I was born and raised in Louisville KY--the home of the Kentucky Derby, and a town that takes its Thoroughbred racing seriously. I had the great fortune to be born into a family of race-goers (surprisingly enough, not everyone in Louisville enjoys racing...go figure?) and when I was 11, I was handed my first copy of the Thoroughbred Record. That was during Secretariat's 2-year-old season...jeez, how can ya NOT get hooked? *grin*

My first trip to the racetrack was a special treat...we toured Darby Dan Farm first, then went to Keeneland. My grandmother and great-uncle taught me how to read a racing form and showed me how to place bets. I had a blast and Thoroughbred racing became the biggest thing in my life from that day on. Secretariat's 3-year-old season was the icing on the cake...*smile*

I lived and breathed horses. By the time I was 14, I had decided to become a professional jockey (of course, when I was 14 I was 4'11" and weighed 93 lbs.; let's just say "jockey" is no longer an option for me). Other teenage girls subscribed to magazines like Young Miss and Seventeen; I subscribed to the Thoroughbred Record. I never attended the Kentucky Derby; rumor had it that most people who went never got to see a horse. I prefered to stay home and watch the all-day coverage on TV. Mom and I would make a day of it, placing imaginary bets and trying to pick the top 4 finishers in the Big Race.