On Monday five days ago, at about this time of day (5 PM) I was just sitting down to try yet again to recover from my writing slump with a new post. But just as I had managed to write an opening line, a passing thunderstorm zapped our electricity and the computer shut down.
Could it possibly be a warning, or a review of my oeuvre, from Old Mother Nature herself? I hadn't been aware that She was even a reader. However I do recall many years ago when I tried to fool her with a "spread" that wasn't butter, and she was much displeased, so it is apparent that she does keep an eye out, and not just in hurricanes, either.
My five-day delay, though, wasn't due to fear of even more vehement fear of meteorological retribution, but simply to other things that have laid claim to my time -- contractors finishing a project, contractors getting ready to start another, the demands of a yard and garden as summer approaches ... and on and on.
Enough, already. On to the topic I had intended to address before, now slightly stale:
ISN'T IT GREAT THAT WE FINALLY HAVE A TRIPLE CROWN WINNER AFTER SO MANY YEARS?
My own direct experience with horse racing was limited to a period of a year or two in my college years, when a friend and I used to make an occasional weekend pilgrimage from the University of Kansas (at Lawrence) to Omaha, where the nearest "real" track beckoned. We took the effort seriously, studying up on the best advice about analyzing and betting, and usually were able to return, after Saturday's full program of 9 races, at least enough ahead to cover our expenses. Since that time, I've hardly thought about racing, except to watch the big three races that constitute the Triple Crown when I could.
The "Sport of Kings" seems to have lost some of its luster in recent decades, to the point that I suspect some younger generations may not even realize that the term refers to thoroughbred horse racing. A search of the internet reveals that other sports may now wish to claim that moniker.
Why? I suppose the term itself, and the reality that underlies it (i.e. that horse racing, or more accurately racehorse owning, does require the possession of princely sums) is one big reason that the sport attracts less general interest than in the past. Elitism is out of style. Some may have succumbed to the idea that racing somehow represents mistreatment of the horses, a view I can't share because these are animals that were bred to run and race. Also, race tracks aren't found on every corner, or even in every U.S. state or city, and some have closed down, so fewer Americans have had the experience of going to the races, absorbing the rituals and experiencing the fleeting excitement of watching a race or rooting for their favorite.
Notwithstanding all that, though, I think the "big win" the Triple Crown represents is a special thrill - a triumph for the horse, the jockey, the trainer, the owner, but most importantly, for the spectator. It attracts attention to the sport, and must inevitably have a positive public effect. As such, I suspect even the owners and trainers of the also-ran horses secretly are elated that some horse, even if not theirs, has finally claimed this prize after a very long dry spell.