Drive Time
An event as rich in tradition as the Kentucky Derby is sure to have plenty of ancillary traditions as well.
Some, like tomorrow’s running races or the Great Balloon Race are shared experiences.
Others are personal.
One such experience for me that kicks off Derby week is the drive from my home in Lexington to Louisville. Chasing the setting Sun heading west on Interstate 64 I pass Thoroughbred farms of Midway and Georgetown.
There are a few mares with their foals out, and it’s hard not to think about those babies arriving in Louisville in 2011.
One of my favorite pieces of art is Celeste Susany’s Chance of a Lifetime because it captures the essence of the Derby so perfectly.
I’m fortunate enough to experience the Derby—and traditions such as my drive over—annually, but for the horses who will go postward on May 3, this is the one chance they will get to wear the roses.
