Kentucky Oaks To Remember

As Kentucky Derby is at hand, it is easy to forget about the Kentucky Oaks and the filly who won the race but this year's running will leave an indelible memory.

Former Kentucky Governor Brereton Jones has been involved in Horse Racing for a number of years and had a great deal of success. Recently he has started to name horses after getting requests from employees at one of his favorite hotels in Florida. 

Kentucky Oaks winner Lovely Maria was named after a young lady in Florida with several disabilities after a request was to made to Governor Jones by an employee. The story seemed difficult to tell and even forced 56-year-old winning jockey Kerwin Clark to fight back tears when the story was mentioned.

In addition to the nice gesture than Gov. Jones made, trainer Larry Jones is just over a year removed from falling off a horse and lapsing into a coma. The doctors thought he would need brain surgery but it turned out the bleed in his brain has miraculously stopped and he left the hospital a few days later.

Fast forward to just over a year later, and Jones is not just back to his old self and winning a good deal of races, he captured two major Grade 1's in the past month - The Ashland at Keeneland and now the Oaks.

And finally there is Clark, the journeyman jockey who never really mad it big in 40 years in riding. But in the span of a month, he won two major races and simply said on Friday. "This is the best day of my life."

 

So this year's Kentucky Oaks turned out to be a memorable event with three unique stories that carry on the memory of this running for many years to come.