The first running of the Kentucky Derby was held on May 17, 1875. Ten thousand fans were in attendance and the winner was Aristides with a purse of $2850. Thirteen of the 15 jockeys were African Americans.
This year was the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby, held last Saturday, September 5, 2020. No paying fans were in attendance and the winner was Authentic with a purse of $1,860,000. A group of African American protestors gathered outside Churchill Downs during the race.
The 130th running of the Kentucky Derby was held on May 1st, 2004. My daughter, Jamie and her husband, Mark and his parents, Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Elison joined us and over 140,000 other fans to see the race firsthand. The winner was Smarty Jones with a purse was $5,864,800. There were no protestors and the African American jockeys had long since faded into the pages of history. Storms were forecast so we bought rain gear and gave up on plans to wear fancy hats and fine clothes, traditionally worn by many in attendance while they sip Mint Juleps. This drink is made by crushing mint leaves in simple syrup and branch water in the bottom of a silver cup which is then filled with crushed ice that frosts the cup as it is filled with Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon. Between rain showers, it was hot early in the afternoon. For a moment, I fancied myself sipping a Mint Julep. Then I imagined how refreshing it would be, and thought that all the folks around me might be onto something as they watched the horse races, dressed to the nines, sipping their minty iced drinks. My wandering mind took me back to my bishop in Idaho, imagining what he would think about my drinking a glass of Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon. I decided to have a refreshing Diet Coke with a slice of lime.
A deluge poured down for about two hours before the race. We complimented each other on our choice of weather gear as all around us the very expensive hats, hairdos, clothing, and $500 shoes turned into a soggy mess. The rain stopped just in time for a fleet of John Deere tractors to quickly groom the track. The University of Louisville Cardinal Band rose to accompany the traditional singing of Stephen Foster’s, My Old Kentucky Home. We had copied the words so we could join in — anticipating a stirring and emotional singalong just before “The most exciting two minutes in sports.” We thought it would be like The Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. We were wrong. Mint Juleps do not excellent singers make. Imagine Foster Brooks multiplied by 140,000 and you will realize why this one went off the tracks. Let's just say that The Cardinal Band finished playing long before the singing ended.
After the sounds of the Bowery Choir died out, a trumpet fanfare announced that it was time for the trainers to bring the steeds and jockeys to the gate. The skittish horses were placed in order into their gates, one by one. All was calm for just a few moments before the opening bell. The gates flew open and 20 high strung horses thundered down the muddy track. All of the fans in front of us climbed up on the bleachers and stood on their seats giving me an excellent view of the back of their pants. We chose not to perch on the narrow slippery metal bleachers while balancing wiggly grandchildren. From our perspective, the only visible evidence of the race was the Megatron screen on the other side of the track. The thundering horses roared by, just a few feet in front of us, followed by a tsunami of muddy droplets. We soon were aware that we had just traded a possible vantage point for a position of safety. We had been shielded from the mud storm by those who stole our view. By the time their finery had become soaked and muddied, most of those standing in front of us were already thoroughly lubricated with Kentucky Bourbon and they did not seem to care about anything. It was a win-win.
Derby Day last week was the first virtual Kentucky Derby. We watched it on our own large screen TV at our cabin in Island Park for an intimate gathering with 15 of our closest relatives. We yelled excitedly at the television in Idaho for our favorite horse in a race being held in Kentucky where there were no paying fans. Afterward, we enjoyed a piece of freshly-baked Derby Pie and looked over our virtual bets. What great fun. It struck me that the winner of the first unauthentic Kentucky Derby was — wait for it -- Authentic. Next year I hope that everyone has returned to sanity and stopped hiding in their basements and that there is a real, live Kentucky Derby with real, live paying fans. If there is a horse in the race named Virtual, and you somehow feel more comfortable because he is wearing a mask and that makes you feel that he is a winner, don't bet on it.
Ever vigilant,
Roger Tall, M.D.
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