Hats and horse racing

The Kentucky Derby excites even the horse-race ignorant, non-gambling sort of viewer, such as I am.  " The Kentucky Derby's about to start!" Jimmy called from the living room, so I ambled in, clueless about any of the horses, jockeys, trainers...anything.

"And they're OFF!'' They thundered out of the gate, hooves pounding and slinging mud over the rain-sodden track, the leaders streaking ahead of the pack of laggards. One of the laggards was Orb, the favorite, who hung back, maybe not dead last for the first half of the race, but close to it.

Then he made his move: one by one, he began gaining ground on the other horses, and right at the end, he surged ahead to win.

 It does get your adrenaline going. 

Edgar Degas, French, Racehorses at Longchamp, 1873

But I REALLY enjoy looking at all the hats. :)

Henri Matisse, French, Woman in a Hat, 1905