A Respite in Derby Fever for Non-Crustaceans

Last Saturday was Dollar Day at Lone Star Park, where a throng of over 16,000 people stood in lines for beers, hot dogs, wagers, and bathrooms. And of course, next Saturday is Derby Day, where there is sure to be another, if not larger, horde of people. So, in an attempt to throw a lifeline to pari-mutuel clerks, beer vendors, the industrious janitorial staff, and the multitudes of harried handicappers, Lone Star Park is offering up a rather modest race card tomorrow. But wait! Should that give you cause to stay home and clean out your garage? Emphatically, NO!! Because tomorrow is Chef Jake's Cajun Crawfish Boil!

Now, I'm sure many of you are thinking, "What can possibly be the relationship of crawfish (or 'crayfish' for all you Yankees) and racing?" Well, interestingly enough, there are are numerous similarities between crawfish and racing, many of which remain unrecorded because Boudreaux couldn't find a pencil. However, it was reported that back in 1972, at the second annual Cajun Festival in Port Arthur, Texas, that a crawfish named Speed LeFloor won the Commissioners Sweepstakes Crawfish Race, setting a lively pace and going away handily. Speed LeFloor was immediately purchased for $1,000 by Henry Monte Jr. and turned out for stud.

Betcha you haven't read that one on Colin's Ghost.


Oh, and speaking of racing Cajuns, it's noteworthy that one of horse racing's favorite Cajuns, Calvin Borel, has secured a mount for next weekend's Kentucky Derby: Sunland Derby winner, Twice The Appeal. As they say, "It's déjà vu all over again".