Race Horses: The Best Of The Best
It is that time of year again when the eyes of every racing fan turns toward Louisville and the Kentucky Derby. No matter if it is a person that is firmly ensconced in the sport, or a casual observer who only checks in on the biggest races of the year; the first Saturday of May is the big one. With the new qualifying points system in place for 2013, it will be interesting to see if truly the best of the best make it into the starting gate at Churchill Downs.
Racing has already watched a number of promising colts fall by the wayside with injuries. Some will come back to run again, but others have been retired to the big farms in the bluegrass in the hope of producing future runners. As the derby preparatory races are won and lost, the favorites change positions on the scale of who gets into the derby and who does not. Run for the last 138 years, the Kentucky Derby is the oldest ongoing sporting event held in America.
While some of the trainers and owners dislike the new system; for the Thoroughbred race fan it is providing even more excitement in the months leading up to the “run for the roses” than in the past. The blazing fast two-year old that won the most stakes money the previous year does not get an automatic entry into the big dance any longer. They now have to prove themselves in the races leading up to the derby, and must accumulate enough points to make the field. No matter what horses gain entry, the world will be watching when the equine athletes are loaded into the starting gate to determine who really is the best.
The Story Of Man O’ War
Man o’ War is perhaps the most famous racehorse that has ever lived. During his career, he won 20 of his 21 races, and on that one race he lost,…