Kentucky Derby 2018 a war for the roses

While the handicappers and Facebook soothsayers foam at the mouth about the depth of the 2018 Kentucky Derby field, let us celebrate the rhythm and the reason behind the enduring symbols that make this race the most acclaimed brand of racing competition in the world. Consider the roses, the mint julep,  the descriptive slogans and the very ambiance that justifies the Kentucky Derby’s position as a universal bucket list candidate.

The rose is celebrated at the Derby, stenciled and silk-screened to the “inth” power on anything collectible. It is the optical connector from the audience to the eventual champion equine who is draped in a hand-sewn garland of red “Freedom” hybrids flown in from our friends in South America. The flower itself comes replete with its mystique and history emanating from the tale of Adonis’ illegitimate birth (always a constant in Greek myths) and then from an English civil war between rival monarchal claims of the tribal Houses of York and Lancaster. The white rose represented the Yorks and the red the Lancasters. Their victorious claimant, a Lancaster cousin, Henry Tudor, cleverly combined both shades to reflect his reign and re-branded the combo, the Tudor rose.

The Derby rose garland was first introduced in 1892 wherein an arrangement of pink and red roses was draped on the back of Ben Brush, the winning horse. In 1904, the red rose was established as the symbol for the Kentucky Derby and in 1932, the garland presentation to the winner was incepted with the garland supplied by the Kingsley Walker Florist of Louisville. The Kroger Company stepped into the activity of importing and constructing the floral banner in 1982, and the process of creating its iconic appearance has become a Derby event. The operation, orchestrated by professional florists, Kroger employees and volunteers can be seen at a Louisville Kroger located on Shelbyville Road in Middletown, on the East End of Louisville.

Many a Derby party hostess throughout the world will debate the attributes of the better and best recipe for the mint julep, the symbolic beverage of the Derby. The debate rages on the characteristics of bourbon brands, tearing or ‘muddling’ the mint, the use of simple syrup and water versus club soda with sugar. The buck stops on the relevance of crushed ice, as this is universal unless using a drink dispensary or silvered pitcher where limited ice cubes are permitted, as long as the bourbon is not diluted to any discernible degree. The consensus on the classic recipe is: into the julep cup goes 2-3 sprigs of hand-torn mint, a small scoop of finely crushed ice, a jigger or two of Kentucky bourbon and a generous dollop of simple syrup, followed by a tiny sipping straw. The julep cup is rested, allowing the ice to gently melt while the imbiber sings “My Old Kentucky Home,” a traditional hymn to the quaint where no one knows the words until the bridge of “weep no more my lady.” That stanza somehow sticks. Trust me. The sound swells from the stands at Churchill where “the sun shines bright” the first Saturday in May, no matter the weather.

Symbolic music resonates through all of the Triple Crown races, with the Foster tune paired with the Derby and the “Maryland, My Maryland” for the Preakness Stakes (nobody knows the words). Then there’s Frank Sinatra rendition of “New York, New York” for the Belmont Stakes where every word is remembered and enjoyed.

The bugler’s call to the post represents another musical salute to the symbols that are traditionally associated with Churchill Downs and horse racing. The gentleman attired in the red or green-jacketed fox hunting attire is a Kentucky treasure by the name of Steve Buttleman who has signaled the Kentucky Derby contenders parade to the starting gate for the past 22 years.

The host broadcaster for years has been NBC, always interesting for the background features on each of the equine athletes and their connections, each element portraying the grit and the personalities involved with getting their horses to the starting gate in this iconic annual event. Some of these back stories are tear-inducing and some are silly, yet all combine to inform and entertain.  Saturday’s broadcast starts at 2:30 p.m. ET, leading up to the Derby just before 6:50.

This year’s edition of the Run for the Roses, a phrase coined in 1925 by New York sportswriter, Bill Corum (also President of Churchill Downs from 1950-1958) is a puzzler for both fans and professional handicappers. No field in recent memory has been as profoundly talented as this year’s competitors. My so-called expert pick would be the suggestion of betting a dollar across the board on all 20 horses, an unsophisticated outlay requiring $60. This strategy allows for Apollo’s Curse (the un-raced 2-year-old theory), the Onion giant-killer syndrome (where the doubted entrant, Onion, clobbers a legendary horse named Secretariat) or the viability of a 50-1 longshot that sneaks up the track rail and becomes the subject of a Hollywood movie.

Theories of handicapping abound as much as the screwball betting scenarios. And with this year’s crop, everything and anything is possible. Measured guessing is as much a part of the crazy quilt of symbols and imagery that threads the story of the 144th Kentucky Derby. Beyond the pageantry, there is the race: the fastest, most stomach-churning two minutes in sports. And for all of the 40 competitors — 20 highly skilled jockeys on the finest horses, with the respective trainers and connections — the battle will be enjoined.

It is a test for the best on the first Saturday in May. Time for the War for the Roses.