A Day at the Kentucky Derby... In My Living Room

Saturday brought the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby, the first race of what is now commonly referred to as the Triple Crown. Sloppy track conditions continued to be an issue throughout the day, with rain bringing a steady onslaught of aggravating conditions. This made the front row seat in my living room, in front of my 48 inch HDTV, one of the best seats in the house for watching the race. Conditions were right, despite the fact that my three Labradors and I had no bartender to serve mint juleps.

I was rooting for Backtalk. Although his last few races were not his best, he had made a great start early in his career, and my hope was that this race could easily be his comeback, and bring him out as the great horse he is marked as. A quick trip to the store for some nachos and cheese and some celebratory dog treats for my compadres, and I was all set. ESPN started the day, rolling into NBC at three in the afternoon. My anticipation rose as the race neared. I had a contest entry riding on it that could win me a thousand dollars towards the purchase of a horse with West Point Thoroughbreds.

Just minutes before the race, the sun came out, wreaking more havoc for the jockeys on an already difficult track, with glare now paired with mud. As the horses came out for the jockeys to mount, I noticed that Backtalk looked disinterested, so my concern was heightened.

A few brief minutes later my hopes for getting the downpayment for that horse were dashed. Super Saver was the bet of the day, with wet track form, even according to his jockey (the same man who rode "Mine That Bird" to an amazing victory in last year's derby). He won the race. Ice Box came in second, with Paddy O'prado finishing third.

Super Saver's Jockey, Calvin Borel, states that his goal is to go all the way and win the Triple Crown.

Oh, woe is me, the horse that I was rooting for didn't win. Backtalk didn't do well on the muddy track, and seems to have lost interest, finishing last. I wondered if he may be bored with the race. However, Super Saver did win, which gave me an entry into another contest at NBC to win VIP seats at next year's derby!