The Run for the Roses 2008

I spent three summers in Lexington, KY where I was attending the University of Kentucky to take library science courses. It was while there that I became fascinated with the bluegrass state. A Kentucky tour guide in 1972 at the Mary Todd Lincoln home in Lexington commented that Kentucky is a man's dream state because it produces everything a man would like: beautiful women, fast racehorses, dark tobacco and good bourbon. Well, every year at the Kentucky Derby you can see all four of these Kentucky virtues? in abundance. I watched the derby yesterday on TV and saw Big Brown win the derby and Eight Bells break down. I learned shortly after the race that Eight Bells had been euthanized. Today I'm reading in the online papers that racehorses are becoming more and more vulnurable to injuries because of the inbreeding. One article claimed that all the horses in yesterday's race could trace their linage to the winning racehorse, Northern Dancer, 1960. I wonder how they could incorporate new bloodlines into this sport.

Meanwhile, back here in Virginia on the first Saturday in May we have something called The Gold Cup. It is old fashioned horse racing on turf with fence jumps thrown in for good measure. This event is always held in The Plains, VA. Several of my neighbors attended the races there yesterday. I know horse racing is controversial and that some say it should be outlawed. I don't think it should be outlawed but it does need to be regulated better. I think both the horses and the jockeys have a very hard life riding to win. The good days come when they both are put out to pasture to enjoy the retirement years. And that's what I enjoy seeing whenever we get a chance to drive around Lexington, KY: magnificent horses enjoying the bluegrass pastures on the beautiful horse farms. Here are my questions for you. Do you think Big Brown could become a Triple Crown winner? And are you old enough to remember Secretariat, The Triple Crown Horse?