With The Preakness – the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown – scratched for Saturday, May 16, we thought you’d enjoy this replay of the first virtual “Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown,” featuring the 13 Triple Crown winners – Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018).
We won’t spoil it for those who missed it, except to say that there’s some drama involving Whirlaway. (Beloved Whirly always did like to veer out of the pack.)
The showdown, based on data algorithms including historical handicapping information about each horse to determine the finishes, was part of a daylong at-home Kentucky Derby party May 2 to raise $2 million for COVID-19 emergency relief efforts. And even American Pharoah seemed to enjoy it, watching from a TV placed in front of his stall at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky. Too funny.
The actual Derby has been rescheduled for Sept. 5. No word yet on The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, the last leg of the Triple Crown, but suffice it to say that they will probably be run out of order this year.
At times like these, we could all use a good laugh. So enjoy the Kentucky Turtle Derby, last run in 1945 and revived for these COVID times by Old Forester Bourbon. What makes this a charmer is the seriousness with which it is done, with actual human Derby participants in what amounts to minutes of slo-mo.
Sometimes, though, slow and steady does indeed win the race.
– Georgette Gouveia
