This made me sad last night. As a person who frequents the races each year, I followed the Barbaro story closely...beginning long before the injury. And, although probably quite sensible, this reaction pissed me off. O.K., he's got a point...but he could've used a little sensitivity, right?

To me the horse races aren't about gambling/winning/money...I just love the entire atmosphere there. Mostly I love the horses. I've seen many a horse go down and, quite frankly, I'm a wimp...I usually cry. Racehorses (well any horses really) are beautiful, magnificent creatures. I always take treats for the lead horses...they know me when I'm there and come over after they've done their job to see what goodies I've got for them. My uncle was a trainer and I always wondered about whether I should get pleasure out of the races...they whip the horses as they drive them to the finish and shoot them full of lasix. But I think it's in their blood, that they love to race. If you've ever seen a racehorse throw his jockey, what does he do afterward? He runs like the wind. Our standing joke is whenever my son's girlfriend bets a horse...usually she bets the unruly one that pulls this prank. And usually they end up running five races, until they are stopped. They don't go over and gnaw on grass...they fly around the track.

If you could see our track at Hastings, it's beautiful - the backdrop is like no other. Surrounded by the mountains, they seem so close you could touch them. On a sunny day it's glorious and we make it a family event - we enjoy the sights, sounds (they have bands on occassion) and the smells (the food is great) - it's always a great outing. I'll tell you the story of Mom & the races sometime. Not now. Local "celebrities" are often there, sitting/mingling with the crowd. I sat and kidded with Prevail once after my son pointed him out to me...he was very nice.

But when horses die, I have a hard time returning and it sticks for awhile.