Yes, this year I’m especially excited about the running of the Kentucky Derby.
Because I’ve got my wide, frilly, feathered Kentucky Derby hat all picked out?
Well ... umm ... yes. But that’s not the big reason.
Because half the names of the horses in the field sound like they could be punch lines to Tiger Woods jokes?
Well, that’s good, too. (I think My Wife Went Through My Phone may have been a late scratch.)
But no. I’m pumped this year because there’s a filly in the race, and I have a 1-year-old daughter, and we’re going to watch and cheer and talk about how girl horses are strong, fast and brave.
Yes, a horse is about to become a figure of female empowerment. You’d better believe she is.
Of course, her owner and trainer aren’t overly interested in all that. Her name isn’t Girl Power or Susan B. Anthony or Hear Me Roar or even (and this is my favorite) Danica Paddock. No, her name is Devil May Care. She’s named after a James Bond novel (one published in 2008, on the 100th anniversary of Ian Fleming’s birth).
Yes, I guess that makes her the latest Bond Girl.
But the kind of history-making trainer Todd Pletcher is most interested in is busting his 0-for-24 Kentucky Derby streak.
Pletcher comes from the D. Wayne Lukas training tree, and Lukas himself went 12 Runs for the Roses before finally breaking through. That was in 1988. His horse was Winning Colors. She was the last filly to win the Derby.
That’s too much of a coincidence for me.
It could happen again. Pletcher pulled what would have probably been the favorite, Eskendereya, when the horse came up with a bum leg. Now, they say, the closest to a favorite could be Lookin At Lucky. (Tiger!) Now, they tell us, this thing could be wide open.
Now, here comes your annual Derby Horse of Destiny, our annual equine fairy tale.
With Eskendereya out, along with the spot in the field comes the availability of Johnny Velazquez. He’s the jockey who knows her best. He’s the one who rode her to all three of her victories.
"When you get an exceptional animal, you've got to give them a chance to do exceptional things," Devil May Care owner John Greathouse told The Associated Press.
And that’s the thing. We love these girl-takes-on-the-guys scenarios, don’t we? Michelle Wie all but staked her career on it, until the sizzle finally fizzled out. Billie Jean King became a national hero by beating former-great-turned-decrepit-hustler Bobby Riggs.
But can there really be a battle of the sexes among horses? There’s no publicity stunt aspect to this. Devil May Care’s just another horse (of course). I mean, is there anyone out there sexist against horses? When it’s an animal, is there going to be some guy muttering under his breath that she should stick to … what, eating hay?
(Do the other horses treat her differently around the barn? Do they neigh and snicker when she walks by? Do they call her the n-word? [Nag.] Do you think they say, “Whoa, get a load of those forelocks?”)
She’s just another horse … except that she isn’t, of course.
Just think of the headlines should she win, should she be the fourth female to end up first at the end of the most exciting two minutes in sports:
“She’s the One.”
“Roses for the Lady.”
And, my pick to lead FOXSports.com should she win: “Girl, Gone. Wild.”
Is she getting a bunch of extra attention just because she’s a girl? Well, yeah. That’s what happens. Horse racing, for those of us without serious acumen and/or a gambling problem, can be a sentimental thing. We go with our gut, or a great name. We choose our horses on emotion.
Sport is best when we connect with it through our heartstrings. Horse racing – if only once, twice, three times a year now – still does this best of all.
When Smarty Jones made a run at the Triple Crown in 2004, school kids wrote letters to him. ... To a horse!
“He’s pretty fast,” one boy wrote. “For a horse.” (For a horse!)
“I love Smarty Jones,” one girl wrote. “I want to be just like you.” (I want to be just like you!)
I want my little daughter to be just like Devil May Care. Strong, fast, brave.
We’ll be watching Saturday. We’ll be cheering down the stretch.
