how does an iron lung work

what is an iron lung machine
what is an iron lung used for work
An iron lung is a large machine that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability. It is a form of medical ventilator. Properly, it is called a negative pressure ventilator.
The person using the iron lung is placed into the central chamber, a cylindrical steel drum. A door allowing the head and neck to remain free is then closed, forming a sealed, air-tight compartment enclosing the rest of the person's body. Pumps that control airflow periodically decrease and increase the air pressure within the chamber, and particularly, on the chest.
Image (c) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Womanonsideinlung.jpg
When the pressure falls below that within the lungs, the lungs expand and atmospheric pressure pushes air from outside the chamber in via the person's nose and airways to keep the lungs filled; when the pressure rises above that within the lungs, the reverse occurs, and air is expelled. In this manner, the iron lung mimics the physiologic action of breathing: by periodically altering intrathoracic pressure, it causes air to flow in and out of the lungs. The iron lung is a form of non-invasive therapy.
The machine was invented by Philip Drinker and Louis Agassiz Shaw, of the Harvard School of Public Health, originally for treatment of coal gas poisoning. But it found its most famous use in the mid-1900s when victims of poliomyelitis (more commonly known as polio), stricken with paralysis (including of the diaphragm, the cone shaped muscle at the bottom of the rib-cage whose action controls intrathoracic pressure), became unable to breathe, and were placed in these steel chambers to survive. The first iron lung was used on October 12, 1928 at Children's Hospital, Boston, in a child unconscious from respiratory failure; her dramatic recovery, within seconds of being placed within the chamber, did much to popularize the "Drinker Respirator."
In 1932, inveterate tinkerer John Haven "Jack" Emerson unveiled an improved iron lung, which was smaller, cheaper, lighter, quieter, and much more reliable than Drinker's. Drinker and Harvard promptly sued Emerson for patent violations, which proved unwise. In the subsequent legal battles Emerson demonstrated that every aspect of Drinker's patents had been patented by others at earlier times. Emerson won the case, and Drinker's patents were declared invalid.
Entire hospital wards were filled with rows of Emerson iron lungs at the height of the polio outbreaks of the 1940s and 50s. With the success of the worldwide polio vaccination programs which have virtually eradicated new cases of the disease, and the advent of modern ventilators that control breathing via the direct intubation of the airway, the use of the iron lung has sharply declined.
Positive pressure ventilation systems are now more common than negative pressure systems. Positive pressure ventilators work by blowing air into the patient's lungs via intubation through the airway; they were used for the first time in Blegdams Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark during a polio outbreak in 1952. It proved a success and soon superseded the iron lung all over Europe.
The iron lung now has a marginal place in modern respiratory therapy. Most patients with paralysis of the breathing muscles use modern mechanical ventilators that push air into the airway with positive pressure. These are generally efficacious and have the advantage of not restricting patients' movements or caregivers' ability to examine the patients as significantly as an iron lung does. However, negative pressure ventilation is a truer approximation of normal physiological breathing and results in more normal distribution of air in the lungs. It may also be preferable in certain rare conditions, such as Ondine's curse, in which failure of the medullary respiratory centers at the base of the brain result in patients having no autonomic control of breathing. At least one reported polio patient had a spinal deformity that caused the use of mechanical ventillators to be contraindicated. Thus, there are patients who today still use the older machines, often in their homes, despite the occasional difficulty of finding the various replacement parts.
Biphasic Cuirass Ventilation is a modern development of the iron lung, consisting of a wearable rigid upper-body shell (a cuirass) which functions as a negative pressure respirator.
Info (c) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_lung

Who is alexander ovechkin girlfriend

At the 2008 IIHF World Championships, Ovechkin helped led Russia to the gold medal by finishing with 12 points (six goals, six assists) in nine games. He was selected to the Media All-Star Team for the second time in five tournament appearances.

This photo Author User:Buchanan-Hermit was add to Flickr (c) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ovechkin_2006.jpg
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin (age 22) was born September 17, 1985 in Moscow, USSR. He is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. He is the highest paid NHL player ever, signing a 13-year contract extension worth $124 million with the Capitals, the richest in NHL history. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.Sophomore Sensations - Alexander Ovechkin

