Dead Last

 Certain images evoke specific memories.

The 152nd Run for the Roses, better known as the Kentucky Derby, took place yesterday amid the pageantry at Churchill Downs.

The event stirred fond memories of time spent with my maternal grandmother, Busha, who lived in a two-room apartment in the lower level of my parents’ house.

Busha loved watching the races. She didn’t place bets, but she always rooted for the horse whose name caught her fancy.

Today, media coverage of the event has become a production in its own right. Years ago, it was simpler - just a few backstories and the race itself.

I’ve made it a habit to watch the Derby each year (along with the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes), thinking of her as I do. Yesterday was no different.

There were plenty of storylines leading into the race, but I’ll leave those aside. They pale in comparison to the drama that unfolded.

Three horses entered as 5–1 favorites: So Happy, Renegade, and Further Ado.

This is where the story becomes one you and I can relate to in our everyday lives.

Scripture encourages us to run our race in such a way as to win:

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!” (1 Corinthians 9:24 NLT)

If we’re honest, we aspire to run that way. Yet often we find ourselves near the back of the pack or worse, in dead last.

God uses everyday moments to speak in everyday ways. Yesterday, for me, it was through a horse race.

Golden Tempo, at 23–1 odds, won the Kentucky Derby.

His trainer, Cherie DeVaux, became the first female trainer to win the Derby.

His jockey, Jose Ortiz, captured his first Derby victory after twelve attempts.

It was, in every sense, a feel-good story.

Why? What made it so compelling?

The answer is simple: adversity provides the perfect backdrop for overcoming the odds towards victory.

In a field of eighteen horses, Golden Tempo was dead last (or so they thought) early in the race.

In the post-race commentary, one analyst remarked, “This horse was in a different time zone early on.”

Another said, “Golden Tempo was so far back down the backside, you couldn’t count that far.”

A third noted “Golden Tempo’s pedigree in previous races was near last or dead last in every race.”  

Back to you and I.

As we run our own races, or as we live our lives, how often do we feel like throwing in the towel, convinced we’re running a losing race?

Probably more often than we’d like to admit.

The Father has a different plan.

We’re called to forget the past and fix our eyes on Jesus as we run the race before us.

We may feel like we’re in last place. However, as long as we don’t quit we can still run in a way that leads to winning our race.

“…let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1–2 NLT)

“…forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race…” (Philippians 3:13–14 NLT)

Maybe that’s the lesson. Never giving up might just be the key to running a successful race. You may be leading the pack or dead last – don’t quit.

In a 1941 speech at a high school, Winston Churchill said it this way:

“Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

I am including a link to the race itself to encourage you as you put one foot in front of another while you run your race. It’s worth a few minutes of your time to watch it and draw from it.

https://youtu.be/JUPIScW1umY?si=-XWNSEHvYxIDoZST