What Are Your Thoughts On The Kentucky Derby?

Question

Not just this one, but all of them.

In general...

Are you a fan or do you dislike them? Think they are pointless...?

Do tell me!

Answer 1

The Derby has been The Prize for horse racing for well over a century. Whether the silly hoopla surrounding it is overdone -- yeah, sure ... but what isn't when there are media and dollars involved?  It's far less silly and far less annoying than the silliness surrounding most baseball, football and basketball championships.

The excesses of the Derby are far more sedate than most other sporting events I can think of.  And since it isn't my money that's being squandered, who cares?

That said, I think it would be an improvement to change the rules on the Derby so that the horses entered had to be a year or more older than currently.  Especially with the Triple Crown series, we'd have far sounder horses racing these tracks, and probably (no guarantee, though) fewer injuries if this were changed.  

As far as the Derby being "pointless" -- well, if you don't know or don't care much about horses and racing, I suppose it is.  However, if you want to really discuss "pointless,"  go check out Mardi Gras or Spring Break, which have deteriorated to the point of being absurd and downright dangerous.

Answer 2

I'm a fan of them, even though i don't really watch them. I think they're pretty cool, except if a horse gets hurt!

Answer 3

I've been a fan of the Kentucky Derby my whole life. I remember as a kid hearing about Seattle Slew then the next year becoming a huge fan of Affirmed. Ever since Affirmed I've been waiting for the next triple crown winner.......that is until today.

Answer 4

I live in Louisville.  We start celebrating the Derby in the beginning of April.  I've never been a huge fan of horse racing.  I think it's a "sport" only in existence for the purpose of making money.  We charge $9 for mint juleps.  We have parades.  It's like Christmas here during Derby time.  Our city shuts down.  Local businesses aren't open.  We're all celebrating (and making money).  We charge out-of-towners $50 to park in our front yards for the day.  We charge celebs huge amounts of money to stay in our hotels.  

We're never going to stop hosting it.  Unless people stop buying tickets (very hard to get, btw, because people pretty much bought them a hundred years ago and still have their same seats).

Considering the h**l they put these horses through, I think it should be stopped.  It will only be stopped when people stop using animals to make money.  That won't happen unless everyone becomes vegetarian, we stop rodeos, and we stop hunting (among many other things).  

It just goes to show that our species isn't as intelligent and civilized as we think we are.

Answer 5

I THINK THAT IT IS POINTLESS. GOD'S ANIMALS WERE NOT MEANT TO BE SOMEONES HAT SHOWING, BET WINNING DEATH PROJECT. I'LL STAND BY THIS TILL THE DAY I DIE. MY HEART ACHES FOR ALL OF THEM.

Answer 6

The last peoples' answers make me cringe a little.  Some horses are born and raised for racing, it's their life, it's in their blood.  To keep a horse from doing what it's born to do is more cruel than having it run.  They are probably the most well taken care of horses on this planet.  Yes, jockey's use crops when riding, um, you try getting a horse to go into a full fledged gallop from a halt with just your legs.  Granted, a lot of people are in it for the money, but as for the horses, it's not a cruel sport.  I do like races unless tragedy strikes as with Barbaro and most recently Eight Belles (I almost cried)

Answer 7

I like them, I live here in Lexington Kentucky and go to Keenland and watch the races when they are open in the Spring and Fall. It is really amazing to go and look at these beautiful animals. They are so beautiful to watch and watching them run is fun and so interesting. The Kentucky Derby is one of the hardest races for a horse to get into, it's kinda like the Superbowl, The NCAA final 4, and Masters rolled into one. If a horse runs in the Derby once he is done racing he can bring in up to hundreds of thousands of dollars just to bread. I myself enjoy horse racing, I don't know very much about it compared to many who live in this state, I do know it's a wonder to get to look at these animals up close.