The Kentucky Derby...

I love horse racing. This is not too surprising, given that I love sports, gambling and animals. If you combine them in a way where I feel like the animal actually enjoys it- then its my dream come true. I love watching how beautiful the horses look as they run, I love the joy on the trainers and owners faces when a horse wins and I love how the horses run their little hearts out, showing everyone that they were born to run as fast as can be. I also love getting so invested in something that it consumes your whole soul for the 2 minutes the race lasts.

I remember the derby my first year away at grad school. I ordered Pizza Hut to be delivered and it arrived just as the derby started. There was no way I was missing any of it, so I insisted the delivery man come inside and watch with me. Given that I was a single gal living alone in the country, this is probably a clue as to how involved I get in these races. As born and bred New Yorker, I am usually overly cautious with strangers. But put me in the middle of a derby race and sane thoughts fly out the window. There was no way I was missing a second.

I always pick the filly if there's one in the race. Girl power and all. But if not, I usually go for something Irish. This year my money's on Paddy O'Prado. The son of El Prado, the Irish champion. This year every member of my family has bet on a different horse, so it will be a fun time as we do the conference call for this year's race. I'm sure that Paddy will win though...

You tell me that this isn't the face of a winner.