Derby Day Politics

National Journal's James Barnes reports, at Hotline OnCall, that a horse in the Kentucky Derby has taken on political meaning:

LOUISVILLE, KY -- When is there ever any problem in having a horse in the Kentucky Derby? Perhaps when you're seeking to win the Dem SEN primary in the Bluegrass State a couple of weeks later and your opponent is claiming you're a "silver spoon" candidate.

KY AG Jack Conway co-owns Derby long shot Stately Victor with his father, Tom Conway, a Louisville attorney. Conway's primary opponent, LG Daniel Mongiardo (D), who was previously a small-town doctor, has contrasted his rural Eastern KY roots with Conway's upbringing among the smart set in metropolitan Louisville. And since Stately Victor qualified for the Run for the Roses with a win earlier this month in the Bluegrass Stakes, Mongirado and his staff have taken shots at painting Conway as an elitist by noting he even has a horse in the Derby.

Mongiardo, Barnes reports, is scheduled to spend the first half of Saturday on the Churchill Downs infield. Which is not an aristocratic place. Mongiardo leads the primary by an average of five percentage points.

See Barnes's report at OnCall for more details on the Mongiardo/Conway/Stately Victor dynamics.