I enjoyed watching the Kentucky Derby over the weekend.
Music
LeAnn Rimes sang the national anthem at this year’s derby. I thought she did a really fine job singing it straight.
Another tradition at The Kentucky Derby is the singing of My Old Kentucky Home before the race. A marching band provided the music this year. I think a better choice would have been Danny Paisley and The Southern Grass. Their version of the song on The Tradition Continues album is excellent.
Long Shots
Watching the NBC coverage on free TV, I liked the story of Tom McCarthy, a retiree who now owns/trains a General Quarters. In a race with some horses costing over $2 million, I was rooting for this $20k horse to win.
General Quarters did not win, but a 50-1 long shot named Mine that Bird took the race in a thrilling ride by Calvin Borel. Mine that Bird galloped at an average speed of 36.7 mph on the muddy track to win the 1.25 mile race with a time of 2:02.66. The horse was purchased for just $9500.