Keywords: Kentucky Derby Thoroughbreds horse racing Triple Crown
Kentucky Derby Memories
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January 24, 2009
Jan Hoadley
Kentucky Derby Memories
The Kentucky Derby, run the first Saturday in May, is a race known around the world. While many fans and horsemen also follow the Breeders Cup races, the other stakes races such as the Travers and the Arlington Million, for many folks the Kentucky Derby is horse racing. Yet the Derby is a cruel mistress. When those gates open anything can happen. Good horses can get shuffled back and, because they only run as three year olds in this race, it can be their one date with destiny. These young horses will see and hear a crowd unlike anything else they will likely hear in their lives. A horse that backs off at that 'wall of sound' coming out of the turn may not get a chance to come back. There are almost expected winners - Citation, Street Sense, Whirlaway. There was the top quality horses people thought would falter - Secretariat and Seattle Slew. Of courses those made history. There was the stirring challenge of Affirmed and Alydar. Easy Goer and Sunday Silence. There has been long forgottens in the likes of Sea Hero, Cannonero II or Riva Ridge. There's the favorite seconds - any other year but 1973 Sham would have stood well above the crop and probably swept the Triple Crown. There's those that the Derby was their finest hour. The beautiful colt Charismatic and Barbaro are examples. There's stories that are unlike many other races. The owner who after a lifetime with Thoroughbreds had a real chance and could not see her bay, white faced colt but relied on her trainer's call of the race as Unbridled barreled down the stretch to win. There's Smarty Jones, who suffered a horrific injury that might have been the end of many and Monarchos, who was supposed to die as a baby but marked the second fastest time of the race. There's the gallant fillies who captured our hearts and respect. Regret was the first. Later Genuine Risk and Winning Colors scored wins for the girls against the best colts in the country. It was so close to happening in 2008 as the big striding but ill fated Eight Belles ran her heart out and defeated all but one. Sadly, she, Genuine Risk and Winning Colors have all been laid to rest in 2008, although for different reasons. Genuine Risk, at 30, had long been retired from racing and breeding but remained queen of her domain. There's equine royalty and 'cheap' horses improving at the right time. There's established owners and trainers and there's those who get incredibly lucky on their first trip to Kentucky. There's ex jumper and rodeo trainers and those who have always trained Thoroughbreds. The horses themselves leave time records and statistics. Their stories lay on our hearts, capture our imagination and take us on a ride from the rail or living room chairs around the nation. Be it the amazing dominance of a win by daylight or the gutsy head to head battle where a photograph is needed to separate them, Thoroughbreds capture our hearts more on this day than perhaps any other. They can sometimes break our hearts too when their fragility becomes apparent. Some of us swear we can't watch...then a new crop of exciting, competitive three year olds do battle and we're struck again with the beauty and admiration for the incredible speed and seemingly indestructible nature of the Thoroughbred. There are critics and there are fans but horses don't read. The ones with heart all have the confidence they will be the winner. And for all the stories, for all the beautiful horses there can be only one that peaks in performance at the right time, that gives a top effort on that day no matter what was done before or after. There is only one that wears the roses and puts his - or her! - name in the history books.
Posted by Jan Hoadley
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