In Case You Missed It - Indianapolis 500

Today was the Centennial Anniversary running of the Greatest Spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500.

True to tradition nothing is easy at the brickyard.   JR Hildebrand, a rookie, was leading and going into turn 4 to take the checkered flag, he passed a slower car and got to high in the turn and smacked the wall.  As he was sliding down the front stretch and trying to coax the car to the victory, former 500 winner Dan Wheldon whizzed by to take a stunning victory in his first race in the 2011 season.

Gunsmoke - Smoking Out the Nolans

Season 1 Episode 7  aired 11/05/1955


originally aired on radio as "Smoking Out the Beedles" 11/06/1954

Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops is where we take a look at the top 5 singles on one of the major charts.
This week its the Billboard Hot 100 for May 22nd 1976

5 - Get Up and Boogie -  Silver Convention


4 - Boogie Fever - The Sylvers


3 - Fooled Around and Fell in Love - Elvin Bishop


2 - Love Hangover - Diana Ross


1 - Silly Love Songs - Wings
(1 week at #1)

The Preakness Stakes - 2011

Saturday May 21st was the 136th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Park in Baltimore Maryland.


The favorite was Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom.


He gave it a great effort but came up short to my Derby pick Shackelford.

New York Times Bestseller List (Non Fiction) May 2011

Here is the NY Times Bestseller List for Non Fiction for May 22nd 2011

1 - BossyPants - Tina Fey (5 weeks on list)

2 - Does the Noise in My Head Bother You - Steven Tyler (Debut)

3 - Stories I Only Tell My Friends - Rob Lowe (2 weeks on list)

4 - If You Ask Me - Betty White (Debut)

5 - She Walks in Beauty - Caroline Kennedy (4 weeks on list)

New York Times Bestseller List (Fiction) May 2011

Here are the Top 5 Bestsellers on the NY Times Fiction list for May 22nd 2011

1 - Dead Reckoning - Charlaine Harris (Debut)
11th novel of the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse

2 - 10th Anniversary - James Patterson (Debut)
Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women’s Murder Club race to find a missing baby.
3 - The Sixth Man - David Baldacci (3 weeks on list)
The lawyer for an alleged serial killer is murdered, and two former Secret Service agents are on the case.
4 - Sixkill - Robert B Parker (Debut)
 In the final Spenser novel, a woman dies in an actor’s hotel room.
5 - The Land of Painted Caves - Jean Auel (6 weeks on list)
The latest volume in a series that began with “The Clan of the Cave Bear,” set during the ice age.

Kentucky Derby - 2011

Here is this years great Kentucky Derby (the 137th) which was won by Animal Kingdom.

HRTV's Iniside Information "Seatle Slew Promo"

2000 Kentucky Derby

The 2000 Kentucky Derby was unique in the fact the it was the first time since 1979 that the pre race betting favorite won the race.   Fusaichi Pegasus was the morning favorite and stayed that way and when he made the home stretch dash to capture the roses he was the first favorite since Spectacular Bid to win as favorite.

The Jack Benny Show (radio)

From 1955 here is a rare rehearsal tape of the Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.   This episode has guest Bob Hope.

Kentucky Derby - 1968

The 1968 race was won by Dancer's Image (pictured above) but he was disqualified to last place after traces of phenylbutazone were discovered in the mandatory post-race urinalysis.  Phenylbutazone is a drug that was commonly give to relieve inflammation in the horse's joints.  It is legal at many tracks but not at Churchill Downs.  A post race appeal was filed and the race awarded to 2nd place finisher Forward Pass.

here is a video from the author of the recent book : 

Dancer's Image: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby 

Here is a montage of Kentucky Derby Winners from 1968 (Dancer's Image) to 1986 (Ferdinand)

Kentucky Derby - 1984

The Kentucky Derby for 1984 saw Swale, the son of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, win the Derby going away from the field.   He would finish 7th in the Preakness but come back to win the longest of the Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes.
Sadly, Swale would collapse and die in June of 1984, just 8 days after his Belmont win.   He was posthumously awarded the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3 Year Old Male Horse.

1953 Kentucky Derby

Today in 1953 the heavily favored and legendary Native Dancer, known as the Gray Ghost, was upset by the unheralded Dark Star, who nipped him at the finish.  This was the only defeat for Native Dancer, who won the Eclipse Award for 2 year old horse of the Year for 1952.  After the Derby, Native Dancer would not lose again and won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes and then won the Eclipse Award for Champion 3 yr old Colt for 1953 and then Horse of the Year in 1954.   Sadly, Dark Star would finish 5th in the Preakness and did not run in the Belmont due to a ligament injury suffered during the Preakness run.

In Case You Missed It

As you know this coming Saturday May 7th is the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the US Horse racing Triple Crown.  In case you missed yesterday April 30th was the 2000 Guineas, which is the first leg in the British racing triple crown.  Held at the Rowley Mile in New Market England, this is a 1 mile flat track race with no turns and has been held since 1809.
This years winner, Frankel,  won going away is a strong fashion.  Sadly the trainer, Henry Cecil, has said that Frankel is not headed for the 2nd leg, the legendary Epsom Derby, which will Saturday June 4th.