The Greatest Kentucky Derby Myth of All

One of the things I find fascinating about horseracing — well, life, really — is what folks accept as true that isn’t. Conclusions that seem logical are often considered fact regardless of how strong or weak the supporting data is — or whether there is any supporting data at all.

Take, for example, the popular belief that if you eat something and go swimming immediately afterward, you will invariably cramp up and die from drowning (presumably while cursing yourself for ordering the McPick 2 instead of the McPick 1 on your rigid descent to the bottom of the pool).

On the surface, this sounds plausible; the logic being that the blood going to one’s digestive tract depletes the limbs of blood needed to propel one through the water.

The only problem is it’s not true.

According to Dr. Mark Messick on the Duke Health Blog, “the body does supply extra blood to aid in digestion, but not enough blood to keep your arm and leg muscles from properly functioning.”

Along a similar vein (see what I did there?), many horse bettors believe that future Kentucky Derby winners usually show their potential early. However, a recent study I conducted destroys this supposition… (more)