WHO ARE THEY KIDDING?

Look, we know there are a bunch of these big steeplechase races here in Virginia. In fact, after college football and NASCAR racing, steeplechase racing is the third biggest spectator sport here in the Commonwealth.

So, of course, each event is going to think their event is the best.

Those other events? They would be wrong.

One thing is for sure, they're all different. Foxfield has a big college crowd. The Middleburg Races are typically host to an older more sophisticated crowd. The Strawberry Hill lot is a bit of a mixed bag, and last weekend it appeared the crowd was trying to compete with the Virginia Gold Cup.

The gig had a Casablanca theme. That tells you something right off the bat. The theme for the Gold Cup is Gold Cup. It's the same theme every year in that "ain't broke, don't fix it" sort of way. To paraphrase Pancho Villa, "We don't need no stinkin' theme!"

Who are they kidding? StrawHill is a nice race meet and a good party, but the Gold Cup it mostly surely is not. Stick to what you do best, which, unfortunately of late, seems to be coping with rainy weather and leave the granddaddy of 'em all to be...well...just that - the biggest and best steeplechase, outdoor cocktail party/picnic, one-day sporting event in the Commonwealth.

Period. End of conversation.

As we are fond of saying around here, it is what it is.