Today is Derby Day. The first saturday in May is always warm and sunny; it's also the date of one of America's most symbolic sporting events. However, despite the popularity of the Derby, the sport of Horse Racing is dying. Perhaps this is because Horse Racing is glorified for all the wrong reasons. Nonetheless, the path to the triple crown starts now.
Orb and Verrazano are the two definite favourites coming into the Derby. They have 7-2 and 4-1 odds respectively*. Trainer Todd Pletcher has stacked the deck; he has five horses entered in this year's Derby. Orb has won all four have his last four starts including the Florida Derby. Verrazano has won the Wood Memorial, one of the most prestigious pre-Derby races. Another horse to watch is Overanalyze. Overanalyze is a Mike Repole owned horse; horses owned by him have been very good in the past, Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty both come to mind. Anyways, it looks like it will be a very exciting race because of a very talent field.
However, Horse Racing as a sport is dying. It definitely makes for good cinema; stories like Seabiscuit and Secretariat have been very successful in recent years. The excitement displayed in the days of Secretariat, however, don't seem apparent today. I think it's the focus thats done Horse Racing wrong. It's centred mainly around gambling. Thus, the sport doesn't appeal to kids, as well as people who just don't like betting. I think that Horse Racing should focus on the the character and magnificence of the horses, as well as on the people wh around the horses.This would create a much more open environment in Horse Racing.
Can this year's derby show something never seen before in Horse Racing? Can it create a rejuvenation in the popularity of the sport? Well, if this year's derby doesn't do it, I don't know which year in the future could.
*Odds at the time of publication. Odds are frequently changing due to sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs.
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