It’s about an hour until post time and I am getting more anxious by the minute. Bob Costas marked the occasion with another one of his signature, spectacular features on why the Kentucky Derby is an event that annually stands out in sports. I hope they put that online somewhere so I can watch it over and over again.
The story on Union Rags owner Phyllis Wyeth made me an immediate fan of the horse because of her story. She broke her neck in a car accident, went into her family’s business of horse breeding after she recovered, sold Union Rags for 125 grand, had a dream that she had to get him back and bought him for $390,000, the highest she would bid. The piece also made me think that I would be a bad horse owner because I would not be able to part with a horse that was born on my farm. I’d have to make sure I didn’t name it.
I’ve never been to another big race like the Preakness or the Haskell, but I like how Churchill Downs extends the post time so there’s a little over an hour to place your bets and feel the anticipation before the Greatest 2 Minutes in Sports. I liked the piece showing the celebrities picks for the Derby winner, but the walk to the paddock interviews with the horse trainers were very informative from a learning journalist’s perspective. The talk with famous trainer Bob Baffert was a challenge for the reporter because Baffert’s son Bode (the family has a thing for B’s) was between them. So there’s the guy asking Baffert questions while trying not to squish the kid holding onto his father’s hand out of the picture too much. He did a good job asking 7-year-old Bode how his time at the Derby was going. Any time you can get a soundbyte from a kid, you’re doing well. I know I would have wanted to switch sides to get closer to Baffert, but after watching the interview, I realize that would have been very distracting.
The call for the riders to mount the horses is a fun tradition that Coach Cal nearly botched like his earlier interview. His wife had to bump him with her hip to incite him to say “Riders Up!”
My pick to win is Dullahan. His jockey Kent Desormeaux has won the Derby 3 times and I love the history behind his name. See you on the other side!!
No Cheering in the Press Box 