Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. was atop Mystic Dan at Churchill Downs, moving in the pack of thoroughbreds, aggressively watching, and with a plan.
The pair was on the inside on the second turn, just sitting there, going with the flow of things, waiting for a spot to open.
It did.
And Mystik Dan shot through it.
He’s not overly anything for a thoroughbred except athletic and smart. And he’s plenty of those.
Suddenly the crease was there and Hernandez and Mystik Dan poured themselves through it, and when they did, things went up a notch at the Shreveport home of Wayne and Kim Smith.
That was only a few days ago — the first Saturday in May, a pretty big day the horse racing world — and the feeling hasn’t left since the moment Kim and Wayne and two other couples, all close friends, saw with their own eyes and hearts that Mystik Dan, a sort of relative to them all, was going to make a legit run for the roses at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville.
Which he did. A photo finish champion. Winner’s Circle. Garland of roses.
Winner winner chicken dinner.
“We’re still on cloud nine at the Smith house,” Wayne said.
“The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” — and counting. Because Saturday, everything came up roses for Smith’s sister Sharilyn and her husband Brent, co-owners with a tiny group of partners of Mystik Dan, the Man and the Dan of the hour.
“Such a neat story,” said big brother Wayne. “(Sharilyn and Brent) own the mom; they bred her four years ago and now here we are, four years later, and they’ve got the winner of the 150th Kentucky Derby. Incredible.
“When I think about Brent and Sharilyn, just how humble they are and how genuine they are … they’re givers and for this to happen for them, it just makes me so proud of them and happy for them. At the end of the day, it couldn’t have happened to a better group (of owners).”
Sharilyn is a Captain Shreve High and Louisiana Tech business graduate (1989), a former Tech College of Business Distinguished Alumna of the Year and a valued member of the Dean’s Advisory Board. Wayne graduated just a few years earlier, and if his name sounds familiar, it’s because he was the Tech Basketball program’s leader in assists for more than 30 years, a four-year starter at point guard on teams that went to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and an NIT.
Those old competitive juices were flowing Saturday when Mystik Dan headed down the stretch, stride for stride with Sierra Leone and Forever Young. It doesn’t matter that the next time Wayne Smith gets on a horse will be the first time: competition is competition.
“Lot of excitement,” he said. “I thought about when we won at Lamar (in 1984) to end their (homecourt) win streak (at 80 straight) and win the (Southland Conference) tournament, and then Reunion Arena (a loss in the Regional Semi-Finals in 1985). I guess for Mystik Dan, it’s like winning the national championship.
“You can only dream of something like this happening, and when it does, you’re grateful knowing it couldn’t have happened to a better team,” he said. “The Smith Family didn’t have a lot when we were growing up; I was born June 29, 1964, and Sharilyn was born June 28, 1968. She was my birthday present back then.”
And now, little sis has given him another present. One that he can’t open, but on that can’t ever be closed, either.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
