The Kentucky Derby, Americana, and a great day at the races!
A.K.A. "can't we do this more than once a year?!
This post is a little late, since we just witnessed the Preakness, second leg of US horse racing’s Triple Crown. But that’s what happens when you have a “day job” and this isn’t it! Better late than never, a few thoughts from a most enjoyable May 4, 2024, Kentucky Derby Day.
How was your Derby day? Mine was the best ever.
And not because I had the second place horse on a bet to show…alongside a lot of losing bets. Because the wagering to me is part of the excitement, not THE excitement.
Everyone is different in that regard, and that’s one reason I started this community. Those who sign up (for free) hope to get something out of it. What that something is will be varied. Or, as TV character Ted Lasso famously said, “all people…are different people.”
One fun fact about the Derby last Saturday. By the time they opened the starting gate, there were so many longshots in the 20 horse field, a $2 win bet on every horse had a strong chance of paying off. $40 of win bets.
Derby Day made me think of just how great horse racing can be at bringing people together. Not only friends and family, but total strangers too. My wife and I, joined by the few friends that made it to the very end of a long day, watched the Kentucky Derby on the huge screen at GP from the reserved seats. Felt just a bit like being there, except that our crowd was down to a couple of thousand at the track, versus the 100,000+ at Churchill Downs.
My only issue with Derby Day? Why can’t we have days like that more often? There was a time when thoroughbred racing, along with baseball, were America’s major sports. Then came the rise of the NFL, NBA and NHL, and more recently, soccer and even E-sports. And I’m just waiting for professional Pickle Ball to emerge along with golf, tennis and of course, bowling.
Sports are big part of our lives, for a wide range of reasons, depending on who you are. Here’s to rallying more around the sports of kings AND queens, and making a day at the races more than just something people say “I did once and it was fun.”
Yes, it was my 60th birthday party at Ten Palms restaurant at Gulfstream Park, my “happy place” and a big part of what prompted me to start this “fans of racing fun” site. One candle for every 10 years. That’s a lot less intimidating to the honoree than 60 freaking candles, enough to create a fire hazard!
1980s Canadian pop band Men Without Hats, meet Men With Hats! No safety dances here, as all dancing involving these fellas is a clear and present danger. Gulfstream “Birthday” Guy in the middle, surrounded by many of his shorter friends and relatives.
