Give me $2 on Pyro!

Tomorrow marks the 134th running of The Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

All of the stories of the trainers, the jockeys, and the owners are fascinating. Many have overcome great odds to get where they are today, even though they may be quite successful now. The animals have stories, too, although sometimes sad ones. You'll remember the horse, Barbaro, captured national attention and the hearts of many after shattering his leg just days after his 2006 win at The Derby, an injury that eventually led to his death.
Every year at this time, this also comes to mind:

It perplexes me why there is so little talk about "The Run for the Roses" in this area, but we all seem to dwell on the Indy 500 race, a race that is intentionally blacked out on Hoosiers' TVs. (Put an Indy racecar on our state's quarter, but block the general public from watching it. Thanks, Tony!)

The Derby just has more charm and is steeped in many traditions from odd horse names to a parade of huge, brightly-colored hats -- and don't forget the mint juleps and burgoo. The two week festival that surrounds "the greatest two minutes in sports" generates millions of dollars every year for Kentucky, as well as southern Indiana.

To learn more, visit the official Kentucky Derby website: http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/home

And one more thing… at 6 to 1 odds, good luck Pyro!

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This blog post by Chris Wathen was also published in his Linton, Indiana based Greene County Daily World blog entitled, “Riddle Me This”.