I've never considered horse racing a sport. It's a bet, and it's as simple as that.

Without the ability to wager on horse races - most notably the Triple Crown variety - I'm 100 percent convinced they would eventually cease to exist.

As for where it belongs in a newspaper? Where else can we place horse racing then in the sports section? That was decided long before I entered the business.

And don't get me started about horses being athletes. Please.

That being said, I have become enamored with my once-a-year trek to the horse track to place a few bucks on the Kentucky Derby. It's like playing buying a instant lottery tickets, but instead of scratch-offs, watching the Derby is much more fun.

The best things about the Derby? It last a few minutes, you root for your horses, find out if you won or lost, either cash in or throw away your tickets, and move on. By the way, I wasn't a winner ... again.

Let the countdown to Derby Day 2013 begin.

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo