Part Five
A True "Run for the Roses" Derby Hat!
Soon, the next Kentucky Derby winner will be covered in a blanket of roses in front of thousands of cheering fans. It's a privilege and everyone's dream to get to take part in the Kentucky Derby. For many, it's a dream that never comes true. While there can only be one official Derby winner, every horse that steps foot on that racetrack is a winner in the eyes of those who love him.
The bond between a horse and human is second to none and the bond between a horse and groom is even stronger. Grooms spend the majority of their time taking care of the horses in their care. They know them better than anyone, each quirk and character trait, what treats they like and even their favorite spot to be scratched.
The 2021 Kentucky Derby will be the 147th running at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. The field is open to horses who qualify for the race by earning points on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Derby presented by Woodford Reserve is back and to the delight of all horse racing fans.
The horses for the 2021 Kentucky Derby are as follows:
1. Known Agenda
2. Like the King
3. Brooklyn Strong
4. Keepmeinmind
5. Sainthood
6. O Besos
7. Mandaloun
8. Medina Spirit
9. Hot Rod Charlie
10. Midnight Bourbon
11. Dynamic One
12. Helium
13. Hidden Stash
14. Essential Quality
15. Rock Your Word
16. King Fury
17. Highly Motivated
18. Super Stock
19. Soup and Sandwich
20. Bourbonic
*Brad Cox can become the first Louisville-born trainer to win the Kentucky Derby when he sends out two horses .. Essential Quality and Mandaloun. The 41-year-old Cox grew up two blocks from Churchill Downs. The 2021 Derby will mark the first time he has had a horse at the 1 1/4 mile track to compete in the Run for the Roses.
Trainer Bob Baffert can break the all-time record for most Kentucky Derby wins by a trainer when he sends out Medina Spirit. The 68-year-old Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby six times including last year with Authentic. This year, Baffert's Medina Spirit is listed at 8-1 in the Derby odds. The Brad Cox-trained Essential Quality is the 5-2 favorite in the field.
The Churchill Downs backside comes to life a few weeks before the Derby. While horses are stabled there nine months out of the year, some extra special ones call the backside their home in the weeks leading up to the Derby. Most of the Kentucky Derby contenders come rolling into Louisville a couple of weeks prior and the excitement begins to build.
Started in Louisville, KY in 1875 by Colonel Lewis Clark (grandson of William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame), the Kentucky Derby was inspired by the Epsom Derby in England as well as other European horse racing spectacles. The annual event is held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs built on land owned by the prominent family. The Derby is the first race of the Triple Crown followed by the 146th Preakness Stakes (dating back to 1873) at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland on May 15 and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York on June 4.
The Kentucky Derby has been called "the most exciting two minutes in sports" because that is the amount of time it typically takes for the horses to complete the race. Secretariat hold the fastest finishing time to date, coming in a 1:59.40 in 1973. Secretariat, then, went on to win the Triple Crown!
In 1925, the race had its first network radio broadcast and the phrase Run for the Roses was coined by sports columnist, Bill Corum. The winner of the race is draped in a garland of more than 400 red roses, the official flower of the Kentucky Derby.
Other traditions include drinking mint Juleps, dressing in your finest Spring attire, show-stopping hats and singing My Old Kentucky Home as the horses enter the track. It is the celebration of southern culture that has been adopted by every corner of our Nation.
The equestrian event has run uninterrupted since 1875 even during World War I, World War II, The Great Depression and most recently a global pandemic although it was delayed until September in 2020. You just can't keep a good horse down!
The Track is Back! It's Derby Time!
8 mint leaves
1/4 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces of bourbon
Garnish: mint sprig
The Kentucky Derby is the longest continually held sporting event in the United States. It has become a true piece of Americana.
Secretariat
"Seeing Secretariat win the Triple Crown in 1973 was my first time to witness a Triple Crown winner. What a thrill".
Btw, the horse named Soup and Sandwich intrigued me so I did some research and have learned that Soup and Sandwich's owner is Charlotte Colket Weber of Live Oak Plantation. She is the granddaughter of Dr. John T. Dorrance, the man who invented the condensed soup formula that turned the company into a global soup giant. Weber is a devoted equestrian and owns the Live Oak Stud Farm, a 4,500-acre horse farm and commerical cattle operation near Ocala, Florida.
Weber even has a car license plate with the word, "SOUPER". She was once asked about it by a police officer who thought Weber had misspelled the word!
"It's cute. It's catchy. When they see it, they'll remember it".
Charlotte C. Weber
Considering Soup and Sandwich didn't race as a 2-year-old, the scene is set for him to make an even bigger splash on May 1. Weber is hoping for a splash too as he is the fifth thoroughbred to qualify for the Kentucky Derby from Live Oak Plantation. The first four are Laser Light (1982), High Fly (2005), Brillant Speed (2011) and Win Win Win (2019).
Riders Up!
Pat Locke, Maestro Muse
