Derby Day

May is my favorite month of the year. One of the many reasons is because the Kentucky Derby takes place the first Saturday of the month.  Today was no exception. Except, I wanted to make sure that I was traditional in my Kentucky Derby celebration. I made mint juleps and wore a big, Derby hat. (Pictures attached).

One of my earliest memories of my dad and I was going to the horse track in Minnesota called Canterbury Downs. I used to love going there with him to watch the horses race.  Once when we were there, when I was about 7 or 8, I found a ticket on the floor at the racetrack. From that ticket, I won $35. For a little kid, that was a lot of money. I didn’t know what to do with it. Luckily, Dad was with me, and he convinced me to bet on a horse in the next race, and the next few after that, none of which I won. That was my first and last experience in sports betting, though I could bet on sports, I know a lot about them, and I usually get my guesses right.

I will admit, I always pick a horse for the Kentucky Derby. This year, I picked Improbable, but he was on edge during the walkup, and he was fidgety in the gate. He ended up in the middle of the pack. I was disappointed by the results of the Kentucky Derby this year. 1) I don’t want to see a horse disqualified for any reason, and to lose the race over a disqualification was non-poetic.  2) Also, it was greatly disappointing to see the trainer and jockey, who thought they had won, being told that they had in fact, not won.

I have always loved horses. They are beautiful, majestic, and intelligent creatures. For a while in 4^th and 5^th grade, I wanted to be a equine (horse) cardiologist. However, when I realized that a horse might die if I pursued a career in veterinary medicine, the horses might die, and I would be sad. This field became an interest for me because I received the American Girl Magazine, which detailed the job. I was fascinated and learned everything about the job I could.

In all respects, I should be afraid of horses. Deathly afraid. When I was young, I fell off of one and almost got trampled. However, that did not deter me. I love horseback riding, though I will admit, I am a little apprehensive about riding on a horse. Horses can be easily spooked, and if they get spooked, and you don’t know what to do, you or they could get greatly injured. I have always wanted to go to Majorca to see the wild horses run along the beaches. I think it would be an amazing experience.

Today, Dad and I had a conversation about whether or not horses remember the races, and the people who race them. I am a firm believer that animals do have personalities and memories. It has been scientifically proven that horses are intelligent animals:  https://list25.com/25-most-intelligent-animals-on-earth/3/

One of the items on my bucket list is to go to The Kentucky Derby. Shock. My Bucket List has sports items on it. I have looked into going. It’s not very expensive to get tickets in the infield, but Dad told me it would be a waste of money. So, I guess I will have to find someone else to go to the Derby with. For me, it would be about the experience—the majesty, the fun, the atmosphere—everything the Derby is. I would get dressed up because I love getting dressed up. I love feeling feminine and pretty. I would also don an extremely large hat. My hat this year came from Infinity Hats– https://www.facebook.com/infinityhts/. I would love to wear on at the actual Derby. Though I noticed this year a lot of the women were wearing smaller hats with birdcages or headbands.

So, until next year, I will curb my disappointment…maybe I can find a place here to ride horses more frequently. Hopefully, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes will be more exciting to watch. So, happy Derby day. I did learn one thing about the race this year…I am not a super big mint julep fan, which I didn’t think I would be because I don’t like mint or whiskey. It wasn’t the most terrible drink I have ever, but it wasn’t my favorite. It did taste better when I added lemonade to it. I followed the official Kentucky Derby recipe when I made them. My dad had three, so I guess they were good. I included the recipe, so if you would like to make them in the future, you can:

Woodford Reserve Mint Julep

Serves 1

• 2 ounces Woodford Reserve
• 1 ounce water
• 4 sprigs of fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Crushed ice

Directions

1. In a copper julep cup, rub two pieces of fresh mint around the cup to express the oils.
2. Add Woodford Reserve, then the water and sugar and stir with a bar spoon.
3. Add crushed ice to the top, then garnish with four sprigs of mint.

I learned a lot about the traditions of the Kentucky Derby this year while I was watching the preshow. Here are some interesting ones I learned today:

• It is the longest running sporting event in the US.
• The architecture at the track is iconic.
• Secretariat is the fast winner in the history of the race (I knew this because my dad always re-watches that race every year. I think I have it memorized. This year he also made us watch a few others. One year we are going to watch all the races from the first televised one until now).
• Horse racing is really big in Japan. The first Japanese bred horse raced this year.

I decided I want to be a broadcaster for the Kentucky Derby. That would be an amazing job. So, until I become rich and famous, or can learn to be a sports broadcaster, the dream will be on hold. Until then, I am taking applications as a Derby date…

HAPPY DERBY DAY!!! HAPPY MAY!!!