Enjoying Watching Televised Kentucky Derby Coverage This Afternoon

I've been sitting here at home today watching the afternoon's buildup to the annual Kentucky Derby, three-year-old thoroughbred horse racing's first jewel in the Triple Crown.  Last year Medina Spirit, trained by Bob Baffert, won a close race over Mandaloun but was eventually disqualified over the failure of a post-race drug test while Baffert was suspended...technically, he is barred from active participation in any of this year's Triple Crown events although he has trained two of the more favored horses in the field of twenty, Taiba and Messier up to six weeks before race time.  Other favorites in 2022 are Zandon, Epicenter, White Abarrio and Mo Donegal.  I like Baffert and miss his presence...seems at least to me like the violation was a kind of "gotcha" thing that some in racing authority wanted to hang on him...well, that's just my own take.  Still, I'll be rooting for both Messier and Taiba to do well when the race goes off, planned starting time around 6:57 pm...I also like White Abarrio.  The event at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky is always a big fashion event with outrageously colored outfits worn by both women and men as well as heavily ornate hats...if you're into that sort of thing.  NBC's ongoing coverage is showing other races on the program at Churchill Downs leading up to the headline Derby...it's fun picking a horse and seeing how it runs.  If I were into horse racing more, I would be following earlier qualifying races in other locations such as the Florida Derby, Blue Grass, Wood Memorial, Santa Anita, Louisiana and Arkansas...I'm sure it would make what happens later today more meaningful.  I just hope that whichever horse wins the Derby this year won't have the victory later snatched away...

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Afterward...wow, in one of the greatest upsets in the history of horse racing, 80-1 longshot Rich Strike came from behind at the end, edging race favorite Epicenter for the victory. This horse, a couple of days ago, wasn't even in the field of twenty but only got entered at the last minute when another horse was scratched. UNBELIEVABLE!