all in The Sport

It's never a good thing when your boss calls you a knucklehead.

“You can teach him,” quipped legendary trainer Ben A. Jones of Whirlaway in the spring of 1941, “but you can't teach him much. ”

Each week, members of the national media vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

In a plain brown wrapper, the yearling colt did not leave the same impression that struck those closest to Secretariat when he was that age. With a fair pedigree and a front leg that toed out, he did not pass muster with one sales company and instead was relegated to the upstart alternative. But this would not deter fate. Neigh. Instead, the long-legged colt with an awkward stride was available for a price far below what he would eventually be worth.

The $1.5 million, Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks is the marquee race each spring for elite 3-year-old fillies.

Horse racing is often referred to as “The Sport of Kings,” creating the impression that only those with incredible wealth can participate … and it is, no doubt, very expensive to own a horse much less a racehorse. But the reality is you don’t need to be a monarch or a Sheikh or a titan of industry to own a Kentucky Derby starter, or winner for that matter.

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