Well, lemme tell you somethin’ about them Arkansas Derby horses. It’s a big ol’ deal, that race. Lotsa folks come from all over to see them horses run. They run fast, them horses. Real fast. It’s at this place called Oaklawn Park, down in Hot Springs. Fancy place, I reckon. Not like our old dirt track back home, that’s for sure.
They say this race, this Arkansas Derby, it’s for them young horses. Three-year-olds, they call ’em. And it’s a big deal ’cause the winner, well, he gets to go to that other big race. The Kentucky Derby. I hear it all the time on the TV. It’s like the Super Bowl of horse racin’, I guess. Them Arkansas Derby horses, they all wanna go to Kentucky, it seems like.
This year, they got a whole bunch of ’em runnin’. Ten horses, I heard. All strong and fast, I bet. They say it’s a “deep and talented field.” Whatever that means. Just means they’re good horses, I reckon. They run for a whole lotta money, too. More money than I’ve ever seen, that’s for darn sure. Over a million dollars! Can you believe that? For runnin’ around a track! These Arkansas Derby horses live better than most folks, I tell ya.
They got all sorts of names, these horses. One’s called Muth, I think. He’s trained by a fella named Bob Baffert. I hear that name a lot. Must be a good trainer. Then there’s another one, Fierceness, they call him. Sounds like a mean one. And another named Sierra Leone. Don’t know where they come up with these names. Catching Freedom is another one. They all want to win that big money. Every single one of them Arkansas Derby horses has a dream, I suppose.
Now, this race, it ain’t just a quick little sprint. They gotta run a good ways. One and one-eighth of a mile, I believe. That’s further than from my house to the general store. These horses, they gotta have stamina, you know? Gotta be able to keep goin’ and goin’. These Arkansas Derby horses are really somethin’ else.
- They run in April, every year.
- Except one year, during the war, they didn’t have it.
- Been goin’ on since way back, 1936, I think.
- It’s the biggest race in Arkansas, they say.
- Arkansas Derby horses are famous, I suppose.
I seen it on the television a few times. They got that channel, FS1, and another one, TVG, that show it. Lots of folks watchin’, I’m sure. Wish I could go see it in person sometime. See them Arkansas Derby horses run with my own two eyes. But it’s a long way to travel, and I ain’t gettin’ any younger.
They got folks, they call ’em jockeys, that ride these horses. Little fellas, they are. But they gotta be strong to control them big animals. And they wear them bright colored outfits. Silks, they call ’em. Makes it easy to see who’s who, I guess. All them Arkansas Derby horses lookin’ the same otherwise.
I remember one year, there was a horse, he won the Arkansas Derby, and then he went on to win that Kentucky Derby, too. That’s a big deal. Like winnin’ the lottery twice, I reckon. They make a big fuss over these Arkansas Derby horses. The owners, they are so happy. There’s a lot of them, sometimes.
So, yeah, that Arkansas Derby, it’s somethin’ else. A big race, with big money, and big, fast horses. If you ever get a chance to see it, you should. It’s a sight to behold, I reckon. Even if you just see it on the TV, it’s excitin’. Them Arkansas Derby horses, they sure can run.
I don’t know much about bettin’ and all that. But I know folks do bet on them races. They pick a horse, and they hope he wins. Just like pickin’ a number at the bingo hall, I guess. Except these numbers got four legs and run real fast. And they’re called Arkansas Derby horses.