H is for the Horsies.

In honor of the 2008 Derby, here's the last installment of the Fitted Hawaii U of H custom line. White front panel, green back, with a silver H in black outline. While Fitted isn't putting a complete kibosh on UH caps, they will be toning down those creative juices and focus on solids and more tonal/traditional colors. FedEx should be ringing the bell shortly with the goods.



So the 134th Kentucky Derby passed, and while it provided some great highs, it also delivered a crushing blow with the euthanization of the lone Filly, Eight Belles. I was rooting for her to stage an upset over the highly favored Big Brown, and her 2nd place finish was extremely impressive. It's one thing if she injured herself during the race- chalk it up to the game, but to run a great race and then break down while coming to a halt is an absolute misfortune. The National Thoroughbred Racing Assn. doesn't publicize the statistics of injuries that lead to euthanization, but it's a much more common event than the casual horse racing enthusiast is aware of. I've read one horse per thousand meets their fate this way, and it might even be higher. Fillies also appear to be more vulnerable to injury than colts and that's evident by their limited participation over the years. The 134th Derby was just the 39th race in which a Filly ran, and including this year's, the ladies have placed in the top 3 only 10 times, getting gold only 3 times, most recently Winning Colors in 1988.

Maybe Big Brown can be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed, which accomplished the great feat in 1978- 30 years ago. The hype says he has the potential. Anything can happen. The Preakness which goes down on 5/17 is the shortest of the triple crowns, followed by the mile and a half Belmont Stakes on June 7, the longest of the 3. I was a little disappointed when I learned that Big Brown was named for UPS, a part owner of the horse. I just thought he was big and brown.