This Saturday, May 5 will be the annual 138th Kentucky Derby. No charming horse stories jump out at us this year. That might happen post race. The slight favorite this year is a horse named Bodemeister. Why that almost sounds like Blogmeister!
Every year I go out with friends and play our dollar bets on the each race of the Triple Crown. It sounds silly but it is a rite of spring for us.
To view the horses for this race, go to the Washington Post section. CLICK HERE .
Elena hates the first weekend in May because she hates horse racing. Animal rights and all. I also hate animal mistreatment and I won’t go to Charlestown to the races for that very reason. It is not representative of good treatment of animals. However, these horses in high stakes racing are primo and an investment. They are treated better than I have ever been treated in my life. You can pretty much say that about all the high stakes race horses and high stakes racing in general. The animals are the atheletes. Are there exceptions? Of course. There are exceptions to everything.
Many tracks now contribute to organizations like the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Living Lengends, or Old Friends Equine. Many folks in the racing industry have contributed huge sums of money to care for these ‘retired athletes’ through charitable organizations such as these. We should value our retired vets as much! Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. You can contribute online or at most tracks or through the links provided.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes, the three races in the Triple Crown continue to be favorites of not just Americans. These races draw an international audience. Each year more and more foreign owners participate. People do love their horses!
Many children first fall in love with horses during the spring when new heroes are crowned. Remember, kids several generations ago saw many more horses than kids to nowadays. Now horses are no longer a means of everyday transportation, they have become somewhat of a novelty. My mother’s generation grew up riding. She would have gotten me a horse except I wouldn’t agree to muck the stall. I wasn’t making a deal with that devil! After her death, a family genealogist discovered that Mother was related to the owners of Secretariat, not so close cousins. Penny Chenery’s paternal grandmother was named Ida Burnley Taylor. Bingo. Distant cousin. My mother would have loved knowing this well kept secret and I am sure she would have gone around and told everyone she was related to Secretariat. The hell with Penny.
If you haven’t seen the film Secretariat, do so. It is a fabulous movie and it won’t make you cry. The Derby begins around 6:20 on NBC but you want to see the line up and find out a little about each horse. It makes the race more fun. If the Derby isn’t your cup of tea or cup of mint julip, the Gold Cup will be held in the Plains and the Apple blossom Festival will be in Winchester.
This sneaks up on me every year.
I won 4 bucks for my #1 bet coming in second. I usually lose. Bodemeister.
I am always leery over the years, of the front runner actually winning. It rarely happens and this year was no exception. He just tuckered out.
I watched the movie Secretariat under a starry sky, on the deck of a cruise ship, fruity drink in hand. Perfect movie, perfect setting.
Neat!!!! Where was the ship at the time? Far away from the crowds.
I’ve only bet once – as a high schooler – at the Saratoga racetrack. It was a cowardly $2 bet on a horse to show. I won 80 cents! I’m with Elena when it comes to horse racing….don’t like it.
I quit going to Charlestown. The horses are not in very good shape and you don’t have to be a vet to figure it out.
I like the high stakes racing. I cannot stand dog racing.
Who watched the racing series on HBO? I never got in to it.
@Moon-howler
“Luck”? We watched a couple episodes. The dialogue was tough to understand for a couple old geezers and we didn’t like the reminder of how many horses are injured and put down.