It’s Derby Day Saturday, And Mother’s Day Sunday *Weekend Open Thread*

Now, I know not everyone is a horse racing fan, but if you have been here for any amount of time, you know that I am. The beginning of the Triple Crown  horse racing season has officially begun with the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

But before the Derby, there was the Kentucky Oaks, the fillies’ day. What a race it was, too. I was particularly excited to see one young filly run. That would be Rachel’s Valentina, the horse pictured here. Why? Because she is the daughter of the great Rachel Alexandra, who won this same race back in 2009 (Rachel Alexandra also won the Preakness that year, and was the Horse of the Year, and rightly so). That her daughter is now racing means a lot, though unfortunately, she did not repeat her mother’s feat. Oh well – there is always next year.

But the winner, Cathryn Sophia, did an amazing job. It was a great day of racing in general, and this race was exciting. Can’t ask for much more than that!

Then there is the Derby on Saturday, which will be aired on NBC and coverage starting around 4:00 p.m. (EST). The Derby itself will be run after 6:00 p.m. The favorite for this year is Nyquist, who is undefeated in 7 races.

I also like Creator because, well, he’s pretty:

 

Right?? Isn’t he so interesting looking? And hey, you just never know on a day who is going to beat the odds and take the win. It could happen! But I’ll be happy either way – Nyquist or Creator, and a few others on whom I have my eye. If you are interested, you can check out all the horses and their post positions HERE. One thing is for sure, it will be exciting as these races always are, though this is but one of the races being run all day. Check your local listings to see if you can get the earlier races, if you wish.

And of course, Sunday is Mother’s Day. Naturally, many of us think mothers should have more than one day, especially for all many mothers do, or have done. Sadly, many of us have also lost our mothers, some more recently than others. But their impact on our lives lives on, for which we are grateful indeed.

Whether your mother is still with us or has passed on, or if you have been blessed to be a mother yourself, this excellent P&G ad for Mother’s Day  is for you:

So moving and so powerful, I think. And it says so much with so few words…

I have to say, the ad also brought tears to my eyes as I reflected on all the many, many ways my mother’s influence impacted my life. I was blessed to have a wonderful, loving, funny, talented, compassionate, gracious mother who never met a stranger and welcomed any and everyone at her table. It was from her I inherited my crazy love of all animals, especially horses. I miss her every day still, but that’s okay – it just shows the depth of her importance in my life and how much her love and life impacted me. That goes for Mom’s mother too, who I favor a great deal. Granny was a wonderful, strong, determined, witty woman who was a nurse, not just as a job, but in her being. (My dad’s mother was also important in my life, but I lost her when I was a young teenager.)

And I am thankful indeed to have had the mother I did. I know not everyone had or has a good mother, and I regret that for those who are in that camp. I wish you could have known my mom because she would have adopted you right away. That’s how she rolled…

In any event, I do want to wish all of you who are mothers a VERY happy Mother’s Day. You deserve to have a special day not just today, but every day. How blessed are you, how blessed are your families, that you brought them into this world. This is for you:

Happy Mother’s Day to you all. If you are traveling, I hope you stay safe, have a good time, and return home safely.

Feel free to discuss any of the above, or whatever else is on your minds. This is the Weekend Open Thread.

Tags: Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, Mother's Day