Today feels like perfect riding weather, before the heat, before the deer flies. It is the Maryland Hunt Cup day, 4 miles of the most grueling timber, the most difficult horse race in the world, other than perhaps the Tevis Cup (100 mile endurance race) - England's Grand National is about the same test of a horse. It is also a week out from the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of Triple Crown-the Stanley Cup of horseracing. Actually it is more like the Iron Man triathalon. The Derby is 1 1/8 miles- nice distance, the second leg is the Preakness, 1 1/16 miles - which favors speed horses, which is why running on the rail and breaking out of gate really well has upset so many times, the third leg is Belmont , at 1 1/2 miles. Separates the real thing from the flashes of brilliance. It is really difficult to run three races in 5 weeks, at these distances. A fresh horse, that runs long, can almost always upset in the Belmont. Triple Crown runners are very rare indeed. I am going to a lowly little hunter pace today, which is about 4 miles ( same as Hunt Cup), over about 30 little logs and jumps ( little more than Hunt Cup, but these are only 2 or 2 1/2 feet, not 6 feet tall! And I will have a tremendously fun day. I won't win $75,000 or get a huge silver trophy, but I will feel accomplished and fit and alive and that's all I need. Watch these races if you can - these horses are the best of the best.
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