Derby Day 🐎

The Kentucky Derby is just around the corner and the Arkansas Derby occurred less than two weeks ago. Derby season is upon us.

I have racked my brain trying to come up with a grand story about the 2017 Oaklawn Derby. I went, I had a great time, I had a great hat and a pretty seersucker dress, and I got to be around some of my favorite people as we watched the ponies run.

But try as I might, I could not come up with a better story than the one I wrote after the 2016 Derby, so that’s the one I’m going to share:

Horse racing made its North American debut in the 1660s, but in 1904, Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, entered the racing world and is now considered one of the major race tracks in the United States.

I do not know a lot about horse racing. I know that the races at Oaklawn are flat races- flat track at relatively short distances. I know that it’s a wonderful tradition, and there’s almost nothing prettier than a thoroughbred racehorse galloping toward a finish line. At a Southern race track, there’s nothing finer than a mint julip, bloody mary, or whiskey sour in your hand as you watch the long shot you bet on cross the finish line first.

 

I finally got to experience that at the 2016 Arkansas Derby.

I had my mind on a horsey, and a horsey on my mind. Creator had been pointed out to me a couple of weeks before the Derby by someone in the racing business and described as a “horse who can surprise you.” That’s because he had a reputation for riding in the back of the pack for far longer than was comfortable, and moving forward toward the end of the race to finish well. He finished third in the Rebel Stakes earlier that year, and did that Apolo Ohno [speed skating] trick where he hangs out dead last for most of the race and then makes a move in the final stretch to bring home a medal. I love that quality in an athlete, whether human or equine.

 

So after learning about this characteristic, I looked up a video of the Rebel Stakes to watch his performance, and I did a little research on his jockey, Ricardo Santana Jr. I had all the information I needed to put money down on this horse and rider duo. And let it be known, I’m not a big gambler. Actually, I didn’t take to it at all when I went to Vegas. But betting on the ponies is different, especially on Derby Day.

I am blessed. My mother works for an organization that provides a tent for their VIP clients on the big race day, and she was permitted to bring a plus one. After her husband backed out, she asked me to go. And BOY was I glad he backed out! I love the Derby! Plus I had a derby hat that I had been itching to wear for about 3 years…about dang time I got to use it.

I was determined to put some money on Creator from the time I heard about his style on the track, and he was a derby race horse at that. I was finally going to get my chance. When we got to the tent on the infield of Oaklawn Park, I sat down with some of my friendlies and we got to work -talking about the handicaps and everyone’s top picks, and so-and-so says this one is a good one, and so-and-so owns this one, and so-and-so trains this one- until we all had our picks for every race and started a strategy for how we would bet. When we got to the Derby Race as we were turning through our racing program, I hesitated to share that my horse was Creator and why, but they had all shared their “secrets” so I decided to give them the information that someone else had given me. I don’t think they bought it.

There are 12 races on Derby Day. I placed $2 bets here or there as it suited me, won a whole $3.40 on one of those bets (a-thank you). And just after 6:00 PM, the 11^th race- the Arkansas Derby- was getting ready to kick off. We lucked out that our tent just so happened to be RIGHT in front of the starting gate. (It’s a blessing and curse to be in the middle of the track. No one gets to see the horses run like you do, but you can’t see the whole race because of how close you are. I’m not complaining, it was awesome, but there’s something to be said for the cheap seats in case you were feeling bad about not being in a tent on race day.) By this time, my mom and all her friends and my friendlies knew I had put money down on this horse. Mom and I went outside the tent to get a good spot by the railing and watch the race. Creator made his appearance. He was gray and dappled. Always a good sign.

-          Mom: “Oh Kayla, He’s gray!”

-          Me: “Yep”

He looked really good as they made their way through the parade and started to line up in the starting gate.

-          Mom: “Oooooh Kayla, he is wearing a star. This IS your horse…”

-          Me: -grins from ear to ear

(The star is significant because I’m a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan.)

Cupid was favored to win this race, I should mention, followed by horses named SuddenBreakingNews and Gettysburg. Creator had 11 to 1 odds and I don’t know that many people gave him a second thought. But man he looked good before the race started.

So they lined up in the gate, the anticipation building, the shot fired, and THEY’RE OFF!!

Creator fell into dead last place almost immediately after they left the gate. GREAT. But I had faith in him. I expected him to do that, remember?

Luckily, (or perhaps unluckily, I can’t be sure), I couldn’t see much after they reached the first turn. The tents were blocking my view as they made it to the back stretch. Not until they came back around and were on the final stretch, maybe a ¼ mile from the finish, did I get a full view, and I couldn’t see Creator. He had to be closer to the front because I couldn’t see him. I turned and fought the crowd to get back to the tent so I could see the race on the monitor. I had to see if he made it to 1, 2, or 3 place- because I bet on him to win, place or show. LO AND BEHOLD this horse crossed the finish line first!

I was too ecstatic to be upset that I hadn’t had enough gall to bet on him to win. I was just excited that I picked the horse that won the Arkansas Derby!! And all of my friendlies knew it! Creator pulled it off. He used that Apollo Ohno-style, start-in-the-back, move-up-at-the-last-minute, shocker of a way to win the biggest annual horse race in Arkansas! AND he got 100 points for winning and made it to the Kentucky Derby. If he never does it again, I will always remain impressed that he did it the one time, because athletes like him don’t come around that often. I mean, how many competitive people do you know that are comfortable in last place until the moment strikes them? Timing is everything, and this horse had it down pat.

Creator was commemorated in paint in front of Oaklawn for an entire year. I snapped this picture just before we entered the races for the 2017 Derby. (Good thing too, because they were already repainting it for the 2017 Derby winner by the time we left the track that day.) He will always be my favorite and part of my fondest Derby Day.