Agree with your kudos to NBC--I thought the entire telecast was well done and informative. I truly enjoy the insight that Jerry Bailey brings to the table, and I also believe that Laffit III is a rising star. I have always enjoyed him on HRTV, and am glad that NBC used him in their broadcasts this year.
However--in the midst of all these human interest stories (Baffert\'s heart attack, Phyllis Wyeth) no one brought up Dennis O\'Neil and his brave battle with cancer. What a great win for the O\'Neil family and a ringing endorsement for California Racing--which has been on the wane recently and certainly can use a boost.
There were so many great human interest stories this year that you almost could not go wrong with most outcomes--this one certainly is nice for Racing in so many ways--Reddam, the O\'Neil\'s, Lava Man and the young jockey are all good narratives for the game at a time when there have been so many negative stories (NYRA, Penn National, Michael Gill, pain killers, etc.)
I have loved Horse Racing since I was a young kid in the 1960\'s--the Derby is such a great and wonderful event every year, and the prep races and buildup to it never get old. You have to hope that a day like today creates new fans for a sport that badly needs as much love as possible.
