The thoroughbred Little Susie was in the winner’s circle, chewing on a treat of sugared carrots from her feed bag. She was the toast of the town. Everly, her jockey, stood beside her, grinning for the camera, waving the trophy this way and that. Photographers couldn’t get enough of the young filly who had beaten all the boys in this famous race.

Her owners were busy shaking hands and thinking of all the money they’d made.

But suddenly, she felt her jockey sitting on her back. He angrily grabbed his whip and began to beat her on the side. “Hey,” she yelled out, “That hurts. I’m the first woman to win the Kentucky Derby. Why are you beating me?”

The beating went on and on. Suddenly Susie woke up. She was still at the starting gate. All the other horses had run out ahead. Everly was crazy with rage. “Wake up, Little Susie, Wake up! “

What would she tell her Moma? What would she tell her Pa? That she had fallen asleep at the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby?

Only one third of racing horses are mares (females). In modern times, the Australian female horse “Black Caviar” briefly became the world’s number one racing horse. On the other hand female horses (mares from the age of four, fillies are younger female horses) are less prominent.

For example, fillies have won the Kentucky Derby only a handful of times (perhaps three). Horses can and do sleep standing up, so this story is not all that far-fetched although for a deep sleep they prefer to have a lie down. Horses have REM and sometimes move involuntarily in their sleep, so it is likely they have dreams similar to humans (we can only guess what they dream about, though).

Although I couldn’t find a female racing horse named Susie, I did find a male horse named Suzy. And of course the story winks at the famous song of the Everly brothers, “Wake Up Little Susie”, with a somewhat different story line.

With regards to horse jockeys, women can perform as well as men, but get few opportunities. Hopefully this will change in years to come.

There is some controversy as to how healthy carrots are for horses, although sugar cubes would be considered a rare, special treat indeed. Sugared carrots? It was a whim of mine, I have no idea whether they are a horse treat or not.