It's race time!

[erash]

In 1977 I was stationed at Fort Knox. I invited my mom to visit and together we experienced the Kentucky Derby. It was the year Seattle Slew won and it was such a wonderful experience! Each year since, my mother and I try to watch the race and reminisce about that day.

I will be watching today!

(I'm not a big race fan. In fact we have had 3 rescue greyhounds and watching the treatment of these beautiful animals when they are on the track is 🙁 Although I think the horses due to $ may get a bit better treatment )

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador]

Aww what a Wonderful memory erash 😊 I went to the races once in Cali once. Placed 1 bet for 20bucks and won 1000. Never bet again. 😅

I have a friend that trains grayhound, but l guess she does it differently than most. As she makes it a game? Idk.

J 🌠

[erash]

Jesmcd2

Everyone treats animals differently. I know many sweet pit bulls because they were raised without cruelty.

Yet, just yesterday there was a newspaper report of owners giving cocaine to greyhounds so they'd race faster 😬 Money can be a bad motivator

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador in reply to erash]

Oh l know. It makes me so sad the way animals can be treated.😞 Have heard to many stories. And have seen the sadness on my dad's face. He was an Animal Control Officer. I even had a Rottweiler and swore l would never. 😅😅 He was the biggest baby ever.

J🌠

[Sukie427 in reply to erash]

Well, as long as we're on the subject, we have 2 rescued pitties. Our brindle girl was rescued from the streets of Miami when she was a pup and luckily we got to her before anyone could do anything bad to her, and she is as sweet as sugar. Our other one was rescued from an infamous fighting ring bust (can anyone say "Michael Vick, the sadistic former darling of the NFL?) and we got him in 2011 when he was just turning 6. It took him many years but now he is sweet and and trusts us completely. He sits on our laps, and even wags his tail! In fact, he is almost a normal dog again! When he first came home, he had horrible nightmares in which he would growl and snarl and squeal and during the day he would just hide in his crate and try to make himself disappear. Now instead of nightmares he wags his tail in his sleep! Love is a very powerful healer!

[erash in reply to Sukie427]

A friend can't move back to Miami because she now has a pit bull. Apparently there are laws against owning them in south Florida 🙁

[Sukie427 in reply to erash]

Yes, Miami-Dade County has a pitbull ban which got grandfathered in when the State passed a law against BDL (breed discrimination legislation). That's how we got Molly--the people who lived in Miami used to dump pit bulls over the county line into Broward County where we lived. However, I thought that Miami-Dade was going to overturn the ban--I know it was on the ballot. or coming up before the County Commission or something pretty recently. Have her check again, although why anyone would want to move back to Miami is something I will never understand--lol!

[WAshingtongirl]

What a wonderful way to spend some time with your mom, erash ! Enjoy! 🐎

[Sukie427]

That's a great memory, Erash. My mom wanted me to take ballet lessons and I told her absolutely not, I want to learn to ride horses! I went to undergrad in Southwest Ohio and had friends at UK in Lexington. We went to the Derby in 1973 and saw Secretariat easily lope to a win. I still have my Instamatic photo of him crossing the finish line. We were in the infield with about a million other college students. Sheer madness, but it was great! But you are right; I am no longer a fan of animal racing . These thoroughbreds are in no way mature enough to race at 2 yrs old--that's why there are so many accidents and why so many horses end up with broken legs. But I don't mean to be a buzzkill, Erash--watch and enjoy! And blessings to you on the rescued greyhounds!

[erash in reply to Sukie427]

Sukie427

Yes--I was a bit worried about injuries on that muddy course today.

I was in the infield too--that's where the cheap Army tickets got you 😉

Oh yeh...and I did the ballet lessons as a kid. Hmmm...a ballerina in Army boots. I never thought about that before 😝

[Sukie427 in reply to erash]

I think my poor mom wanted a really girly girl and she got me. Erash, grab your toe shoes and tutu and get back into the groove. It takes a certain grace and beauty--I see from your picture that you have the latter, and if they didn't throw you out of ballet class, you must also have the former! Go do Swan Lake!

[erash in reply to Sukie427]

Sukie427 MS did a number on any grace I may have had 😜

[Fancy1959]

Erash, I worked in the horse business for 20 years and I can tell you there are a lot of reputable people out there to do great things with thoroughbred horses. I have owned and had horses as a passion of mine for over 50 years. At one point I had several racing that I had breeders rights on and I made quite a bit of money from them. Sometimes it is very sad to watch a horse sustain a life threatening or life-altering injury or illness but one must realize it is part of life. The horses were meant to ride and compete either at the racing, or eventing level or general riding level. All have their inherent risk to both the horse and the rider. No horse in the derby had to race in that deep muddy muck they called a track. Any horse could have scratched and not run in that mud. But it's overcoming such obstacles that set the truly great horses apart from the crowd.

On a side note I bet $2 on Battle of Midway in the derby to come in third place and he did it at a lovely 40 or 42 to 1 long shot. So happily on a $2 bet I have made 40 some dollars. It was sheer luck because I liked his name. Haha.

I don't wish to offend anyone about my views on animals but I felt it was essential to point out the side of it from working in the field and having a passion for horses and animals myself for over 50 years. I have never been with greyhound racing and have only seen it once in Florida so I know nothing about that end of the industry. But I have heard horror stories about Greyhound and how abused they can be. One way to avoid this is to make sure you support your local animal shelters and Animal Control agency.

[erash in reply to Fancy1959]

Fancy1959 i was rooting for McCracken. Handsome fella. Not sure where he ended up placing? It was definitely not in the top 3...no $ lost though 😉