BY THE NUMB3RS Batters faced and retired by Oldham County High School softball pitcher Jessica Theiss on May 15, 1999 for a perfect game in a 10-0 win over Sen- eca. Before the game, the Lady Colonels’ fi eld was dedicated to longtime caretaker Charles Prather. 18 A7 The Oldham Era SPORTS Thursday, April 19, 2012 COLUMN Derby bound as embed in owners’ suite LEXINGTON — Sitting in my car out- side race course in Lexington late Saturday morning, I worried the day would be a disaster. Rain poured and I didn’t have a rain coat. But by the end of the day, I experi- enced one of the most exciting days of my life. I took in a day of luxury and a chance meeting with the owners of one of an early favorite. But judging by the dark, overcast sky that morning, it seemed a long shot. I’d been invited to cover the Bluegrass Stakes from JASON STAMM/THE OLDHAM ERA the suite Jockey celebrates after Dullahan came from behind to win the Bluegrass Stakes Saturday at Keeneland race course in Lexington. occupied by the owners of Dullahan, a JASON STAMM thoroughbred Grand Stamm trained by at his facility off Liberty Lane in Goshen. As the rain continued to fall, I hadn’t made contact with the horse’s principal Oldham horse owner, Jerry Crawford, a Des Moines, Iowa lawyer. I trudged the quarter-mile from the field made into a parking lot, to the grandstand. Though I had an umbrella, my left, brown dress shoe had a hole somewhere in it and my foot was soggy. After picking up my press pass, I takes Bluegrass headed to the fourth-floor press box, then back down to the paddock when the rain subsided an hour later. Finally, I made contact with Crawford, Dullahan a favorite for Kentucky Derby after Saturday win who invited me to a corporate suite. I was held by security at the entrance BY JASON STAMM ning with others. of the suites for not being attired in a SPORTS EDITOR, THE OLDHAM ERA “If they had any idea how much fun this could be and the jacket and tie, until one security guard quality this could bring to your existing friendships, they realized I was a reporter and let me in. LEXINGTON — Sitting in a corporate box Saturday after- would do it in a heartbeat,” he said. In a gray pinstripe suit and gelled noon at Keeneland race course, Jerry Crawford kept smiling Crawford is the managing partner for Des Moines, Iowa- white hair, Crawford excitedly greeted and shaking his head remembering the day he bought the based Donegal Racing, which owns Dullahan. The racing me. As he would the rest of the after- thoroughbred, Dullahan, at the same place a year and a half group consists of 20 partners who each have a share in the noon, he introduced me to everyone who earlier. horse. entered the suite, including the more Crawford paid $250,000 for Dullahan at the September All 20 partners and their families attended the race and than 20 partners of Crawford’s racing 2010 Keeneland sale and said many around him thought he’d threw gold and green Mardi Gras beads into the grandstand group, Donegal Racing, who each own a just bought a Kentucky Derby winner. afterward in celebration. share in Dullahan. “This has just been life-changing,” said Greg Yanish, a Des Crawford is one step closer to that victory. See ‘Embed,’ page A8 Dullahan, trained in Goshen by Dale Romans, came from Moines surgeon and one of the owners. “It almost makes me second-to-last in the 13-horse field to win the $750,000 want to give up being a doctor. Almost.” The day and the week leading up to the Bluegrass Stakes Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland. Dullahan, who defeated An update became interesting because of the antics of ’s owner, Oldham-bred Hansen by 1 ¼ lengths, is now considered sports of the week’s a favorite to win the run for the roses May 5 at Churchill Dr. Kendall Hansen. sports action Downs in Louisville. The white horse bred at Land O’ Goshen Farm had his across the Crawford said he wished he could share the feeling of win- shorts county. See ‘Bluegrass,’ page A9 Local residents run Boston Marathon

Local runners lined up for an unusually hot Boston Marathon Monday, finishing despite Struggle to race temperatures in the 80s. Wesley Korir, a Louisville resident and for- mer University of Louisville standout runner Soap box derby on life support to take won the men’s division in 2:12:40. Korir, 29, came from behind late in the race place in June in La Grange to win by more than 30 seconds. “I was confident that if it came down to the BY JASON STAMM wire, I would have an advantage, because SPORTS EDITOR, THE OLDHAM ERA my speed was good,” he said during a post- race press conference. Thousands of people from across the country flock to Akron, Other local runners battled the high tem- Ohio, each July to participate in the All-American Soap Box Derby race. peratures and blazing sun as well — 119 The race is the Super Bowl of a sport in which children race Kentucky runners finished the race. unpowered fiberglass cars down hills in less than 30 seconds. Madelyn Blue, 30, a teacher at St. Francis Even in Bowling Green, the event covers two days because of the JASON STAMM/THE OLDHAM ERA Goshen, finished her third Boston Marathon. hundreds of youth participants. There are nine races in Kentucky. Two soap box derby drivers race in the May, 2011 Bowling Green race. With cor- Blue said she wanted to quit at mile five but porate sponsorship, the Bowling Green race draws hundreds of participants. But the greater Louisville-area race has spun its wheels to get kept going. moving. After last year’s cancellation due to low participation, the Blue finished in 4:14:14, well off her time of race will again take place on June 9 on Eden Parkway in front of The stock division is a beginner’s level race for boys and girls 7 3:34:50 at the race last year. The Rawlings Group in La Grange. to 13. The superstock division is a more advanced level for ages But the race is struggling to exist. 10 to 17, while the master’s division is the most advanced for ages Oldham County finishers included Melissa The first All-American race took place in 1934 in Dayton, Ohio. 10-17. Christensen, 4:05:48; Naphtali Tate, Today, children race in three categories at local levels with the Oldham County High School junior Andrew Eaton raced from 3:44:34; Dannis Hughbanks, 4:18:54; Frank winners advancing to the Akron race, known as the world champi- age 7 until this year because he’s too old to race. Cupolo, 3:51:27; Brian Jones, 3:43:28, Mark onship. Eaton said he participated in two or three races around the state Schoenegge, 4:13:55; and Ellen Thimme, See ‘Struggle,’ page A8 3:49:42. Horse-jumping to nationals Prospect equestrian team sending member to New York competition

BY JASON STAMM IEA events differ from other equestrian events SPORTS EDITOR, THE OLDHAM ERA in that participants ride a different horse at each competition. Riders select a horse’s name out of a The Kentucky Derby might be known as the fast- hat and have 15 minutes to practice two jumps and est two minutes in sports. familiarize with the horse. But another horse event might be a close second Riders are judged on posture and how they ride and just as challenging. the horse during a two-minute course. Forever Green Riding Academy in Prospect, “Each horse is different,” Louisville’s Lucy home to a youth equestrian team, is sending one of Hoeppner said. “It takes a lot of strategy to figure out the best way to ride the horse.” SUBMITTED PHOTO its riders to compete Friday in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association’s hunt seat national finals Hoeppner, a 15-year-old home-schooled student Lucy Hoeppner, a member of the Forever Green Riding Academy in Prospect, in Syracuse, N.Y. poses with the horse she rode at the IEA zone finals in March in Wilmington, Ohio. See ‘Nationals,’ page A8 CONTACT US: JASON STAMM, SPORTS EDITOR, (502) 222-7183 EXT. 103, [email protected]