I Didn't Strike It Rich

I don't know the first thing about horse racing. Hell, I don't know the first thing about horses. Yet I like watching the Kentucky Derby. For me, it's the sense of event more than anything else.

When I turned the coverage on about an hour before post time - for those out there even more neophytes than yours truly, post time is when the race is scheduled to start - I found myself wondering which horse with the longest odds had ever won the race. Then I saw a horse named Rich Strike was entered at 80-1 odds. And I knew, I simply, honestly, absolutely knew, knew beyond question, that Rich Strike was going to win the 2022 Kentucky Derby. There was no doubt in my mind.

With that knowledge, and I will call it knowledge as I was that certain, I thought about going online and placing a bet on the horse. But every single reason why that would have been stupid marched to the front of my mind. 

He's an 80-1 longshot, odds determined by experts on such things.

The horse wasn't even in the race until the day before. He got in only after a last minute scratch. What does that say, in practical terms, about its chances?

Rich Strike was purchased by its current owners for $30,000, a significant amount of money to most of us but a pittance for a high level racehorse. What should that tell anyone, especially a guy who, to repeat, knows nothing about horses?

You can't invest real money on something you know nothing about. That's dumb.

You're going to feel like a fool to lose $100 on a horse who had no reasonable chance to win. Yes, I was seriously thinking I would put a C-Note on Rich Strike. I mean, hey, 80-1 odds? That's an $8,000 payoff. But if I had bet and lost, none of you would ever know.

So I talked myself out of placing the bet. And that 80-1 horse came in exactly like I knew it would. 

To be sure, it wouldn't have put me on easy street. But this blog wouldn't have been so rueful today either, because I knew Rich Strike was going to win.

Derby day

I know next to nothing about horses. About race horses I know even less, mostly just names. War Admiral. Whirlaway. Count Fleet. Secretariat. When you think about it, there are some really cool horse names out there.

Maybe that's why I'm fascinated by the Kentucky Derby. Most of the year I pay zero attention to racing. But on Derby day, the first Saturday of May, I usually end up with the TV on, waiting to see what interesting new name will win.

It actually if inadvertently led to a nice family memory. While in Ohio visiting the aptly named Ohio Cosgriffs, we ended up in a pub and grub for a Saturday dinner. Not realizing it was Derby day, we were surprised to see how crowded it was. Folks were anticipating the race.

Pretty soon my son, daughter-in-law and I were picking who we thought would win. Yes, us, who know squat about thoroughbred racing. We chose on the basis of the names. I picked a horse with an Irish name because, well, it was Irish.

Surprisingly, I don't think any of us 'won'. But it was fun, and I'll be thinking of that day as I tune in to watch the Derby late today. My pick is War of Will. It's a cool name.