The Kentucky Derby 2026

Cody Fousnough

Cody Fousnough

Well-known member
First, did anyone watch it? We had on complete western attire, including our straw cowboy hats. We went to South Point Hotel & Casino in Vegas to watch it. In one of their large Banquet Rooms where they had tables/chairs set up, four big-screen tv's, two small bars, betting machines and some food. Lots of ladies wearing decorated Kentucky Derby hats. Everyone at our table had moved to Vegas from LA and Orange Counties. When we mentioned about moving back to Northern Colorado, they all asked "why?" and we told them. My wife did bet a total of $40 on three horses, but only won $7.15. After the race, we went downstairs to the casino and I put a $20 into a slot machine called Crazy Money and won $93. We ate supper at the Buffet, but the Saturday night buffet wasn't as nearly as good as we had other times.

We had gone to the same Kentucky Derby Watch Party, at the same location, last year. I got all kinds of pictures of ladies hats during the Hat Contest.
 
I don't usually watch. I've mentioned before that I used to go to the track at Charles Town, West Virginia every once in a while and bet on the ponies. It used to be a nice, low-key place until they erected casinos...and I could stop by Harper's Ferry on my way. I've never done Off-Track Betting, but a Kentucky Derby party sounds like fun. And I do like the ladies' hats...it takes me back.
 
The Watch Party would've been better for us if we would've been in Colorado. Then, we wouldn't have had to listen to all of the talk about all the great reasons to live in the Las Valley and why those people left Los Angeles and Orange County, California. When we went to this Watch Party last year, we hadn't decided to move back to Northern Colorado yet. However, we did talk about moving up to the Reno area and people at the Watch Party didn't want to hear about Reno either.

I guess at these kinds of events, when talking about an area, you talk about how great living in that area is. IOW, nobody at the Watch Party wanted to hear about how bad Vegas and surrounding areas are, and how good/nice Northern Colorado is.
 
My son and I watched it. It was sad when the horse threw his rider off. I've never seen that happen before. I was hoping that they could let him remount and race, but the announcer said that he would have to be checked for injuries and they couldn't delay the race that long.
 
The Derby was noteworthy for several reasons this year:

1. Golden Tempo came from dead last to win.
2. Renegade, the favored horse came in second, right beside Golden Tempo.
3. The jockeys of both horses are brothers and Renegade’s rider could be seen shaking his brother’s arm, while still riding.
4. Golden Tempo’s trainer is a woman, making her the first female to ever win a Kentucky Derby.

Here is an overhead view if the race, showing Golden Tempo’s stamina that he inherited from noteworthy ancestors like Secretariat, Native Dancer, Northern Dancer.

 
Naw, not me. I never cared for horses running around a track, pushed to their limits, just so a few wealthy people can get wealthier and a few lucky poor folks win at the expense of all those that lost money. Seems like socialism to me, but not as bad because one isn't forced to participate.

The hats, well that is certainly fun for some I guess. I wore a hat most of my working life, so wearing a hat doesn't do anything for me these days. Some of those hats look like a cornucopia spilled out its contents on them.

One year, at a rodeo women's hat contest, I wore my flat brimmed hat with the crown center pushed down and a real birds nest on top with a fake but real looking bird in it. I thought I had the top prize for sure. Nope, I heard snickering and many muffled comments and what I could decipher, was comments comparing me to a slow timed spark distributor. That was back in the day before political correctness (insanity IMO) changed such labeling to mentally challenged. :sneaky:
 
Beth Gallagher said:
I'm weird about animals. I have no problem eating a steak but I can't stand to see a dog chained in the yard with all the grass worn away from the poor thing pacing.
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A chained dog is IMO cruelty. If one can't have a fenced yard, then don't have an outside dog! Another thing I think is cruelty, is dog breeds that require almost constant human contact or they get aggressive and mean and/or bark constantly and the owners leave them unattended all day in their yards. It is mental torture for those dogs.
 
Beth Gallagher said:
I'm weird about animals. I have no problem eating a steak but I can't stand to see a dog chained in the yard with all the grass worn away from the poor thing pacing.
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Eating a steak is because of a business providing a food source, not a business that provides solely entertainment. Liking steak, but disliking horse racing and rodeo, isn't a contradiction.
 
Beth Gallagher said:
I've never had any interest in any animal racing (dogs, horses, whatever). It seems cruel to me but what do I know. I also hate rodeos for the same reason.
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And show jumping! Horses need the ability to jump natural objects. Seldom things taller than a man.
I liked dressage because it taught me to communicate with my horse in a natural way, though there are many that abuse even that tradition. It is probably very stressful, mentally to those who are pushed.
 
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