I think it’s terrible that they handicap those race horses.
Our good friends Chris and Vicky have a Derby Party each year. Once a year, my interest in horse racing moves beyond just reading Dick Francis novels. Could be three times a year, if there is a true Triple-Crown contender, but I don’t think that will happen this time.
Upon arrival, we put $5 into a pot and select our horse. The winner then gets to decide which charity will receive the money. If more than one bet on the horse, then the winnings are split between them, each deciding where a portion of the money will go. I selected Sinister Minister, and Laura selected Sweet Northern Saint – odd that we should both pick horse names with religious overtones.
Chris is an excellent bartender, and soon had all of us sipping good Kentucky Bourbon with sweet water and crushed mint – the classic julep. We reveled in the pagentry, heard the bugle fanfare, and sang along to "My Old Kentucky Home."
The race itself was a nail-biter. My horse took second and held it until the last moments of the race, fighting for first place. Unfortunately, he dropped all the way back to 16th place at the finish. Bummer. Laura’s moved ahead to finally finish in 8th position, I think. Barbaro won, followed by Bluegrass Cat and Steppenwolfer.
Not having enough racing for the day, we watched SeaBiscuit when we got home. Turns out it was a great movie that would have been much better with out the commercial interruptions.
If you want to watch the race itself, go to www.kentuckyderby.com. The race video will start automatically. Heck, it’s only 2 minutes. Why not put it on the front page of the website?