Well the Kentucky Derby has been run and apparently there is a bit of controversy. The first horse across the finish line was disqualified and a 65-1 long shot wins the race. Now the owner of the horse that was disqualified is filing an appeal, he is protesting the results. Not only that his horse will not run at the Preakness Stakes! Guess that'll show 'em. Not sure what it is supposed to prove but that is what they said on the news. I wonder if that horse, Maximum Security, is a Democrat. Sure can't seem to accept the results.
I know nothing about horse racing, the sport of Kings. Only the wealthy folks fool around with that stuff, while a bunch of seedy characters bet on it. That is the perception I have always had of that. Going to the track wasn't a good thing in the social circles I traveled in. Going to the track meant gambling, something respectable people didn't want to be associated with. Oh, it was alright as long as you made it clear that is was an amusement, you didn't really know anything about it, and was just going to " throw away " a few dollars. You weren't serious about it.
Well, all that has certainly changed over the years. I vaguely remember the emergence of OTB in New York. Off Track Betting was something new. I even bet two dollars on a horse and won! It was the Derby, I was watching the hype on television and got wrapped up in it. I went to the newly opened OTB and placed my bet. I've never been to an actual race track. I read that OTB is no more, ending in 2010. I don't know why but expect the Internet is somehow responsible. But the rise of gambling certainly hasn't stopped. Scratch offs, what was spoken of in hushed tones ( the numbers ) are advertised on television these days. Casinos aren't just for Vegas anymore, they are everywhere. All this gambling is the normal thing these days, nothing unusual about any of it. Quite the change since the fifties and sixties. The same could be said about pornography. The magazines back in the day were, by today's standard, cute. Of course there is the Internet that provides all of that stuff a person could ever imagine. I read once were there are literally millions of pornographic websites, more than anything else on the web. And like gambling, it has become an everyday thing, no big deal right. Even the respectable folks just wink a bit and grin about it. Societal values have definitely shifted!
I understand the owner of that race horse is upset. After all we are talking about millions of dollars. As I said I really don't know much about the game. Are there still seedy characters lurking in the background? When money is involved I would have to say, yes! They say power corrupts and money is power. From what I understand this is only the second time in the history of the derby that a horse was disqualified, the last time a few weeks after the race for a failed drug test. That should tell you something, they were drug testing horses back in 1968 why? There was cheating going on. This time the race stewards made the call. Were they influenced in some fashion? Well, I don't think we will ever know the answer to that question. Perhaps a two year investigation into the matter is called for.
Well, like I said I know nothing about horse racing and have no vested interest in any of it. Makes no difference to me who won or lost. I'm just listening to the news and all I hear is, I'm protesting! I am not happy with the official result and therefore I am filing an appeal! That's what we have legal teams for. If we can't win in the prescribed fashion we will find a legal loophole! We will sue somebody you can be sure of that! I haven't heard much from the winner, other than that horse will be at the Preakness. I don't know why Maximum Security isn't running, I would think they would want to prove a point. Could it be something isn't quit on the up and up? Makes me wonder. If I was the owner I'd be running that horse and saying, in your face! Well, I guess gentlemen handle these things differently than us paupers. The bottom line to me is, the race has been run, you lost. Tough break now get on it with will you. Is that horse whining? I always thought a horse whinnied.
I know nothing about horse racing, the sport of Kings. Only the wealthy folks fool around with that stuff, while a bunch of seedy characters bet on it. That is the perception I have always had of that. Going to the track wasn't a good thing in the social circles I traveled in. Going to the track meant gambling, something respectable people didn't want to be associated with. Oh, it was alright as long as you made it clear that is was an amusement, you didn't really know anything about it, and was just going to " throw away " a few dollars. You weren't serious about it.
Well, all that has certainly changed over the years. I vaguely remember the emergence of OTB in New York. Off Track Betting was something new. I even bet two dollars on a horse and won! It was the Derby, I was watching the hype on television and got wrapped up in it. I went to the newly opened OTB and placed my bet. I've never been to an actual race track. I read that OTB is no more, ending in 2010. I don't know why but expect the Internet is somehow responsible. But the rise of gambling certainly hasn't stopped. Scratch offs, what was spoken of in hushed tones ( the numbers ) are advertised on television these days. Casinos aren't just for Vegas anymore, they are everywhere. All this gambling is the normal thing these days, nothing unusual about any of it. Quite the change since the fifties and sixties. The same could be said about pornography. The magazines back in the day were, by today's standard, cute. Of course there is the Internet that provides all of that stuff a person could ever imagine. I read once were there are literally millions of pornographic websites, more than anything else on the web. And like gambling, it has become an everyday thing, no big deal right. Even the respectable folks just wink a bit and grin about it. Societal values have definitely shifted!
I understand the owner of that race horse is upset. After all we are talking about millions of dollars. As I said I really don't know much about the game. Are there still seedy characters lurking in the background? When money is involved I would have to say, yes! They say power corrupts and money is power. From what I understand this is only the second time in the history of the derby that a horse was disqualified, the last time a few weeks after the race for a failed drug test. That should tell you something, they were drug testing horses back in 1968 why? There was cheating going on. This time the race stewards made the call. Were they influenced in some fashion? Well, I don't think we will ever know the answer to that question. Perhaps a two year investigation into the matter is called for.
Well, like I said I know nothing about horse racing and have no vested interest in any of it. Makes no difference to me who won or lost. I'm just listening to the news and all I hear is, I'm protesting! I am not happy with the official result and therefore I am filing an appeal! That's what we have legal teams for. If we can't win in the prescribed fashion we will find a legal loophole! We will sue somebody you can be sure of that! I haven't heard much from the winner, other than that horse will be at the Preakness. I don't know why Maximum Security isn't running, I would think they would want to prove a point. Could it be something isn't quit on the up and up? Makes me wonder. If I was the owner I'd be running that horse and saying, in your face! Well, I guess gentlemen handle these things differently than us paupers. The bottom line to me is, the race has been run, you lost. Tough break now get on it with will you. Is that horse whining? I always thought a horse whinnied.
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