Hooves will pound and dust will fly as 20 horses burst from the gates at the Kentucky Derby this Saturday. But another race of sorts is now in full swing, one that’s already a crowded field with 17 contenders and more on the sidelines pondering a run.
And they’re off!
So far 10 Republicans and seven Democrats have officially filed a bid for the presidency. And in the last two weeks, both parties have held their first presidential debates, officially kick-starting campaign season. A lot of folks in suits talking about the issues :)
The contenders
Off the top of your head, you can probably name five or six: Democrats Clinton, Edwards and Obama, and Republicans Giuliani, McCain, and perhaps Romney.
But there’s a former Secretary of Health (under Bush): Tommy Thompson; a long-time Senator from Delaware: Joseph Biden; and a previous contender: Dennis Kucinich, who has called for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney (we talked about this last week). Then there’s a host of Congressmen and a former governor or two whose names you may never know!
Now back to Derby
It’s the 133rd run of the Kentucky Derby, which has been held since 1875. Last year’s winner, the beloved, mighty Barbaro won’t be there, but he’s still close to horse lovers’ hearts—one paid $22,222 this week for a mint julep cup in his honor. (NBC is airing a documentary Friday night on Barbaro.)
Potentially, he won’t be far from the winner’s mind either. Yum Brands! (they own Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silvers) is offering the “Yumfecta,” a bonus prize of $1 million to a winner that beats Barbaro’s winning 6 ½ length margin. That’s on top of the $1.24 million purse for the winner (total is $2 million).
The big picture
In many ways the presidential race is like a horse race. Ok, they’re people not horses… But a lot of time, money and energy goes into grooming the perfect contender, with little races along the way that all lead up to the final moment that really counts. There’s pre-election buzz and jitters. Bets are placed. And as we saw so tragically with Barbaro, one small misstep can change a fortune forever. With the first presidential primary still nine months away, there’s likely to be a few of those.
Now go put on a hat and have a mint julep!
