The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby ran this past Saturday and once again we were treated to a slice of all our country has to offer. The pursuit of excellence horse breeding style has resulted in a point where every horse starting the race has bloodlines tracing back to Native Dancer a champion who won 21 of 22 races failing only in the 1953 Derby. Big Brown beat Eight Belles, the only filly in the race who then fractured both front ankles and had to be put down while still on the track. The filly was the second recent Derby standout to suffer this fate, after Barbaro, the 2006 champion, had to be put down after suffering a leg injury at the 2006 Preakness Stakes. And while this story is obviously tragic there was another story on display at this years Derby. It is the story of Gayego, which placed a mere 17th in the field of 20 horses. Gayego's trip around the track at Churchill Downs is the story of another dream come true – the American dream. His owners, Carlos Juelle and Jose Prieto, are former Cuban dissidents who escaped Fidel Castro's dictatorship and now live in California. Mr. Juelle and Dr. Prieto both spent time in Castro's prisons before fleeing in the 1970s, first to Spain and then the U.S. According to news reports, Mr. Juelle lost his job as an accountant and endured 21 months in a labor camp after speaking out against the regime. Dr. Prieto, a physician, was sentenced to death by firing squad for giving medical aid to wounded freedom fighters. His sentence was later commuted to five years in prison, thanks to the intervention of a relative. The two men met in California in the 1980s. They bought Gayego in 2006 for $32,000. Minutes before the race began, the former political prisoners were interviewed by a reporter for NBC. What are the values represented in your story, they were asked. "God and freedom," replied Dr. Prieto. The Miami Herald quoted him as rejoicing in his journey from "jail to heaven." Congratulations Mr. Juelle and Dr. Prieto. Priceless.