Derby Day Disappointment


After weeks of hype, we finally got to witness the Kentucky Derby. For a full 2 minutes and 1 second of excitement, the entire city was held in suspense. Brandon and I got caught up in the action a little bit--we considered heading out to the Derby, but backed away from the crowds. We opted to BBQ at home and place bets online, but even that backfired when we couldn't get our online betting account to work.

So, we made fake bets and watched hours of coverage leading up to the Derby. Finally, a little after 6 p.m., the horses were off-- and a big brown horse named "Big Brown" crossed the finish line first. I had placed a fake bet on him, and with his 2.5 odds he won me $75 fake dollars. He was a favorite in the Derby, but had drawn post position #20, putting him in the very outside slot of the track. But his trainer was confident. This horse was undefeated for 4 of his previous races!

Brandon put his fake bet on a filly--the only female horse in the Derby--named "Eight Belles." She came in second, but as she crossed the finish line and started into a gallop, she collapsed. Both ankles were broken, and she had to be euthanized on the spot.

Two weeks ago we'd gone out to a fancy theater in downtown Louisville to watch "The First Saturday in May," a documentary on the Kentucky Derby. We learned that last year's Derby winner had suffered a similar fate--after winning, he'd gone on to run another race where he broke a hind ankle, and after many surgeries to fix it, was finally euthanized.

As I watched Eight Belles lying there on the track today, after witnessing all the pomp and shit, the crazy hats, the celebrities, the millionaires and the stretch Hummers that have been cruising around town all week, I thought, "Man, I am glad I had nothing to do with this ugly spectacle. I hate the Derby." Sure, it's been going on for 134 years, and I know it's good for the city and whatnot. And, there are many other sides to the Derby that I am oblivious to. But I also saw that these horses are pushed to their limits out there, and for what? So a bunch of drunk idiots and bored rich guys can place bets on them like a hand of blackjack? Is it really for the sport or even about the horses? If it was, then why would they name them after cult movies and sex positions and dancers?

Brandon says my Bay Area/liberal/bleeding heart background is coming out, and I shouldn't talk about things like this in these here parts. Maybe he's right. And, I can't complain to much-- I mean, I did just feast on a huge steak for dinner. When it comes down to it, how different is eating a cow than shooting a horse dead on a track after racing for money?

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