Post Time

Mine That Bird came from nowhere to win - going away - the 2009 Kentucky Derby on a sloppy course. The trainer, from New Mexico, is clearly not part of the traditional Eastern establishment Derby set. The jockey is a scrappy guy who knows horses, and the little horse seemed happy to run to win, oblivious to the fact that he was carving his name in Derby history.

After an afternoon in the garden trying to spiff up for our short summer, Peter called me in to watch the Derby with him (he was watching mostly to humor me) - and with the mint juleps he had prepared. It's been awhile since I've enjoyed a mint julep (or two) and I guess I'm glad to be sitting down. For some reason, they seem to affect my sense of balance.

I've been watching Kentucky Derbys on TV for about 52 years. My next door neigh-bor (get it?) was as crazy about horses as I, and I met her in 1956 when we moved to Glenhaven Avenue. I imagine she introduced me to the Derby and that my first chance to watch it was in '57. Iron Liege won that year, and I didn't yet know what a liege was. (BTW - Iron Liege was "by Bull Lea, out of Iron Maiden," somewhat explaining his name. (Keep going back to get to "Liege": Bull Lea was by Bull Dog out of Rose Leaves; Bull Dog was by Teddy out of Plucky Liege)). Before long, I had memorized the list of Derby winners and read books about as many as I could (Exterminator comes to mind). I knew that only one filly, Regret, had ever won (there have been 2 more since). I knew the "War" this and thats (again BTW, the 1937 Triple Crown winner War Admiral (by Man O' War out of Brushup) was Iron Liege's damsire); I knew which horses had sires that had won; I knew the most successful stables, trainers, jockeys. I knew that the great Man O' War wasn't entered when he was a three-year-old back in 1920.

Probably my most memorable Derby was the 1958 run for the roses, when I faced a major dilemma. My solution was perfect. Larry H. had invited me to a movie – my first "date" as Mother called it. She wasn't thrilled to have her almost 9-year-old on a date and wouldn't let it be just a "movie with a friend who happened to be a boy." I was prepped on how to behave on a date – a crash course in courtesy, letting the boy pay, not eating too much popcorn, etc. We went to see "Marjorie Morningstar" at the Lucon Saturday matinée (the race was earlier in the day back then). I don't know that it was 3rd grade material – if there was any 'adult content' it would have gone right over my head. Actually, the whole thing went right over my head, because I had to keep my eye on my watch to be sure to dart out in time – ticket in hand – to run next door to the drug store where I could watch the race at the soda fountain (pre-sports bar era). I watched Tim Tam take the roses, then returned to my seat at the theatre. I don't think Larry and I talked about it – or anything else – that day. Snappy repartée (or any other kind) wasn't a skill either of us had developed. At least the Derby is only 1.25 miles – not a long race like the Belmont that would have kept me out of the theatre for 1.5 miles worth of running! And luckily mega-theatres hadn't been developed; this was right on the main street of town, with the drug store conveniently located next door. It wouldn't have been the same on an iPhone.

Did I mention that Tim Tam was by Tom Fool out of Two Lea? That his damsire was the very same Bull Lea from the Iron Liege lineage? That Tom Fool's damsire was the very same Bull Dog from the Iron Liege – Bull Lea lineage? Dam right!

In the intervening 51 years, I've seen most of the Derbys. My early memorization of the winners has gone the way of most of my memorizations (I still know the alphabet). Watching the Derby is more a ritual than anything else – but this year was my first Derby Mint Julep. I can get used to that part of the tradition – here's to 52 more years!