My Favorite Day Of The Year

Churchill Downs - Louisville Kentucky

Derby Day.

The mere thought of the day conjures poignant road markers from memory. The scent of my mother’s rosewater; and that of the peculiar mixture of mint, bourbon, and tobacco on my father’s breath, as he knelt to properly tie my bow tie; and that of the Kentucky grass, and earth, on every first Saturday of May that my childhood memories still retain. Flashes of scarlet: my mother’s Chanel hat, reserved for wear only once a year, at Churchill Downs; the single, perfect rose affixed to my father’s jacket; and, of course, the fabled shawl of roses draped over the winning horse. Laughter. Excitement. Words.

“Nothing else exists but that shawl of roses.”

Indeed, it does not.

My inner circle of friends and those more regular readers of Curious Affairs will already know that horse racing is the only “sport” that truly inspires any sort of meaningful “sports writing” from me. Except it’s not even really “sports writing” so much as it is an excuse to wander through happy memories of my childhood, when my family’s annual triptych of trips to watch the Triple Crown races each year smacked of nothing but excitement. Even later, as an adult, when the Triple Crown races began marking prominent events or statuses in my life that were not always happy, I still welcomed the beginning of the races with gladness. For it is usually on Derby Day, that day on which any horse, really, can win, and on which no one is yet rabidly rooting for the next Triple Crown Winner, when I most adore wandering through memory, and winning, and…hope.

Because for me the tradition of the Triple Crown was not ever about how much money one could make from their picks (although my father seemed to have an almost preternatural talent for picking precisely those colts that would win, including the last three Triple Crown Winners). It was about the pride that one had in their picks, or in the horses they had raised, and trained, and sent to the races. It was about the validation that one would feel when their horse did, in fact, win the race. And it was about hope, not only that ones horse would win the Derby, but that this horse would go on to win the next two races, thereby gracing the world of horse racing with its next Triple Crown Winner.

Over the years, for better but also sometimes for worse, these values have crept into other areas of my life, as well, until Derby Day has become a day of celebrating those three tenets of horse racing, and of life. And although sometimes, as for this 135th Derby Day, I may not be in the most fabulous of places in my life, this day still always inspires me to take pride, no matter how unfabulous things may seem at the time, in my life, and to endlessly hope for the acquisition of my own figurative shawl of roses, and, perhaps most importantly of all, to never lose sight of winning.

And so that is why, tomorrow, on this first Saturday of May, as I scream hysterically rooting for jockey Gabriel Saez to ride trainer Larry Jones‘ colt Friesan Fire to victory in The 135th Running Of The Kentucky Derby, I shall be smiling.

For the memories of Derby Days past.

And for the hope of those to come.

Friesan Fire - Image Copyright Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Filed under: Events, Personal, Triple Crown , Churchill Downs, defining moments, family, Friesan Fire, Gabriel Saez, history, horse racing, Kentucky, Larry Jones, linkage, Louisville, love each day, memories, needful reminders, red carpet situations, sports, The Kentucky Derby

Vacant Once Again

NEW YORK — Big Brown, a sweet, chocolate package of a thoroughbred named in honor of one of America’s biggest delivery services, early this evening will attempt to deliver on a dream that has eluded the horse racing business for 30 years.
— Kevin Paul Dupont, The Boston Globe, “A Crown Of Thorns For The Last 30 Years.”

Big Brown, with trainer Rick Dutrow
[Photo Credit: Ed Reinke / Associated Press File]

I neglected to post a pre-race piece of luck and love for Big Brown, set this morning to grab The Brass Ring Of Horse Racing History by winning The Triple Crown Of Horse Racing at The 140th Running Of The Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York. I was too nervous to do so, not to mention having mini-panic-attacks every five minutes and, quite frankly, unable to type. But I was so certain that he would be victorious, especially after I heard via ESPN.com that Big Brown’s most formidable opponent, Casino Drive, had scratched due to his hoof injury.

But by the middle of the outside track, I already knew that Big Brown would not make horse racing history. Only to leave, as the Belmont Park race caller cried, the place of The Triple Crown Winner “vacant once again”.

And only to find that, had I not overslept this morning, thereby missing almost all of the pre-race coverage on the networks, I would have already known that this day would not see a Triple Crown Winner.

