Horses ran in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs this earlier this month, on the first Saturday in May, as it has for the last 133 years. But this year, for the first time in many years, the Derby was run without one of its biggest fans -- McCook's Flora Dutcher, age 100, passed away just days before the occurrence of one of her favorite events.

Flora was a dedicated "Scrapbooker." Her books, faithfully tended over many years, make up a very entertaining history of McCook, McCook College, and the Baptist Church. But a prominent section of each year's book is devoted to the Kentucky Derby, a fact, which surprised me greatly recently when I was privileged to inspect her treasured volumes. When I expressed my surprise with the questions, "Have you been to the Kentucky Derby?" and "Do you bet on the races?" Flora laughed heartily, saying, "Oh, my no. I just love horses, and those thoroughbreds are such beautiful creatures, and the Kentucky Derby is such an unbelievable spectacle that I just naturally got interested in the Derby years ago, and have followed it ever since."

So, as a little tribute to Flora, I took it upon myself to find out a little more about the Kentucky Derby. She was right. It is an unbelievable event -- and a real part of our American culture.

I think it is probably correct that most people, outside horse breeders and gamblers, are not that interested in horse racing, "The Sport of Kings." But if there is only one horse race a year that they follow, it is probably the Kentucky Derby, "The Run for the Roses," "The most exciting two minutes in sports."

Nebraska used to be something of a horse racing Mecca. Even McCook hosted horse races on a regular basis. However, in McCook the sport of choice was Harness Racing, thanks primarily to the efforts of one man -- Elmer Kay, the secretary and manager of the Red Willow County Association, but whose "day job" was Clerk of the District Court, a position he held for over 30 years. His love of horses and racing led him into the breeding and training of many excellent harness horses, which made him quite famous in racing circles throughout the Midwest.

In thoroughbred racing, Nebraska at one time had fine pari-mutuel betting tracks at Madison, Columbus, Grand Island, Lincoln, South Sioux City, and of course, Aksarban, in Omaha, which was a favored stop on the racing circuit. Sadly, all but Lincoln and Grand Island have ceased to exist.

The Kentucky Derby probably owes its existence to Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., who was the grandson of the great western explorer, William Clark. In 1872 he visited the great race courses in England and France, and was so taken with big time racing that he came home to Louisville, Kentucky and organized the Louisville Jockey Club, with the idea of promoting races in this country. Two of his early backers in this endeavor were John and Henry Churchill, who donated a portion of their farm, just outside Louisville, for a location for the new race track. In gratitude for the gift, the committee named the new track Churchill Downs, in their honor.

The first race, in 1875, consisted of a field of 15 horses, all 3-year olds, and was run over a distance of 1 ½ miles, in front of a crowd of over 10,000 people, as contrasted to the 150,000 who watch the race today. (In 1896 the race distance was changed to 1 ¼ miles, which is the race's distance still today.) The first winner was a horse named Aristedes, and the jockey was an African-American by the name of Oliver Lewis. (13 of the 15 jockeys that day were African/Americans.)

Over the next quarter of a century, with horse lovers and breeders running the track, things went along quite well, except for the fact that the Derby was constantly short of money, sometimes direly so. In 1902 a syndicate of mostly Louisville businessmen, under the leadership of Col. Matt Winn acquired the track and put it on sound financial footing, and since that time the track, while not always making a lot of money has thrived, even through the depths of the 30s, leading to the Kentucky Derby's distinction as the Premier Race Track in America.

After a few years, with the idea of compounding the winnings, owners began to take their Derby winners to Baltimore, to run in the Preakness Stakes race at Pimlico Race Track, and the Belmont Stakes Race at Elmont, N.Y., which were some weeks later. In 1919, the horse, Sir Barton became the first horse to win "The Triple Crown."

Dates of some interest: In 1952 there was TV coverage of the race for the first time, which has greatly added to the Derby's success, and increased purses.

In 1954 the winner's purse totaled $100,000 for the first time.

The course record was set in 1973, by Secretariat, in 1 min. 59 2/5ths seconds.

In 1935 the horse named Omaha won the Derby.

In 1949 the winner, Ponder, was ridden by Steve Brooks from Culbertson.

The Kentucky Derby has developed its own traditions, which are almost sacred. Parts of this tradition are the food and drink. Mint Juleps are very popular, made with crushed mint leaves, bourbon and sugar syrup, and served in an ice crusted silver cup. (Though many now prefer their julep in a souvenir glass.) Burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables is almost a must while at the track.

The general admission seats are located inside the track, where your chances of seeing the race are slim, but one becomes a part of a gigantic party. (The party goers don't, complain. As one told me, "There are TV sets all over."---almost like watching the race in McCook.) At the other extreme, is "Millionaires' Row", the box seats for the rich and famous, where all the women wear large elaborate hats, which provide shade for the wearer, but obscure the view for many.

The horses parade before the grandstand prior to the race to the Louisville U. Marching Band's playing of Stephen Foster's My Old Kentucky Home."

The name, "The Run for the Roses" came about in 1883, when the Kentucky Governor awarded a blanket of 554 roses to the winner -- an ongoing tradition.

There is one down-side to the Derby and thoroughbred racing generally. This was an aspect that Flora Dutcher deplored, saying, "They are fine tuning the breeding of those horses for big hearts and spindly legs, and they are going too far!" She was very sad when she talked about Barbaro, who won the 2006 Derby, then broke a leg two weeks later at the Preakness. Despite heroic efforts of horsemen throughout the US and Europe, who pooled their expertise and employed ingenious methods to keep the horse upright, a year later the owners were forced to euthanize the great champion.

This was a part of horse racing that was hard for Flora to take. It was just as well that she did not have to follow the story of the filly, Eight Belles, who finished 2nd to Big Brown in the 2008 Kentucky, then, before she had come to a complete stop, crumpled to the ground -- both her front ankles broken.

A shield was hastily thrown up, to save spectators from having to watch the stricken filly, as she thrashed upon the ground. She was euthanized immediately.