In Springtime . . .

An Old Man's Fancy turns to thoughts of . . .




NO, NO, NO!!!

NOT footwear. Raise your thoughts, man! Elevate your mind!!




NO! NOT fashion, either. Try for a moment to look beyond the attractive surface to that which is important and real and enduring. There's a horse in that picture.

Yes, today is Oaks Day; and that means tomorrow is Derby day. And that means that as soon as you get done turning in grades, it will be summertime.

Tomorrow, the 3yo colts who last week wore yellow saddlecloths in their morning workouts will load into the gate for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.




And later today, the 3yo fillies, who last week trained in their pink saddlecloths will compete beneath the twin spires in the Kentucky Oaks.




But last week, before the hubbub started, we had a chance to visit quietly with Rachel Alexandra, the filly who was last year's Horse of the Year. She was noticeably relaxed during her morning bath. Her most devoted fans find her beautiful, but she is actually somewhat homely in the way fine racemares often are. There is a tradition that many of best racemares are lop-eared. While the great mare Zenyatta is photogenic and loves to pose for photographers, Rachel (when relaxed) is a study in benign indifference. Her curiously marked face blends with the soap suds, and she seems almost ordinary at first glance. But look closer and it is easy to see her beautiful topline and remarkable shoulder, how well-balanced and clean-limbed she is. Some horses are fast just standing still.








Last month, in New Orleans, Rachel was upset by Zardana on her return to racing. This afternoon, before the Oaks, she will attempt to gain revenge. If she does so, perhaps we will see soon a race in which she takes on the great unbeaten mare, Zenyatta. It would be a race that would overshadow even tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. Though rain is in the forecast for Louisville tomorrow, at the moment, the sun is shining, and the pleasures of summer beckon.