Striking It Rich
11 May 2022
The craziest upset in the last CENTURY! 80 to 1 chance of winning!
If you haven’t yet watched a replay of last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, treat yourself!
A horse named Rich Strike wasn’t even slated to run as of 30 seconds before the Friday morning entry deadline. But when Ethereal Road’s scratch opened up a slot, history awaited. Most experts weren’t surprised when the lowly Rich Strike was stuck in 17th position into the final turn. In what was the fastest quarter mile in Derby’s 148-year history, perhaps the favorites had gone out too fast. But Rich Strike struck victory in the greatest odds upset since 1913, when 91-1 long shot Donerail claimed the championship title.
Why do we love “David defeats Goliath” stories so much? How would you put it into words?
Unfortunately, many people don’t feel valued or appreciated these days, seeing themselves as Davids amid Goliaths. How cool that Rich Strike’s owner was able to see his hidden potential. With many horses sold for hundreds of thousands, Rick Dawson purchased Rich Strike for just $30,000. What an investment with Rich Strike collecting a purse payout of $1.86 million for the victory. What a metaphor for how God views each of us; maybe the world can’t see our deeper value or potential. But God does. God wants each of us in the race. God has purchased us not on the cheap but with the lavish price of Jesus’s blood. Furthermore, our heavenly Father is probably jumping and cheering for us every day like the raving crowd at Churchill Downs, as God watches us run the race of faith.
Secondly, it’s thrilling to see how many obstacles Rich Strike had to overcome in the race. At the final turn, he had 16 horses in his way! But patiently, jockey Sonny Leon, from Venezuela and racing in his first Derby ever, guided Strike through one narrow opening after another. If you watch the video clip shot from above, you’ll be amazed to see how the waters parted at times for Strike’s pathway. Time and time again, Scripture adjures us to persevere with patience and courage through the crazy race of life. If we dare compare the Holy Spirit to a jockey, we rejoice how the Spirit will steadfastly guide us through what seem like impenetrable obstacles, nudging or even shouting for us to keep striving forward!
Similarly, the interview with the horse trainer was so compelling. Eric Reed, victorious in his first Derby ever, was riding high. But he shared the incredible lows of the past couple of years with the death of his grandchild and two dear friends to cancer. Tragedy struck five years ago when he lost nearly two dozen horses in a barn fire at his training center in Lexington. Reed wondered if he should try something other than training. But after the fire, “People I hadn’t seen, people I haven’t talked to in years, my best friends were there in the morning to pick me up,” Reed recalled. “It let me know there’s so much good out there, and then I just decided I wasn’t going to let it take me out.” How might we, likewise, encourage others to endure through the difficulties of life, assuring them that better days are ahead?
Our kids especially need to hear us cheer them on in good times and bad. How sad for us in Peachtree City to learn of another high schooler taking her own life last week. This stark reminder that so many among us struggle to see any light at the end of the tunnel is beyond heart-breaking. Let us keep sharing with others, in our words and deeds both, the light and hope we find in Christ . . . available to all!
Let us pray:
Dear God, thanks for the fun of upsets in sports and surprises in life in general. We are grateful that when we find ourselves at the back of the pack, like Rich Strike, we feel your Holy Spirit nudge and encourage us forward, guiding us to the brighter days ahead. Give us energy for the run and a willingness to be guided. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Bonus:
The names of race horses are so fun. Here are some real names of Derby horses throughout the years: Rich Strike, Epicenter, Die Hard, Medina Spirit, Mister Frisky, Keepmeinmind, I’ll Have Another, and Soup and Sandwich. If you had to give yourself a horse name, what would it be and why? Hit “reply” to this email and let me know!
Racing in faith with you,
Pastor Fritz