This article is inspired by and adapted to the lecture of the poem \u201cKentucky Derby Day, Belfast, Maine\u201d from poet Stephen Dobyns(born 1941). All quotes are stolen there. The poems takes part on Kentucky Derby Day 1981 crossed over with memories dating back to 1953. You will find the whole thing in the book:
<\/P>
\u201cVelocities: New and Selected Poems, 1966-1992\u201d published 1994 by Viking Penguin Books.<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
\u201cWhen I was twelve, I happened to guess the winning horse<\/P>
of the Kentucky Derby. It was on the sixth-grade<\/P>
field trip to the Henry Ford Museum where we learned<\/P>
that plain common sense is the key to the moral dominance<\/P>
of the United States. The man on the car radio discussed<\/P>
the horses and when he came to the name Dark Star, I said,<\/P>
That’s the horse for me. I mean, it seemed clear that any<\/P>
horse named Dark Star had<\/I> to win; and when Dark Star won,<\/SPAN><\/P> I said, Sure-because in sixth grade life was like that.<\/SPAN><\/P> My teacher said, Hey, you could have won a bundle.<\/SPAN><\/P> I thought, What could be more simple? From that event<\/SPAN><\/P> I date my readiness to be stupid about racehorses.\u201d<\/SPAN><\/P> Maybe the Japanese breed KANTIA<\/B>, the second favorite at 6\/1in the F & M Turf. Named after the Caribbean phantom island, itself named after the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. Trained by the Spanish winemaker zambaygo(Rafa stables)<\/I> in his stable with the Italian appeal bellissimo<\/I>.<\/P> Pretty international, playing on multiple cultures and a short and sweet name.<\/P> Maybe CARNIVAL OF LOVE<\/A> <\/B>or <\/SPAN>PROUD SOULS. <\/B>The shared favorites in the next race with 6\/1 each for the mile and one half Turf, both with outstanding pedigrees. I’m sure, the first one mentioned(Giant’s Causeway x Kingmambo x Danzig) and ranked number one too was bred by the simulation wide famous sommelier <\/SPAN>whirlwind<\/SPAN><\/I> for the<\/SPAN><\/SPAN> super’s<\/SPAN><\/I>, and the other one(Awesome Again x A.P. Indy x Northern Dancer) obviously by <\/SPAN>desperado3<\/SPAN><\/I>.<\/SPAN><\/P> In the six and one half furlong Turf Sprint maybe the 5\/1 favorite <\/SPAN>TATSU<\/B>(sired by Ghostzapper out of the incredible Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector mare<\/A> Mother of Dragons<\/A>), meaning Dragon in Japanese, trained by popular <\/SPAN>given.<\/SPAN><\/I><\/P> <\/SPAN><\/I>\u201cOn the TV the announcer is predicting how the race<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> will be run and famous people are asked their opinions.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> I wait for a twinkle in my brain but nothing happens. Still <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> it’s all so exciting I want to talk to someone about it-<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> say how making a bet is like falling in love or that<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> the horses and jockeys look like centaurs before the rape<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> of whoever-but the bartender is learning to make a Pink Lady<\/A>,<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> while the five chicken processors are deep in their sadness.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> No Lady, none simulated Goldikova is in the gate for the Breeders’ Bowl Mile Turf.<\/SPAN><\/P> <\/SPAN><\/I>\u201cThe bartender<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> look up from his little red guide. I like gray horses best,<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> he say, it makes them look sad.\u201d<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> In the Turf Mile <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>lennystc’s<\/SPAN><\/I> number one classical ranked 3 years old colt <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>INFINITE BLING<\/B><\/SPAN> is in the gate at the valuable odds of 12\/1. Take a look at his turfy pedigree, Medaglia D’Oro x Kris S. x Danehill, his color and at his race record of 9 wins from 14 starts, he does not look too sad! And I can not ignore a horse with \u201cInfinite…\u201d in its name, just reminds of my favorite novel \u201cInfinite Jest\u201d by David Foster Wallace.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/P> Now we are coming to my favorites, the races full of hope, our first race for 2 years old, the Filly Juvy Turf about a mile and we are going back to the breeding, I bet, inspired by or done after at least one bottle of good vine-Roys icebox usually filled with beer is empty anyway, furthermore although being German I have an allergy against it; but, as some of you may have noticed, wine and cocktails, racehorses and literature, that’s right up my alley-so, here we have a very close relative to the above mentioned Carnival Of Love as the 5\/1 favorite, this time we have Giant’s Causeway x Kingmambo x Deputy Minister, called <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>THE LIBERTINE<\/B><\/SPAN><\/A>, you guess <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>Simply……..SUPER!<\/SPAN><\/I><\/P> Those sf of 96 in her last race about the requested distance looks really impressive.<\/SPAN><\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>
<\/P>