Photo by Rick Schmitt
On Saturday, a crowd of 156,000 including Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain watched as favorite Street Sense, ridden by jockey Calvin Borel came from 19th in the backstretch to a two length victory in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY.
The on-again, off-again rain didn’t seem to dampen spirits for the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby and 20 horses came out of the gate at 6:04 to the delight of the crowds and the millions of people watching on TV around the world.
This wonderful event puts the spotlight on Kentucky and I, for one, was really happy to see the Kentucky Tourism folks taking the opportunity to show the Bluegrass State’s many attractions to the rest of America and the world.
Street Sense came out of the gate at 9-2, making him the favorite at post time. For Calvin Borel, it was his first Derby victory. It was the second for trainer Carl Nafzger. Street Sense paid $11.80, $6.40 and $4.60. Hard Spun, ridden by Mario Pino finished second and morning line favorite Curlin finished third.
The 133rd Kentucky Derby was also the first time that celebrities attending had a red carpet to walk down, fast becoming a tradition wherever groups of the famous gather.
We celebrated and cheered at a local party, one of thousands all over the Bluegrass State held in honor of this most “Kentucky” of events. Every one who watched the “most exciting two minutes in all of sports” were satisfied with the event and all are looking forward to next year’s 134th running at Churchill Downs.
For more information on the Kentucky Derby, visit the official Kentucky Derby website. For more on the events surrounding the Derby, see the official Kentucky Derby Festival website.
Kentucky – It’s the Lifestyle!
