What were the odds a Kentucky Derby winner would “sit out” the second of the Triple Crown races?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Everybody loves a good sports comeback story, but what about when the story’s about someone (or, in this case, some horse) that no one ever expected to even be in the race, let alone win; but while Red’s amazed by the story, Black’s more focused on the initial mindset and subsequent decisions.
While growing up, Red would watch the Kentucky Derby with our dad, although now she’s more interested in movies about horse racing. In fact, one of her favorite movies is “Seabiscuit,” which tells the real-life story of a horse (not to mention a jockey and a trainer) that overcame all odds by beating the Triple Crown winner War Admiral by four lengths in a two-horse special race.
Even if the movie is on in the background (she’ll never convince Black it’s just “white noise” and not distracting), the recreated scenes in the movie always make Red stop and watch. But nothing quite prepared her for watching the real-life video of Rich Strike seemingly coming out of nowhere, as she was far back in the field for much of the race.
Watching Rich Strike expertly and elegantly weaving, at increasing speed, in and out of the “lanes” at Churchill Downs left me in awe of the athleticism of the horse and skill of the jockey. But, at the same time, I couldn’t help but laugh as it reminded me of busy Texas highways with drivers that insist on ducking and weaving through traffic at high speeds.
Black, on the other hand, appreciates the statistics – Rich Strike was not only a long shot (80-1), but the second greatest longshot in Derby history, with a first-time Kentucky Derby jockey and trainer. And what that meant was, against all odds, including not training at a high-profile stable and without an extremely wealthy owner, they came to the gate a bunch of “no names” but with an extraordinary combination of ability, preparation, and a commitment to never give up.
Less than a week later, Rich Strike’s owner, Rick Dawson, shocked the horse racing world by announcing they wouldn’t be running the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, explaining it was part of the original plan to give Rich Strike more recovery time and rest between races. And when Red asked her if she believed that, Black explained,
If it is true, it makes sense. And, even if it was not part of the original plan, it still makes sense. After the Kentucky Derby, they said they only enter races they think they can win. So, following that logic, they will get more press if they do not run the Preakness than if they do and do not win. And, will get more excitement going (and time to train) if they run Belmont. Regardless, stating they are doing what is the right decision for the horse is something great to see.
Even though there will not be a Triple Crown contender this year, this season already has a winner that will go down in history … with a made-for-movies Cinderella story.
If you think today’s politics are ugly … let’s talk about a man who named himself “dictator for life” of the Roman empire, and is then assassinated by a group of senators, including his best friend. (However, there’s a “pretty” part – Cleopatra was his mistress.) Food trivia and leadership lessons aside, the fact July is named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."
We don’t know about you, but we hate bathing suit shopping. So, we can’t imagine what it must be like if you’re looking for a gender-fluid one. And why would anyone get their panties in a knot (as Black would say) if Target sells them? Or Pride-themed merchandise? But clearly, people did. Which makes us ask … why should Target have such a difficult time supporting their LGBTQ+ (there are variations of this acronym) customers? And, more importantly, why can’t we let people celebrate who they are without facing a backlash of prejudice and violence?!
Rainbows are beautiful and suggest something magical. But during Pride Month, they also become a symbol of love, support, and understanding for the LGBTQ community.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Until yesterday, when Black explained it to her, Red, like many people, didn't realize that Pride Month evolved from a tragic event, the Stonewall Uprising, into both a tribute and a memorial before it became a worldwide celebration of the LGBTQ community.
In fact, Red believes that if she hadn't pursued a theater degree at college, she might have gone decades without getting to know someone that was gay. However, looking back, she's sure that she had high school classmates who would later be able to identify themselves as LGBTQ, but back then had to keep it a secret in fear of being bullied, ostracized, or possibly even disowned by their families.
I was a freshman at Wake Forest University, a Baptist school in North Carolina in 1980, so not someplace you would expect to find an outwardly gay person. However, I spent almost all of my time at the theater department, which is where I first met "Bryan." You couldn't help but become friends with him because he was so incredibly funny and talented. But there was something else about him, and although initially I couldn't quite put my finger on it, I soon realized that he was gay. I had grown up sheltered (that's an understatement) in a neighborhood that was almost exclusively Jews and Italians, and now was at a school that was even more "white bread" than that, but my only thought was, "Ok, cool, now I know a gay person."
Black, being five years older and having gone to school in New York City and then London, was more worldly than Red (that's not saying much), not to mention she tended to date much more than Red did.
I was at London Business School, and this was 1978, back when private clubs and discos (like Tramp's and Annabel's) were all the rage. One of the other Americans, Bob, a very handsome Black man, invited me to go clubbing with him. I got all dressed up for a night on the town, and the minute we walked into the first club, I felt like a kid in a candy store – it was filled with incredibly good-looking men, and I seemed to be one of the few women. The odds were in my favor. But then, the penny dropped, and I asked Bob if this was a gay club. It was, and I think it was his way of letting me know he was gay (or maybe he thought I already knew), but I thought it cruel. It was like being in that candy store, but being told you can look, but you cannot touch.
As Baby Boomers, our opinions and attitudes toward LGBTQ were influenced by our first encounters, so we saw them as people who merely had different sexual preferences. Full stop. Red's daughters, who are 18 and 22, laugh at the fact their mom and aunt can remember their "first time" as so many of their friends are LGBTQ. No big deal.
So, what can we each do to celebrate Pride Month and show our support? Of course, Red loves the idea of cooking, watching movies, and reading books, while Black knows there are many highly effective workplace activities. But what's most important is finding a way to commemorate and bring awareness to a population that includes our families, our friends, our neighbors, our communities.
No matter what holiday you may celebrate, Red can’t help but quote a line from one of her favorite Christmas songs, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight.”
And Black can’t help but point out that the song wasn’t introduced in a Christmas movie but in the movie "Meet Me In St. Louis."
Wishing you a merry everything and a happy always!