Where were you on the First Saturday in May?

For the first time in twenty years, we were not having a “Derby Party”.

Normally we would be at our home in Louisville where twenty of our best friends gathered to watch the Kentucky Derby. This year, we had a new adventure exploring Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, and on Saturday we were driving from Bryce Canyon to Salt Lake City to catch a flight back to Fort Myers, FL. We did get to watch the Derby on TV, along with 24.2 million other viewers – the largest viewing audience by a significant number.

There were some other amazing insights that came out of this year’s race.

* It was a historic breakthrough as Cheri DeVaux became the first woman trainer to ever train a Kentucky Derby-winning horse.

* The 2026 Derby was a classic upset as the long shot 28-1 Golden Tempo broke out of the gate and moved into last place, only to weave through the field to finish first in a photo finish. Second place went to the favorite Renegade.

* There was a dramatic and most unusual disruption at the starting gate as the horse, Great White, had to be scratched moments before the start when he reared up, tossed his jockey, and fell over backwards just as he was being loaded into the gate.

* Patience beat initial speed. Golden Tempo began the race in last place while other favored horses set the pace. This reinforces a long-term Derby pattern that closing speed + timing often beats early positioning, especially in crowded fields.

* There was a photo finish with family drama. The winning jockey, Jose’ Ortiz finished inches ahead of his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr. who was riding the favored horse, Renegade. Brother celebrated brother after the finish line.

Lessons for Leaders from the Derby

One of the things I often do after The Derby is look for lessons for leaders. What insights come out of the horse racing experience that we can apply to our role as leaders in Home Care? Here are some of the things I observed:

1. I see many more female leaders who are winners in Home Care than in Horse Racing.

2. Slow and steady often wins the race in Home Care. The largest, family founded, not-for-profit Home Care company in the world began in a tiny office in Philadelphia PA 51 years ago, and grew from an early pioneer in last place to first place in a crowded field.

3. There is always plenty of last-minute disruption in Home Care. We are in the midst of industry-wide turbulence that is changing the shape of our industry.

4. It takes a team to win the Derby. When you look at all of the members of a winning trainer’s team, you recognize that there is no one individual who wins the race. What other lessons for leaders do you see coming out of the 2026 Kentucky Derby?