made an early night of it.
Day 2, Saturday, January 20, 2024
Saw a few early banks matches, but nothing special. I watched banks in the afternoon and there was one good match, in which Mickey Krause and Trae Joyce came down to the last ball of the last rack, with Krause prevailing. Later, Tin Man and I watched Corteza’s master class win over SVB in the Big Foot. The match of the day was Gorst vs Lunda in banks. Lunda won the first rack and Gorst the next two. Lunda tied it up, but Gorst had the first good look in the case rack. His cross-side miss proved costly when Lunda ran five and out for the win.
Day 3, Sunday, January 21, 2024
It was moving day in the Big Foot, as winning quarterfinalists would be guaranteed $4,000+. The morning banks matches were nothing special, but Filler put on quite a show in his Big Foot match against Morra. Gorst did not find his “A” game until the late stages of his Big Foot match with Zielinski, who had a brutal skid when he was about to pull within 7-6. This set up the match everyone wanted to see for Monday in the Big Foot semis. I did not see much of the evening matches, but Konrad J and Corteza won and were to face off in the other semi. At banks, the favorites had an easy time of it, but Shaw suffered his first loss. Scott Frost had a nice win over Tony Chohan. The match of the day was Naoyuki Oi vs banks specialist Troy Jones. With fine play, Oi jumped out to 2-0, but Jones found a gear that was awe-inspiring and the runouts he made in the last two racks were remarkable, as he came back for the win. Finally, one pocket began, but I saw almost none f it.
Day 4, Monday, January 22, 2024
I rarely get up for the 9:30 AM round in bank pool, but when I saw Filler would play Lunda, I knew I had to be there. The defining moments came in Rack 3, with the match tied at 1-1 and Lunda ahead four balls to none. Josh made one and then three to bring the rack down to the last ball and won the ensuing safety battle to take a 2-1 lead. Josh won the next rack for a 3-1 victory and his first ever win over Lunda at banks.
Next up was the match all had waited for as Filler and Gorst hooked up in the Big Foot semis. The match lived up to its billing, as Gorst rallied from 6-2 down to take a 9-8 lead. Filler’s break and run made it double hill. Fedor broke wet but had no choice but to push, and Filler was first to gain control of the table, then running out for the victory. I would call it the most electrifying match ever seen in the Big Foot, with the world’s two best players offering an Ali vs Frazier kind of show. Finally, I have said it before and I will say it again. Played Texas Express, 10ball is a great game.
Corteza easily dismissed Konrad J in the second semi and it was Filler topping Corteza for the Big Foot title in a match that was closer than the 10-5 final score suggested. The Big Foot had delivered.
At days end, nineteen players remained in banks, including undefeated players Pinegar, Garcia, Fracasso-Verner, SVB, Salim, Chohan and Filler.
Finally, one pocket continued, but I saw almost none of it.
Day 5, Tuesday, January 23, 2024
At long last, banks sat center stage and a champion was to be crowned. The play was electrifying all day, as some of the favorites continued to cruise. SVB, Can Salim, Joah Filler and Tony Chohan remained undefeated through Round 9, but Justin Hall beat Josh Filler easily in Round 10. In Round 11, Filler met Gorst and it was clear that the match would figure prominently in the race for Master of the table. Filler prevailed in a well-played match. With Chohan and Salim tying for fourth, the last three standing were Filler, SVB and Hall, each carrying a loss. Hall drew the bye into the final, and Filler topped Shane to advance to the final.
The banks final was among the finest at Derby City, as Justin Hall fired on all cylinders to take a 2-0 lead. Filler clawed his way back and somehow beat Hall, whose level never really dropped. Filler won $16,000 on Monday night at 10ball and $16,000 Tuesday night in banks. He became the man to beat for Master of the Table.
I did not watch much one pocket, but I knew that would change on Wednesday. What an unforgettable day of pool!
Day 6, Wednesday, January 24, 2024
One pocket was front and center and the top guys were starting to draw each other, but my focus was on the matches of Filler and Shaw, both of whom finished the day having won their first seven matches. An especially interesting match was Filler vs Lukas Fracasso-Verner. Filler scratched on two of his three breaks and had to fight hard for the double win against a fast-improving young player who’d already come tied for seventh in banks. AZB’s Tin Man had qualified for Round 8 in the one pocket by day’s end. The 9ball began, but I saw just one match, with Pia Filler prevailing. The evening session lasted until 1:30 AM, and I was there when the last ball dropped.
Day 7, Thursday, January 25, 2024
One pocket and 9ball shared the stage, but my focus was on the one pocket. The day was littered with the unpredictable, but ultimately ended with a killer final three. Lunda and DeMarco played well and tied for fourth, but the ease with which SVB, Gorst and Filler continued to advance was shocking, with the lone exception being Gorst’s escape against Brandon Shuff in which it was 2-2 and Shuff led 7-6 in ball count.
It set up unprecedented circumstances for Friday, as each of the three remaining still had buybacks at day’s end. The final rounds of one pocket were to have huge Master of the Table implications.
The 9ball was still in Round 2 at day’s end and, just like last year, things looked to be way behind schedule.
Day 8, Friday, January 26, 2024
Slept late. I saw Josh Filler top Shannon Murphy easily. It was on to the one pocket and SVB topped Filler double hill to give Josh his first loss. Gorst then topped SVB, giving Shane his first loss. In the semis, SVB topped Filler to eliminate him. SVB needed to double dip Gorst for the title, but he won just the first set, so Gorst won the one pocket title. The Master of the table race was tight, with Filler having a narrow lead at 200 points, with SVB at 180 and Gorst at 170.
9ball plodded along and was still in Round 5 when the session ended after 1:00 AM. The 9ball tournament appeared to be backed up even more than last year. I was already worried about missing my second consecutive DCC 9ball final.
Finally, Mike Delawder was exceptional in the banks ring game, outlasting a very game Billy Thorpe for first prize.
Putting the 2024 in Historical Context
Certainly, Filler’s effort at the Derby was among the finest in pool history. Bigfoot champion, banks champion, one pocket bronze, 9ball champion and Master of the Table.
Gorst’s play was also of the highest caliber during the Derby, and I feel that the Filler vs Gorst rivalry has reached the level that most pool fans saw coming. There’s a lot of mutual respect between them, and theirs is a rivalry that will bring years of entertainment.
What’s Wrong with the Derby?
As a paying fan, I am disgusted by Diamond’s repeated mismanagement of the event. I felt as bad for the players, who were yawning during warmups and the play. Once again, it was the 9ball event that ruined the Derby, with the field being so big that after the second day of play, the event was still in Round 2. The event producers showed little regard for the fans or the players in the administration of the event and it is a crying shame.
Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was that the completed matches section of the website was not being updated, sometimes as much as two days behind. That meant that one couldn’t keep track of the results, which definitely cheapens the experience.
Until the 9ball field is capped at a reasonable number, this fiasco is going to be an annual ritual.
An event that once built to a crescendo now ends with a thud and it's a shame.