NEW YORK — Jim McKay, the venerable and eloquent sportscaster thrust into the role of telling Americans about the tragedy at the 1972 Munich Olympics, has died. [...] The broadcaster, who considered horse racing his favorite sport, died only hours before Big Brown attempted to win a Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes.
— David Bauder, The Associated Press (obituary here).

Jim McKay, at his farm in Monkton, Maryland, 03 November 03 1997
[Photo Credit: Gene Sweeney Jr. / Associated Press File]

It is a very dark day in horse racing history.

Valiant effort, Big Brown.

You shall be missed, Jim McKay.

I don’t think I’ve felt this down on Belmont Day since watching José Santos ride Funny Cide back over a muddy track to the finish line after placing third in The 135th Belmont Stakes, on 07 June 2003.

[Photo Credit: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images]

Filed under: Media, New York, Photography, Triple Crown , celebrities, death, defining moments, emotional landscapes, linkage, memories, photoblogging, sports, television

To Do: “Sex And The City: The Movie,” The Belmont Stakes, The White Party, Etc.

Cancer Horoscope For Week Of 05 June 2008: “Whatever you do, Cancerian, DON’T open the door of that closet that hasn’t been opened in years. DON’T poke your nose into the funny business that has been going on behind the scenes. DON’T peek inside Pandora’s other box, or pick the fruit of temptation off the tree of knowledge, or rush in, like a trusting fool, where angels fear to tread. DON’T do any of these controversial, forbidden things, my dear Crab — unless you want to risk embarking on some enigmatic, elemental, enlightening adventures.”
— From Rob Brezsny’s Free Will Astrology.

Wow. Now that is a sexy horoscope. It actually makes me kind of believe it.

It is late, and I am all insomniac and giddy yet oddly not emo, but excited and happy. (Except for the fact that upon selecting the title of this piece I realized that said title was in fact that of a previous “Regular Feature” of this blog, to which I intended to return weekly, and realized what a miserable failure I am at actually maintaining any kind of “Regular Feature” in this blog. But that is neither here nor there.) I have lots of fascinating things to attend to throughout the coming week, and I shall endeavor to record them here not only for posterity but also as a reminder for me when they show up on my schedule. (Additionally, may I just point out that I freaking love the Pandora station that I set up this evening, entitled “Rinôçérôse Radio”? I swear to Hera I have been loving it and thumbs-upping and bookmarking nearly every track that has popped up in its queue, so apologies to those who follow my news feed on Facebook, because I’ve no doubt that it is rather epic in scale this evening, e.g., “Atherton has bookmarked x! Atherton has bookmarked y!”, etc.)

So. What’s to do?

Acquisition Of Electronics: I have set myself a deadline of the end of June for the reacquisition of portable electronic equipment that I absolutely require for my happiness and general sanity. The remaining pieces include a digital camera, a digital video camera, and an iPod to replace the nano that was so cruelly (yet perhaps fortunately) stolen from me last year in the early morning hours at the end of All Things, er, Oahu.

I was tempted to acquire the digital video camera tomorrow, but I suspect the digital still camera shall win out. (And, yes, I am painfully aware that the showcased camera is not what I am used to, but I’ve every confidence that the images I capture with it will be every bit as good as those my old Canon used to capture, if not better.)

“Sex And The City: The Movie”: I just got off of a trans-Pacific mobile conversation with my heterosexual male BFF Christophe in The SFO, who attended the premiere of the film in San Francisco, and who assured me that I would love it. Of course, I believe him without question since he knows me like the back of his hand. As previously mentioned in this space, I’ve a special Thursday planned for the event, and intend to photoblog it with one of my new electronic reacquisitions.

The Belmont Stakes: The 140th Running Of The Belmont Stakes takes place in New York this Saturday, and in case you’re not an equine person, we are all cheering for the first Triple Crown Of Horse Racing Winner in thirty years, with Big Brown. This is a big deal, people, so if you do not wish to read my numerous posts concerning the event throughout Saturday, you should probably remove my feed from your readers right now, because this promises to be epic. [Photo Credit: Adam Coglianese.]

