A Derby Toast

Here's a quote from Roy Jackson that should give you pause on this Derby Day. He told Inquirer reporter Mike Jensen how he sometimes goes to the Turf Club in Philadelphia to watch one of his horses run. He'll sit there and listen to the "old timers" handicap a race and has frequently heard one or more of them say: "I'm not going to bet on this race. There's too many druggie trainers in it."

Wow. That should stand your hair on end. Not only what the patrons said but the fact that Roy Jackson repeated it. It's time for horse racing to come clean in more ways than one and until it does, almost everything, including the pageantry, sentimentality and excitement associated with today's Kentucky Derby, should all be suspect.

Yes, I know there is something terribly seductive about those fancy hats, blooming flowers and mint juleps, but the Kentucky Derby is really not about the people. It is about the horses and until the powers that be recognize that, all the hoopla in the world is not going to save the sport.

The truth of the matter is that Churchill Downs makes enough money during Derby week to cover its expenses for the rest of its racing meet. And that probably will never change since the Derby is America's oldest continuous sporting events. And even this year, with the economy on the skids, I predict a capacity crowd even though the handle might be down a bit.

As Ernie Paragallo personifies, there will always be humans who put their need ahead of the horses. There needs to be oversight in the sport that would ban unethical behavior at every level of involvement.

Here's to safe racing today and always. That is something worth toasting.