Sunday, May 5, 2019

Quote of the Day - Kentucky Derby edition

This QotD goes to The Queen Of The World, from the Book of Faces:
With all the controversy surrounding yesterdays HORRIBLE Derby decision, there’s one very interesting point receiving no recognition at all. 
Neither of the top 2 horses in this race were what we’ve come to know or expect in the Kentucky Derby. One was a 65/1 long shot and the other was a $16,000 claim horse!  This just proves you can buy what’s considered to be the best bred horses available, buy top facilities, hire top trainers, and the best jockeys, but what you can never buy (or create) is that one thing that makes these 2 horses so special: the heart of a champion. 
There’s no denying they have that.  (Example: what happened to three Baffert horses?)
Pretty smart, right there.*  For  those that don't follow the ponies, Baffert is sort of the New York Yankees of horse racing - long term success, well funded, the favorite in many of the races his horses enter.  It's interesting that the Machine lost to these horses.

* She's not just a pretty face, she's also exceptionally insightful.  I mean, she married me, amirite?

2 comments:

libertyman said...

Excellent observation - if you have ever been to Kentucky around Louisville, look at the horse farms there to see the level of accommodations for the horses. There is a lot of money there, that's for sure.

Oh, and try the bourbon , they make it nearby!

Roy said...

Ironically, most of the really high-dollar horse farms are around Lexington. Lexington is at the heart of the KY bluegrass region while Louisville is at its western edge. The only reason the KY Derby is run in Louisville is because the founders of the race were all members of the Louisville Jockey Club. They built the track in Louisville that became Churchill Downs and started it there back in 1875. (Well, that and a marketing genius named Matt Winn.)

Now bourbon... There are distilleries in Louisville and all around us. There is a thing here called the "Kentucky Bourbon Trail" that features distillery tours around the region. If you have an interest and find yourself in the area, it is well worth the time. Plus, tasting! Yeah, most all of them have a free tasting.