The recent Kentucky Derby was compelling. In case you missed it, favorite Bodemeister tried to lead wire-to-wire, only to be caught in the middle of his stretch run by I'll Have Another, who came off at 15-1, but won the roses by 1 1/2 lengths.

The hours-long television coverage made me think back to the way the race was communicated back in the early '70s, when a wee lad in central Montana and his family would gather 'round the radio to hear the race, since it was not televised... or at least not televised where I was living.

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During those years, I knew nothing of the fanfare that surrounded the event at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Wouldn't have known about the mint juleps, the fancy dress and extravagant hats worn by the female attendees.

The radio would give a half-hour, pre-race rundown of the competitors. A few names sounded familiar, but mostly the cast of characters changed year-to-year.

It was on the radio that I learned of Secretariat's commanding win in the 1973 race, with Ron Turcotte aboard, the jockey that had won the previous year on Riva Ridge.

Coverage of the Derby took off after 1975, as Bold Forbes' win was followed the next year by Seattle Slew, who in turn handed over the title to Affirmed and Spectacular Bid, respectively in the next two runnings.

By that time I was actively watching on the tube, and the whole sport came alive.

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But I will have to admit, I never quite understood the hoopla over Secretariat's triple crown until years later. It takes a special horse (and maybe a field of much less talented competitors) to have a chance to win all three races. In the years since, we've seen horses come close to winning the Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, only to fall agonizingly short in some instances.

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One of the best parts of the radio broadcast was the end of the show, when they'd finish off by playing the Spike Jones song, "Beetlebomb." The song was a tongue-in-cheek poke at the sport and the fictitious 20-1 long shot, a nag named Beetlebomb.

Some of the better lyrics are:

"Around the first turn

Stooge Hand is still in front

Cabbage is second by a head ...

... Stooge Hand still out in front

Apartment House is second with plenty of room

Assault is passing Battery

Assault and Battery ...

... Around the turn heading for home

It's Stooge Hand and Dog Biscuit

And Girdle in the stretch

Flying Sylvester is third

And Mother-In-Law nagging in the rear ...

... And now they come down to the wire

And it's number one

And now number two

And it's very close

There'll need to be a photo finish

Or an oil painting ...

... And now Louis leads with a left

And Louis is in there slugging

And it's a battle

And now they're tearing hair

There's hair all over the ring

There's hair all over the place

I don't know whose hair it is - ah, ah:

It's mine!

And there goes the winner ...

... Beetlebomb!"

Ah, they don't make 'em like they used to. Of course I'm talking about Spike Jones recordings as much as race horses.

Maybe this year'll be different. Maybe I'll Have Another can come from behind and win two more, putting himself in with some rare company indeed.

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Either way, the pursuit of the triple crown is under way. And if he falters, we'll always have our hero to remember - a horse that overcame seemingly unimaginable odds to go down as one of the greats of all-time ...

... Beetlebomb!

Jerry Hitchcock is a copy editor for The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, or via email at [email protected].