All of my life I’ve had a love affair with thoroughbred horses. I was too little when he was in his prime to really remember him, but I became fascinated with thoroughbred racing because of Secretariat, who remains my favorite horse of all time. When I was about 10 years old, my best friend at the time wanted to be a horse trainer when he grew up. Of course it helped that his family owned a modest racing stable. My ambition was to be a jockey. Well, his dream came true, but mine was never realized because I quickly grew too big. From what I hear, he is a very successful trainer and is well regarded in the horse racing business. Instead of becoming a jockey, I became a librarian. (Actually, no regrets, except that I have always wanted to be able to own a horse.)

I try to keep up with the Triple Crown races each year. I missed seeing Barbaro win the Kentucky Derby, and I also missed the Preakness yesterday. However, I was horrified to read late last night about Barbaro’s tragic accident that resulted in him severely breaking his right hind leg. I can’t imagine how he can survive this. His jockey was in tears, as were many other people who looked on from the grandstand in shock and distress. Other than an injury to a jockey, which happens more than people might think, a severe injury to a horse like this is one of the most tragic things that can happen in horse racing. It is a stark reminder that horse racing is a dangerous sport. I am glad I missed seeing the whole thing happen on TV.