Faith, family, friends, and fun. We are also going to talk some horse racing.
I often fall short in the arena of faith. I fail to believe “it will be OK” or “God has my back”. Strangely in times when others struggle I know they are being helped by unseen forces and have faith. I just don’t always believe I deserve a hand, or as my Christian friends would tell me I don’t consider God’s grace or His mercy. Lately, I have been feeling mistreated, and been whining unnecessarily. I’m coming out of my funk a bit at a time. Just recently I’ve been handed some wonderful things. While being fortunate to have our short film be accepted into the Rainier Independent Film Festival in Ashford Washington (more on that in my next post) I contacted family and friends from the Seattle area and quite a few said they might be able to attend the showing. I was humbled at how interested and excited they seemed; I learned to be calm and that most things aren’t on my time. Also, it is likely next weekend some of my closest loved ones will be staying with Carla and I here in our home. This should be a true joy.
And about next weekend, the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby will be contested (this is the fun part). This year and last personal things have largely kept me from closely following the ponies. But I’ve been watching from the cheap seats on TV and my trusty computer. Many replays have shown me a few things I’ll pass on with only minimal confidence. The three year old crop that will contest the Derby doesn’t seem strong from a historic standpoint. No disrespect to the owners, trainers, and the horses themselves. The Derby seems overloaded with speed many of whom seem questionable at the distance. A horse that is being totally disrespected in the blogs and conversations is Mendelssohn who won in front running style the UAE Derby by 18 lengths, and also won last years Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf. I know the UAE surface was speed favoring, he didn’t beat much, and OH YEAH AGAIN THE SURFACE WAS SPEED FAVORING. Still, he ran a great race for his first start on dirt; why not the others don’t look too tough. In the Oaks (for fillies) on Friday I’ll go with (assuming no scratches) Midnight Bissou, Monomoy Girl, Eskimo Kisses, and longshot Blamed.
Good luck next weekend and if you feel agitated get a copy of my book: Zen and the Successful Horseplayer (How to Win and Find Calmness in Horse Wagering).
