Well, this obviously is going to be a first here on the DP. I'm talking horse racing, folks. Yup, horse racing.
Dude, you're only thirty, but you're losing your mind.
Fair point. But of course, history was made today in American sports as American Pharaoh became the first horse in thirty seven years to win the Triple Crown. A rare occurrence, obviously, and one that has been celebrated outstandingly here in our nation.
I'll be honest, I'm supremely happy for the owners, the trainers, and all of the investors within the American Pharaoh camp who made this feat a reality, however, I'm still struggling with the heights to which we hold horse racing in our culture. Again, I'm being nothing but honest as I am usually am here.
I understand that horse racing was indeed this nation's first ever sport. Yet, there is a part of me that cannot wrap my mind around the adulation for a horse, and the coverage we are giving a horse and for these races. I just can't understand when analysts and others are claiming "how cool and relaxed" a horse looks before it runs as pre-race breakdown. It just seems silly to me. It really does.
There is also just something about the horse culture that screams elitist that just doesn't ring with me. The type of culture that still seems to embody everything that creates hard divisions in our country - economic elitism and the lack of diversity. Just hard for me to get into, I guess.
To be quite frank, I struggle to identify, praise, and congratulate a horse. Just me. Just bloggin'.
And no, I don't recognize Secretariat as being a "better athlete" - the way ESPN did back in 1999 over others such as Mickey Mantle, Oscar Robertson, and Walter Payton. That's just ridiculous. IT really is. I'm sorry, it's situations like this that really make me wonder about how we value these races.
Maybe someday I'll learn more about it and change my outlook. I'm open to that, and I admit it.
Nonetheless, I do understand and can appreciate the hard work and commitment it takes to recruiting, breeding, caring, investing, and the training of a horse for such a feat. For that, I do congratulate jockey, Victor Espinoza; trainer, Bob Baffert; owner, Ahmed Zayat; and again, everyone else involved in making this feat happen.
Despite my lack of interest, and possible ignorance, I am surely appreciative of the hard work involved and the ability to witness history. And of course, I am tremendously gracious to be able to say that I've seen a Triple Crown in my lifetime.