Football
17y

We've backed a winner!

As they crossed the line I celebrated with my nephew Kyle. He's just back from Iraq, adjusting to civilian life. No better way to do that in my estimation than hit the winner of the 132nd Preakness Stakes. I'd given him Curlin. The two of us were all smiles.

The other folks around us looked grim.

They were all ESPN people, saddened by Street Sense's loss. There goes the promotional campaign for the Belmont on ABC.

But that's only if you were concerned about a Triple Crown.

Kyle and I were kind of hung up on temporal things, like walking back to the old guy at the window (who mispunched one ticket, but that's OK).

But I don't think Kyle and I are greedy bastards.

I'm all for a horse winning a Triple Crown. But I'm only for that if he's good enough to win the damn thing.

I ran into one of our producers in the tv compound after it was done. She looked like she'd lost a puppy.

Me: What's wrong?

Producer: Didn't you see the race? He lost.

Me: The heck he did. I had the four horse.

Producer: It's not all about gambling.

Me: No. No it isn't. It's about competition. The better horse won.

At that she went to look for her puppy. I went to look for a window.

But I didn't feel remorse in the least.

Street Sense ran by Curlin at the top of the stretch like the game was over. And then the race really started. Curlin was down by a length and a half, the Kentucky Derby winner was pulling away from him.

Curlin and jockey Robby Albarado could have quit, they could have even started rooting for a Triple Crown.

But instead they raced.

That's the point of this thing, race by race. Triple Crown be damned.

There's a Belmont coming still.

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