The Stiff in the Stable

Before I begin, let me state that I mean no disrespect to the dead man nor do I mean to make light of a tragic situation.  The issue is that authorities can lie right in your face and the press reports it without any question.

Mario Gutierrez on I’ll Have Another

Yesterday was the Kentucky Derby.  It was won by a jockey named Mario Gutierrez on el Cinco de Mayo, which is kind of synchronistical and cool, on a horse named “I’ll Have Another.”  Why do they have to give horses names like that, anyway.  When was the last time you had a serious race horse with a normal sounding horse name, like Lucy or Ranger?

But, the next day the police were called because there was a dead body at the back of one of the stables.  Police say there is definitely evidence of a struggle and its being investigated as a homicide.  Then there’s this:

“At this point we don’t have anything pointing to the fact that this had any association with Churchill Downs or the Derby itself,” said Alicia Smiley, spokeswoman for Louisville Metro Police. “We are still investigating at the stables and at the barn.”

Get real.  The man’s body was found at the back of a stable, at Churchill Downs, which I’d say has a pretty solid association with Churchill Downs.  And seeing as that is the home of the Kentucky Derby, it has plenty to do with the Kentucky Derby.  That’s not the same as blaming them.

It might have had nothing at all to do with huge money wagers.  Maybe it was a fight between two homeless men.  Perhaps it was your every day, run of the mill, drug deal gone bad like you see in all of the cop shows on TV.  Maybe, maybe, maybe.  Where is Dick Francis when you need him?