The Run for the Roses
Thursday, May 15, 2025
“It is a base thing to call yourself Christ’s horse and yet carry the devil’s saddle.” – C.H. Spurgeon
On Saturday, May 3rd, Deanna and I watched the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby. No, not from a private box (or even the grandstands) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, but from the comfort of our living room sofa. After all, tickets to the Kentucky Derby are the second hardest ones to get in the entire sports world.
In case you’re wondering, the most difficult ticket to acquire is for the Masters tournament at Augusta National. Each year, I sign up for the free online lottery and if your name is drawn, you have the privilege of purchasing up to four tickets for each round, including the practice rounds. But so far, no dice.
Anyway, back to the famous “Run for the Roses”…
Our family conducts a contest in which each adult picks two horses from the field. If your horse wins, Papa awards you a $20 Chick-fil-A gift card. It used to be a KFC gift card because of the Kentucky connection, but everyone seems to prefer CFA.
In any case, one of my horses, Sovereignty, won… and so, I guess Deanna and I will be eating at CFA sometime soon. What made the victory even sweeter was that the jockey, Junior Alvarado, 38, of Venezuela, gave God all the glory in his post-race interview.
“I’ve got to thank my Lord Jesus for giving me this Kentucky Derby win,” Alvarado said just seconds after crossing the finish line. “It was Him and Sovereignty that got me all the way to the wire. It means the world to me.”
Alvarado also praised God and gave Him the credit in a second live interview after the trophy presentation. “Thanks to God for putting me in this place today.” he told the reporter.
Sadly, Alvarado’s victory was slightly tarnished when it was later revealed that he had broken the track’s rules by using his whip more than the allotted six times (in his excitement, he struck Sovereignty eight times coming down the stretch). As a result, Alvarado was fined more than $60,000 and suspended for two racing days.
I guess that goes to show that even the most dedicated Christian falls short of God’s standard of perfection, which is exactly why we need a Savior.
“For all have sinned, and come fall of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
