I am a Pollyanna. I believe I will live to see a Triple Crown. I state that every January 1 as I proclaim loudly to the heavens — “This IS the year of our Triple Crown winner.” So when I went to my first horse race, which was the Big Brown Belmont Stakes, I sat for an hour or more in the stands not wallowing in disappointment but pondering the Triple Crown trail. I wrote a story that night that said that in the future I would go to the Kentucky Derby to watch the beginning of a dream.
The Derby indeed is the beginning. Or is it? On Derby eve, I sat and stared at nine worn and somewhat tattered pieces of paper that have been in my purse for months. The carefully coded papers show that the dream began when the mares were bred or perhaps within hours of when the foals took their first steps. I carry them with me at all times, the horses nominated for the 2010 Triple Crown. They are my friends. I keep a hand-written ledger of the graded earnings of at least 50 horses as they vie for a Derby slot. And even though I know there are computer spreadsheets, I prefer my own somewhat archaic spread sheet of Derby contenders listing name, trainer, jockey(s), owners, and races won, sires, color and significant markings with comments like “drills bullet” or “can do mile and a quarter.”
I start early and watch their 2-year-old debuts. I don’t bet on the 2-year-olds, but I sure watch them. Any futurity gets a careful look. Breeder’s Cup, Santa Anita, Del Mar all get a once over. I read the bloggers, the twitters, the Facebook postings, the TVG message board. I peruse the trade magazines, watch the pertinent shows and find the video’s on YouTube or racing Web sites.
But most importantly, I take note of potential and talent. As the journey continues, it is with great sadness that some of the horses are off the trail because of injury or death. I actually broke down and cried when the big ol’ goofy Tiz Chrome, who had so much personality, had to be put down because of injury. Another horse that had caught my attention was the talented Take Control. Then there are the last-minute scratches that change the history of horse racing — the loss of horses like I Want Revenge and Eskendereya that leaves you wondering what might have been.
My 2010 Triple Crown list is color-coded by trainers and owners. On this Derby eve, I took note of the horses that raced Friday in the Kentucky Oaks or the undercard. I know that their connections had Derby aspirations (because who wouldn’t), but they made it to Churchill Downs on Derby weekend and that must be thrilling.
Three hundred sixty six horses initially nominated. Eight fillies, of which one actually made it to the Derby, and I smile with pride thinking of Devil May Care running with the boys. The trainers are a who’s who – Pletcher had 20, D. Wayne Lukas had 19, John Sadler had 16, Bob Baffert had 13, and the list cascades its way through the top trainers of the nation. The majority of the horses are from Kentucky, Florida and California. But take another look and there are horses from Illinois, Ireland, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, Indiana, Ohio and Texas. The Derby dream burns brightly from coast to coast.
For no matter who the winner is, the dreams take hold and fly. After the Derby, the Triple Crown potential will be tossed in the air. Naysayers will take hold of the dream and tell us there is no way that the Derby winner will be our Triple Crown champion. To that I say: Let us dreamers enjoy it for a couple hours or even a couple days after the Derby. It is the deginning of a dream. It is our road to the Triple Crown. Three hundred sixty six horses started on this journey, and now one of them will carry the Triple Crown torch.
Let’s enjoy the ride to the Preakness and the Belmont. It’s O.K. to be Pollyanna and believe that the ride can be joyful and historical. You never know –– this Derby winner could be the one. I enjoy the dream. Let’s enjoy the Triple Crown ride together.
In a “bucket list” moment, Julie June Stewart woke up at 4 a.m. and bought a ticket to the 2008 Belmont Stakes. She hasn’t stopped going to the races since — when she isn’t taking on a wildfire, hurricane or volcano as the nation’s leading expert in disaster airspace coordination.