The White Party: Reinstate my feed in your readers, however, just in time for Saturday evening’s annual White Party. Thrown by Honolulu’s fabulously inimitable Flash and Matty Boy, this Hanohano Room soirée never disappoints. The Painter is flying in from The SFO for the event, and I will very likely be highly shutter happy throughout the evening, so it should make for tantalizingly good copy, photoblogging, and random voice microblogs.

The Day Fit For A King: Hawaii’s annual celebration of King Kamehameha Day falls on Wednesday, 11 June, next week. This day has usually thrown me into a downward emo spiral in the past, but I am highly confident that this year will be rather different, as I plan to attend the festivities, pontificate at length on the meaning of the day, for me, and to record the event with a (one would hope artfully executed) photoblog. [Photo Credit: igougo.com.]

So. Yes.

“Enigmatic, elemental, and enlightening adventures.”

Indeed!

Filed under: Blogging, Film, Music, Photography, Technology, Triple Crown , a-list, hawaii, honolulu, linkage, memories, painter, photoblogging, pimpage, red carpet situations, retail therapy, sports, television

And That’s Called Kicking Your Ass!

Oh my God I cannot even contain myself right now. I still can never believe, every time it does happen (since it happens so rarely; the last time was Smarty Jones in…2004!), how giddy as a little girl I become when a horse has captured the first two titles of the Triple Crown.

But I do.

BALTIMORE—One by one, the horses moved toward the starting gate. The crowd at Pimlico Race Course was somewhat uninterested until the bay colt Big Brown walked past and received a superstar’s ovation.

Big Brown did not disappoint his growing fan base, as he cruised to a five-and-a-quarter-length victory to win the 133rd Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

“Not one grain of sand in his face,” the jockey Kent Desmoreaux said afterward.

Macho Again, at 35-to-1, placed second, followed by Icabad Crane.

Big Brown entered the race as an overwhelming favorite and, if he can win the Belmont Stakes on June 7, could become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. There have been 12 Triple Crown winners; the last horse to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes was Smarty Jones in 2004.

“We should have enough horse to get the job done,” said Big Brown’s ever-confident trainer, Rick Dutrow.

—By Adam Himmelsbach for The New York Times. Full text available here.

Five-and-a-quarter lengths, people! Now that is called kicking some equine ass!

Congratulations, Big Brown.

May you also run like the wind for the white at Belmont in three weeks.

[Kent Desmoreaux and Big Brown crossing the finish line at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. Photo Credit: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters.]

Filed under: Editorials, Photography, Triple Crown , celebrities, defining moments, family, linkage, memories, omgwtfbbq, red carpet situations, sports

Happy Preakness Day!

By the second race of the run of any Triple Crown series of horse racing, I admittedly do not look at any statistics, odds, or what-have-yous. Nor do I consider what I thought of the Derby winner’s pedigree, name, or racing history before he brought home the roses. I merely check the Baltimore weather like a maniac every five minutes, and worry that the Triple Crown favorite can handle whatever the Pimlico track can give him.

Because I want to see another Triple Crown winner, damn it!

This morning, however, the morning of The 133rd Running Of The Preakness Stakes, I feel intensely encouraged by the latest reports. Especially Ray Kerrison of The New York Post’s official Preakness Pick for Fox Sports:

BALTIMORE—Barring accident, bad luck or bad karma, Big Brown will win the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico tomorrow and surge forward to sweep the Triple Crown, a feat unsighted in 30 years.

Big Brown will face 12 rivals of varying class and merit but none close to him in speed, brilliance and sheer superiority. Only the unforeseen may deprive him of victory and the blanket of Black-Eyed Susans.

And, although he concludes his piece with the cautionary words, “As it shapes up, this Preakness may be more for the history books than making a score at the windows. Just pray they get through the day without incident,” referring to the shadow cast over Big Brown’s Derby victory by the death of filly Eight Belles, I refuse to think superstitiously on this day. I am merely thinking positive thoughts and keeping my eye on Big Brown’s prize: The Three Crowns.

Bring them home, Big Brown…

[Kent Desormeaux rides Big Brown to victory, winning The 134th Kentucky Derby, 2008. Photo Credit: John Gress / Reuters.]

Just like He did…

Filed under: Editorials, Photography, Triple Crown , celebrities, defining moments, family, linkage, memories, red carpet situations, sports, video