Claiming Races              [Part 1 of my Horse Racing Trilogy]

An original poem by Chrome Dome Mike Kimbro

Consider reading along to my Spoken Verse Performance.

VERSE 1

Cool morning on the workout track.

A few good runs got my blood flowing.

Heard a rumor, and was taken aback,

That my times, as of late, had been slowing.

So they put me in a claiming race.

VERSE 2

From Belmont Park to La Jolla,

On the dirt and turf of Derby City.

Workouts I've run would destroy ya.

But the sport is mighty short on pity.

Most of us end up in a claiming race.

CHORUS

Claiming races.

That kind of life will do for me.

Claiming races.

It's either that, or the glue factory.

Running against the other "also-rans".

Watched by serious horse racing fans.

But left out of trainer's Triple Crown plans.

I'm excited about claiming races.

BRIDGE

There once was a man from several places.

Who felt his writing hand contained four aces.

He wrote satirical verse to pass the time.

Those lyrics where cursed, and didn't earn a dime.

His wife dreamed of entering him in claiming races.

VERSE 3

Two children asked their parents about,

Strange names on their certificates of birth.

The folks who raised them knew "the cat was out".

And their answer was softened with mirth:

"It's like we got you kids in a claiming race."

CHORUS

Claiming races.

That kind of life will do for me.

Claiming races.

It's either that, or the glue factory.

Running against the other "also-rans".

Watched by serious horse racing fans.

But left out of trainer's Triple Crown plans.

I'm excited about claiming races.

The End

Copyright © Michael Kimbro 2019.  All rights reserved.

Keywords:  Poems about horse racing, Racetrack poetry, Verse about adoption.