I was waiting to watch the news, it never came on. So I did watch it and they ran. My big question was if they really whip the horses. It sure looked like it, but I can’t imagine this being allowed.

Would love to be there sometime. I almost bet online one year then quickly deleted it but I would have won! Have no idea how much though! :)

Wanted to go to Trader Joes to get the dogs some dog biscuits and a few other things, but was worried about traffic. Went anyway and it was pretty busy. I have to drive by Keenland on the way there or back. I went through Frankfort and then I64, though, since I had to stop at Lowes, so missed the afternoon traffic in front of Keenland. Coming back it wasn't so bad. I quit watching horse racing years ago, after seeing a horse hit the fence and have to be put down. He was drugged up by his owner. Tomorrow we're going on a tour of the horse farms in Lexington and Keenland. I've never been to Keenland in the 20 years I've lived here, but my exchange student really wants to see it.

First, Kentucky, then, Indiana and the Indianapolis 500. I hope it has better luck with the weather. At least, they don't shoot] injured drivers, do they?

Anglophillia, it sounds like what MN went through for the Superbowl and you have to do it every year!! WOW. I watched five minutes of the pre-show. Saw them bringing the garland of roses over to the winners circle so it would be ready. I didn't even notice it was raining. LOL. I will have to look up who won. It isn't headline today. I always worry about the horses ankles. They look so tiny compared to their size, then add a muddy track. I am glad I didn't watch!!

I enjoy watching the three major races. Missed most of the pre-race activity this year but with that rain coming down, it might not have been quite as camera-friendly as usual.

Very interesting, Anglo. All that hoopla in the rain, too bad! Are there other events, or all that preparation and expense for one race! Private parties, I guess. I cannot watch, so afraid a horse will fall.

I did watch the race but was a nervous wreck in fear of something happening to one of the horses. It was so muddy I couldn't help thinking that if I owned one of those magnificent horses, I wouldn't want to take the chance of an injury. I don't know how they were able to run without slipping. I've never, ever seen it that muddy!

Yes, they whip the horses....but, it isn't as excessive as it may look. If you look at the winning jockey, he was more or less showing the whip to the horse. If you whip a horse too much you might get a less than desirable effect. Plus there are regulations that concern the use of the whips. My concern about racing isn't about the whip. It is what happens to horses after they leave the track....the ones who aren't in the same category as Justify or American Pharoah or any of the other big winners. It is not unusual for them to go straight from the track to the kill pens.

It looked like miserable conditions. I saw an after-Derby report fairly late last night. There were several people walking with their shoes off. One guy had on a previously white jacket that was covered in mud on the back right shoulder. I don’t know if he fell or what. But he said the jacket was pretty much ruined, so yeah, he wasted some money at Macy’s. Hope he bought it on sale! Like you said, Anglo, lots of clothing and shoes were likely ruined or at the very least damaged.

I’m surprised the horses didn’t get hurt. It looked like a pretty clean race. The top 3 winners all started out next to each other at the post. I can’t recall the others’ placement. I thought that interesting.

Marilyn, I think most go on to stakes races at minor racetracks. Some even race at the big tracks, just not in the big races. I know a lot of people in the Thoroughbred horse business here in KY and I've never heard of any horses going to kill pens.

Some horses like mud better than others, but one need remember that a Thoroughbred horse is bred to love to run - it's in their genes/DNA. Yes, sometimes there are injuries and some are so severe that the horse must be put down. But it doesn't really happen all that often. These horse live very coddled lives. Fewer and fewer of the big name horses are ever transported in a horse van - they arrive by private jet at the airport and travel with far more comfort than today's Economy Class passenger!!! There are a whole staff that care for these horses - grooms, riders, vets - you name it. They are divas!

The only thing that is a concern to me is the employees on the Back Side. They are paid very little, their working conditions can be rough. My yard man's father did this for 30+ years. More and more local charities here are trying to get the Back Side employees better conditions/medical attention etc. It IS improving. Most just love the horses and working with them.

Kids love to run too but we don't force them with whips and euthanize them if they break a leg or are no longer useful or profitable.

I just think it's wrong to exploit animals for our own entertainment. As I see it, these animals are forced to race, risking their lives, so that people have an excuse to drink, gamble and wear fancy hats.

Euthanization doesn't happen all that often? Maybe not at the very, very top but hundreds of horses die in the US from racing each year. Add in Europe and the rest of the world and you're looking at thousands. All horses count, not just the ones at these events.

