[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 91 (Thursday, May 14, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2445-S2446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as spring begins to give way to summer, 
there is a singular tradition that unites everyone from across my home 
State. Even after particularly contentious college basketball seasons, 
Kentuckians of all backgrounds can look with pride to the Twin Spires 
of Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. Since 1875, the pride of 
Louisville has been inextricably linked to the ``Most Exciting Two 
Minutes in Sports.''
  This year, however, fans couldn't gather at the Grandstands, the 
infield, or at a Derby Party. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the 
daily lives of nearly every American. Even our most sacred traditions 
have been put on hold as we follow the advice of medical experts to 
slow the spread of this terrible virus. As a result, the Kentucky Derby 
has been postponed for the first time since the Second World War. The 
146th Run for the Roses will instead take place over Labor Day weekend 
in September.
  Jerry Brewer, a Kentucky native and Washington Post sports writer, 
put into words the sense of longing felt by so many Kentuckians. In a 
wonderful column published on what would have

[[Page S2446]]

been Derby weekend, Jerry shared both his personal reflections and our 
shared emotions. In Louisville, the Derby is more than a single race. 
Kentuckians spend the weeks before celebrating our people and our 
heritage. I am grateful that someone with such eloquence could describe 
Kentucky's Derby passion.
  That is not to say horseracing fans weren't treated to a race on May 
2. Instead of hosting the world's most anticipated horse race, 
Churchill Downs created a virtual running of Triple Crown winners. In a 
match of some of horseracing's biggest names, Secretariat--one of the 
greatest horses to ever run--completed an all-star victory.
  Although a lot will be different about the Labor Day Derby, so much 
of what makes the Kentucky Derby special will remain the same. Whether 
at the track or watching from home, fans will still get to sip a mint 
julep filled with Kentucky's signature spirit. Longtime residents and 
first-time visitors alike will feel the sentimental tug as they sing 
``My Old Kentucky Home.'' And the thundering hooves of thoroughbreds 
will echo in the ears of millions.
  The postponement is certainly a disappointment, but I would encourage 
my fellow Kentuckians not to despair. Our traditions are rooted deeply 
in the Bluegrass. We will beat this virus, and Kentucky will get the 
chance to shine once again. Like the champions whose names surround 
Churchill Downs, Kentucky has the strength and grit to overcome any 
obstacle and cross the finish line.
  We may not have a 146th Kentucky Derby champion for a few more 
months, but I think Jerry Brewer would agree, it is worth the wait.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Jerry Brewer's article be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Washington Post, May 1, 2020]

            On Derby-Less Weekend, Missing My Kentucky Home

                           (By Jerry Brewer)

       A Kentuckian's most humbling Kentucky Derby story: About 15 
     years ago, I hosted Washington Post colleague Rick Maese, 
     then with the Baltimore Sun, for his first Run for the Roses. 
     Picked him up from the airport. Bought us tickets to a 
     concert that week featuring Common and the Roots. Probably 
     had a mint julep and slice of Derby pie waiting in the 
     cupholder. I was thrilled to show him Louisville at its 
     proudest time.
       On the drive to my apartment, Rick looked out the window 
     and saw a man who was walking clumsily, perhaps drunkenly, 
     while pulling a dog that was missing a leg. The scene was 
     cruel, heartbreaking, ridiculous. It was Rick's first 
     impression of my state.
       And that's usually how we are: Mostly rural, largely odd 
     and shockingly complicated. Our long-standing problems with 
     big issues such as race and education are well documented. 
     We're weird. We see blue in grass. We love basketball more 
     than we love people. We are known for keeping it real hick, 
     and as much as we despise that stereotype, part of us plays 
     along because it helps the beauty of Kentucky remain a 
     secret, never to be swarmed and overtaken by careless 
     outsiders.
       But during Derby week, that mentality shifts. We want to 
     shine. Louisville--the only city in the state that feels like 
     a big city (when it actually claims its relationship to 
     Kentucky)--becomes the most gracious host that any sporting 
     event has ever had. Don't challenge me on that; I can wield a 
     mean pitchfork. When it comes to tailoring every inch of an 
     area to ensure an unforgettable experience for all visitors, 
     Louisville rolls out a red carpet and throws rose petals at 
     your feet.
       Rick shook off that weird introduction and loved his first 
     Derby experience. He has been back several times. When I 
     started dating my wife seriously, I took her to the Derby; 
     meeting the entire family was a mere afterthought. As a 
     Paducah native who lived in Louisville for several years, 
     there is no greater personal holiday than the first Saturday 
     in May. And so, as the novel coronavirus pandemic keeps us in 
     isolation, there is no stronger sense of loss for me than 
     what I'm experiencing right now.
       I have attended 11 Derbies. I have partied during the Derby 
     for just about all 42 of my years. My childhood memories are 
     full of gatherings at my grandparents' house in east 
     Louisville, where the scent of mint was more welcome than 
     pine at Christmastime. My adult memories are even better, 
     from trying to cover the event as poetically as the 
     sportswriting legends I grew up reading to, well, acting a 
     fool in the infield during my college days.
       Even in Kentucky, with its beautiful rolling hills and 
     horse farms, this is a niche sport. Everyone is a Kentucky 
     Derby fan, though. Our connection to this event is a very 
     powerful and emotional thing.
       Derby week is so grand, and we delight in sharing all of 
     the festivities with the world while fighting to keep the 
     Kentucky Oaks--the illustrious Grade I stakes race for 3-
     year-old fillies held the day before the Derby--a more local 
     event. But over the past 20 years, even the Oaks crowd has 
     surpassed 100,000 with regularity.
       Still, the fancy affair turns intimate when ``My Old 
     Kentucky Home'' plays before the Derby. We wait all year just 
     to feel alive and relevant in that moment. Soon after, the 
     most anticipated two minutes in sports conclude, and before 
     you know it, the time to clean up and plan anew has arrived.
       I like the fleeting nature of this joy. The Derby is our 
     cherry blossom. Wait, wait, wait, revel. Go back to waiting. 
     It's deflating to know the wait will be much longer this 
     time.
       The 146th Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled for Sept. 5. 
     Churchill Downs announced Thursday that its spring meet will 
     open May 16. Fans won't be able to attend, but the plan is to 
     start racing again. There's something even emptier about the 
     thought of horses competing in a bubble than human athletes.
       And who knows if even that is safe enough? Everything about 
     the resumption of normalcy comes back to this: We are at the 
     mercy of a virus that we are still trying to understand. So 
     the odds of this Derby really being the Derby in September--
     with 150,000 fans flaunting their style, understanding of 
     color and taste in hats--seem long. If it happens, it may 
     play decently on television, but it won't be the same.
       To me, the Kentucky Derby is a homecoming with a paisley 
     bow tie wrapped around it. We get the floor, and we make it 
     the most majestic floor you have ever seen. Home can be 
     cringeworthy, but it's also swanky and magnificent. We clean 
     up good for y'all, but mostly we clean up good for us.

                          ____________________