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Prelude to the Roses

Writer's picture: Chelsea Lowman Chelsea Lowman

Photo by Eric Kalet

The Kentucky Derby is one of the most esteemed and illustrious sporting events in existence. It is the one race that everybody knows. It is the one race that everybody longs to be a part of. There is simply no other event that can be compared to its majesty and preeminence. Words can never fully articulate the beauty and sublimity of watching twenty of the world’s finest three-year-old thoroughbreds clash at the highest level of the sport, all in hot pursuit of the same coveted prize that awaits at the end of the stretch. Perhaps Irvin S. Cobb said it best when he declared, “Until you go to Kentucky and with your own eyes behold the Derby, you ain’t never been nowhere and you ain’t never seen nothin’!”


On the first Saturday in May, a massive crowd will gather beneath the fabled spires of Churchill Downs, blending into a dazzling sea of hats and colors. A constant parade of fans and media will scramble from the paddock to the rail, all hoping to catch a glimpse of something truly monumental. And then, when post time dawns for the running of the roses, and the bugle calls out its battle cry, the race that the world has been waiting for will finally commence. The twenty elite thoroughbreds deemed worthy of this spectacular event will step forward to answer the call to post, marching their way to battle with dignity and courage. On their backs will sit their faithful riders, dressed in their vibrant silks, with looks of determination plastered fiercely on their faces. Each jockey will ride to post with the same dream in mind, their steeds each driven by the single command to win.


As the field heads to post, the winner will be among the crowd, waiting to make himself known. The magic and lure of the mysterious moment is unparalleled to that of any other event, and is made even more surreal when the infamous melody of "My Old Kentucky Home" begins to float through the spring air. Perfectly in tune with legendary song comes the symphony of hoof beats pounding into the track. As the horses reach the gate, the song begins to blend into an otherworldly roar of applause and cries, signaling that the race is about to begin. The horses then boldly step into position, and the moment they launch from the gate, embarking in a stampede of epic proportions, the world will literally tremble with excitement. The turbulent explosion from the crowd will be enough to lift you off your feet, as they cry out with joy in the fact that a new Kentucky Derby champion is about to be crowned.


On May 5, when the mighty Kentucky Derby contenders break from the gate, they will be running over the same sacred grounds as countless champions before them. They will be running over the same track where Secretariat rewrote history with his record time of 1:59 2/5. They will be running over the same track where Dark Star handed the legendary, Native Dancer, his one and only defeat, and where Affirmed valiantly held off the challenge of his formidable rival, Alydar. They will be running on the very surface that Mine That Bird swept to a bind-blowing 50-1 upset, and where American Pharoah began his journey to conquering the impossible crown. The history and tradition that surrounds this race is astronomical, and soon, one of the twenty colts that we have been following all year will rise above, and add his name to everlasting history as the 144th Kentucky Derby winner.


Will Justify live up to the hype, and stamp himself as the best among his peers? Or will Mendelssohn declare himself as the first winner of the UAE Derby to claim the roses? Is it possible that magic is real, and that we will see Two-Year-Old Champion, Good Magic take the prize? Could we see Magnum Moon bring a 136 year curse to an end, while maintaining a perfect record? Or will it be someone else entirely? Will this be a year when we see a stunning upset come flying out of the dust, sweeping by to stun the world in the stretch? Could it be possible that the hard-knocking Flameaway will outrun his odds and steal the show? Or will Bolt d'Oro finally catch a break, and fight his way to glory? The truth is, we just don't know. And that is the beauty of it. The only thing we can be sure of as we approach the illustrious Kentucky Derby is that a new champion will soon emerge, and answer the question that the world has been longing to know.


Thank you to Eric Kalet for the stunning photo from the 2016 Derby! You can find more of his work here http://erickalet.zenfolio.com/


Be sure to follow me on Twitter! https://twitter.com/Down2TheWire_

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