Saturday, May 06, 2017

Happy Kentucky Derby Day!




Kentucky produces two things that are famous the world over, great Bourbon whiskey and the worlds best race horses.  This afternoon the best of the best of horses, just reaching their prime racing years will gather at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky for the fastest two minutes in sport.  A fair amount of Bourbon will be consumer by the crows (some of it the best of the best - much of it rubbish - but that is another story.) 

I don't know as my mother ever went to a racetrack, but she enjoyed watching the Triple Crown Races.  When we moved to Kentucky back in 1995, I went to the races for the first time.  There is something very special about it, the crowd, the horses, at a live race.  It is a sensory experience.  When you stand by the rail and the hoses thunder by, the earth vibrates under your feet, you can hear the horses breathing, you can smell the horses as they go by.  It is special. 

I went to law school just a couple of miles from Churchill Downs.  Derby Day had a second meaning for UofL law students, Derby Day signaled that spring semester exams were over - exams finish by Noon on Friday so the students can either attend the Kentucky Oaks on Friday afternoon (the best of the two year old mares in the world) or flee town.  I always fled town.  

Will you watch the Derby today?  





7 comments:

  1. no; not into horses. but you have a nice snort of quality bourbon for me (no rubbish).

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  2. I love the horses but have no interest in the racing. So, do you pronounce it DURby or DARby? (I know the answer; I just regularly get corrected here when the subject comes up... they say darby I say durby.)

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  3. My parents attended the 99th running in 1973. They got to see the modern legend pony, Secretariat, win in record time(then he went on the win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes for the Tripe Crown). They attended a couple of other later Derbys but said that one was special.
    I've still got the engraved bracelet they brought me from the '73 KD.

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  4. Never been to a horse race and as far as I can recall I've never watched the Kentucky Derby on TV. I have had a proper Mint Julep with shaved ice, maybe that's why I can't fully recall if I've seen the actual race.

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  5. I listened to "Stuff you missed in history" which gave the story on the KD. Fascinating history, to be sure.

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