And let's not forget that most of them don't have the cushy lifestyle and diva treatment (if they even care about that). There's also a much darker world of abuse, drugs and injuries that people like to ignore.

Trust me, Anglophilia. Many do go to slaughter. Many. There are organizations that will step in and save as many Thoroughbreds as they can, and I do believe it is very frowned on to sell the horses to slaughter but what goes on out behind the shed row, is the fact that many do end up in kill pens. I have four kill pen horses and I have been to the kill pens. I donate every month to groups that try to save as many as they can. Some kill pens have pages on FB and you can buy the horses there....usually at inflated prices. Most kill pens and slaughter horse buyers do not like to mess with that, and they will ship them directly....to avoid the drama. Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses are the horses most often shipped. Of course there are many others....anything from yearlings up....including donkeys, mules, and minis. Some things they are not allowed to do, but it would shock you at what goes on. Another dirty little secret in the racing industry are the nurse mare foals.

Nurse mare foals

And this.

More nurse mare foals

Just seen on the news tonight where a woman made a $18 bet and won over two million!

I was wondering why they had these figure skaters as commentators again. They annoyed me at the Olympics, and even though I just saw them for a minute it was more than enough. For the outfits?

They used to allow the local TV stations access to Millionaires Row where they could interview all the celebrities and important locals. When the expensive new rooms were added, all that stopped- no media allowed up there at all. The local stations have coverage until about an hour before the Derby race - until then, it 's now pretty boring "fill time" stuff.

When the network takes over, there is still a lot of time to fill. I guess that's why the dreadful figure skaters were there. I guess some people like them for their outrageous attire - they know nothing about Thoroughbred horse racing!

I'be seen such huge changes in the TV coverage over the years. I used to sit down at my ironing board and catch up on my Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter ironing- kept me entertained for hours. Now, I turn it on about 1 1/2 hrs before the race...if I remember! I do always watch the race, though.

Churchill Downs took away the box seats that many, many local families had owned for generations. So much is about out- of-town corporate entertaining now. The charm is gone, as it is with most things these days.

There are some spectacular horse farms in Lexington. Yes, the stallion breeding barns are amazing - full of high tech cameras etc. But the mares barns ain't exactly shabby - many have elaborate mill work in them far nicer than in my own home! Many years ago, we were lucky to get a private tour of the farm owned by the UAE sheiks, the Maktoum brothers - Gainsborough Farm. It was quite something. Another famous one is Lane's End Farm, owned by Wm Farish. The Queen has visited it twice since I've lived here - as their house guest. Got to see her in her motorcade once, when she was returning from lunch outside of Louisville at Hetmitage Farm, at that time owned by former Churchill Downs Chrm and Thoroughbred breeder Warner Jones (bred horses test won the Oaks, Derby and Breeder's Cup). We were standing right on the turn off the road and were very close. Yes, I WAS thrilled!

Kentucky Horse Park is a neat place- lots to see and do. When DD and her husband used to have to go to the Oaks, I had the boys all day - took them there a few years ago - did a trail ride - lots of fun for us all. The Derby Museum at Churchill Downs is marvelous - so well done and I'm not much for tourist places. It's worth a visit.

I know many people do not approve or Thoroughbred horse racing, but it's a major part of the economy and life of KY. People here consider horses to be livestock, no different than cattle or pigs- not pets. A good farmer treats his livestock well - it's both humane and good business.

I don't disapprove of horse racing. I don't even disapprove of horse slaughter. I may not like it but I recognize that it will always exist. I just wish the do-gooders who got it sent out of the US, would realize that all they accomplished was to increase the misery of hundreds of thousands of horses, and I wish it was brought back to the US, and they stopped shipping them to Mexico.

My exchange student wanted to see Keenland so we went on a horse farm/Keenland tour yesterday. The stallion barns look better than any house I could ever own. One had a English style garden in front of it. Absolutely beautiful. Seattle Slew's last home was there and he was buried in style out front. Used to be a big fan of horse racing, watched them all on AFN, when I was in the Air Force. Then a horse ran into the fence and that was it for me. I don't have a problem with it as long as they aren't drugging up their horses or mistreating them. It's the abuse that bothers me.

Marilyn_c, today at pulmonary rehab, I spoke with a friend who is a retired equine vet, and a Thoroughbred horse trainer. I asked him about Thoroughbreds going to kill pens. He said it used to be quite common - not much today as nearly all are in Mexico and it's too expensive to ship them there. He totally agrees with you about the people who got the horse slaughter facilities sent out of the US. He's an interesting man - very bright - went to U of PA for vet school, and a fine horseman.