And They’re off!

There are no arguments when people say it’s the greatest two minutes in sports. But what defines greatness? Is it the fact that an animal can run 1.25 miles in two minutes? Is it the time and money spent preparing for these two minutes? I happen to think the Kentucky Derby is the greatest two minutes in sports for different reasons. Derby is not about a lap around the track, rather the spirit of the day that is only present the first Saturday in May. It’s the excitement leading up when you pick out the perfect dress and an over the top, elaborate hat which is perfectly acceptable only on the first Saturday in May. It’s the one time of year where seersucker pants and bowties are the norm. It’s the secret feeling inside that your $2 bet will somehow make you thousands of dollars. But Derby does more. It is the only place where you will see people standing out in the pouring rain to see horse gallop around a track, yet these people do it with pleasure. It’s the one time of year where people become horse experts for the day. Derby has the power to spread state pride all throughout the commonwealth in just two minutes.

Derby is the goose bump you get when you proudly sing “My Old Kentucky Home” next to people from around the country, yet you are united in this one moment. It doesn’t matter if you cheer for UK or UofL, whether you live in the city of Louisville or the smallest county in Kentucky (Roberston) in that one moment the Commonwealth of Kentucky is united. That’s exactly what Orb, did at the 139th running of the Derby. Orb came around the corner with a strong bolt of speed and united the crowd and the state with support for him. The jockey, Joel Rosario, in a post race interview said the horse had actually never run on a wet track before. Another jockey, John Sellers, who has appeared in six Kentucky Derbys, once said, “Every jockey riding, I don’t care where, they want to win the Kentucky Derby. It’s the epitome of racing.” And that’s exactly what Rosario did. He did what most jockeys only dream of doing. The derby ties into the traditional American dream: anything is possible.

So what exactly is the greatest two minutes in sports? Well that’s a question that must be answered for yourself. For me, it is the state pride that flows throughout on the finest Saturday in May.