From Gossip news by Russia we knew that Alexander Ovechkina in love with former wife Vladimir Presnjakov.
March, 26 on the occasion of homecoming the winner of "Eurovision - 2008" Dima Bilan in Moscow the closed party was held. To congratulate a triumpher those who is more strong than others there came held fists for the Russian combined team. Among them there was a world champion on hockey Alexander Ovechkin - he has appeared on a party with the new girlfriend, the designer and Lena Lenskaya former wife Presnyakov.
Ovechkin is Star NHL, the world champion, the owner of every possible titles and simply a handsome man Alexander Ovechkin has come on an invited buffet table one of the first and has on the spot joined missing Anton Siharulidze. Having refueled a glass a drink, sportsmen have started to discuss last gossips of "Eurovision". Russian bogatyrs long argued, what from girls of competition was lovelier, ruddier than all and is more white. And here their tastes be dispatched.
- You will be disappointed by the greek woman, - ascertained the fact the Belgrad informer, - at her such opposite squeaky voice.
- Well, she not for conversations is necessary for him, - deputy Siharulidze has summed up to all.
But how the Greek beauty, a choice involved Ovechkin the he all the same has stopped on Russian. The 22-years hockey player has carried out all evening in the company of Lena Lenskaya.
Lena, former spouse Vladimir Presnjakova, - the talented designer, whose authorship posesses suits of "musketeers" on "Eurovision". Elena Fine was would like to communicate to one of the most highly paid hockey players of league and on compliments has not stinted. On assurances of close friends Ovechkina, this pair any more the first week is connected with romantic relations.
- You, certainly, good fellows, I looked a match and very much experienced, - Lena told. - Well and you, Alex, were, as always, at height!
Ovechkin and Lenskaya have left a party together at night. Alexander as the true gentleman, has given Lena the jacket and, having taken for a hand, has led to the machine... That the present conqueror means!
Photo was posted to Flickr on February 8, 2007 by guano and (c) from http://www.flickr.com/photos/guano/383864948/
He was the first overall selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, but due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, he began play in the 2005-06 NHL season. During the 2007-08 season, he led the NHL with 65 goals and 112 points to capture the Richard and Art Ross Trophies.
In Russia, hockey teams build players in their systems from childhood. Ovechkin began playing in the Dynamo Moscow system. At 16, he made his debut for Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Superleague in the 2001-2002 season.
In the 2003-2004 season, he won the Superleague award for Best Left Wing and became the youngest Dynamo Moscow player to lead the team in scoring.
In 2004-2005, he missed nearly two months of play because of a shoulder injury sustained in the Gold Medal Game against Canada in the World Junior Championships.
Alexander Ovechkin is the son of Mikhail Ovechkin, a former professional football (soccer) player, and Tatyana Ovechkina who won two Olympic gold medals while competing for the Soviet women's basketball team in the 1976 Summer Olympics at Montreal and in 1980 at Moscow.
The first signs of the Ovechkin's future came when he was a child. At the age of two, in a Soviet toy store, Alexander grabbed a toy stick and helmet and refused to let go. His parents treasure the picture to this day. As a small child, whenever he saw a hockey game on TV, he "threw all his toys" and ran to the TV. He "protested strongly" if his parents tried to change the channel. His parents say they knew he would be an athlete when Alexander chose to run up the steps to their apartment rather than take the elevator.
He began playing hockey at the age of 7. Soon after he began, however, he had to postpone his hockey career because his parents were unable to take him to the rink. But one of Ovechkin's coaches saw Ovechkin's talent and communicated to his parents that he should continue to play hockey. Ovechkin's brother, Sergei, who later died in a car accident, saw that Alexander loved hockey and insisted that he be allowed to return.
Since he studied at the Military Institute for Border Guards, Ovechkin did not have to go through compulsory military service.
Ovechkin was the first overall draft choice in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Washington Capitals. He had been projected as the first overall pick for nearly two years , and had earned comparison to Mario Lemieux. He was so highly regarded, the Florida Panthers attempted to draft him in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in the 9th round, even though his birthday was two days after the cuttoff (September 15th, 1985). Rick Dudley, the general manager of the Panthers, claimed the pick was legitimate, saying that using leapyears Ovechkin was old enough.
Following the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Alexander Ovechkin played his first game with the Capitals on October 5, 2005, scoring two goals in a 3-2 victory over Columbus. In a shootout against Anaheim, Ovechkin scored the winning goal to end the game at 5-4.
Ovechkin was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for December 2005.
On January 13, 2006 in Anaheim, Ovechkin scored his first career hat trick against Jean-Sebastian Giguere of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to help Washington win the game.
On January 16, 2006, Alexander Ovechkin scored a goal that veteran hockey reporter Bill Clement called "one of the greatest goals of all time." Knocked down by Paul Mara, a defenseman for the Phoenix Coyotes, then sliding on his back and facing away from the net, Ovechkin was able to hook the puck with one hand on his stick and slide it into the net past goalie Brian Boucher for his second goal of the night.
On February 1, 2006, Ovechkin was named NHL Rookie of the Month for January 2006 as well as being named Offensive Player of the Month, becoming only the third player in NHL history to earn both honors in a single month.
Ovechkin led 2005-2006 NHL rookies in goals, points, power-play goals, and shots. He finished third overall in the NHL in scoring and tied for third in goals. His 425 shots led the league, set an NHL rookie record, and was the fourth-highest total in NHL history. Ovechkin’s point total was the second-best in Washington Capitals history and his goal total tied for third in franchise history. He was also named to the NHL First All-Star Team, the first rookie to receive the honor in 15 years. After the season ended, Ovechkin received the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's best rookie. EA Sports made him the cover athlete for NHL 07.
Following the 2006-2007 NHL season, Ovechkin was awarded the Kharlamov Trophy, which is named after Valery Kharlamov and presented by Sovetsky Sport. The Kharlamov Trophy honors the best Russian NHL player as voted by other Russian NHL players.
Ovechkin played alongside fellow young phenom Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2007 NHL All-Star Game, held on January 24, 2007, in Dallas, Texas. He scored his first All-Star game goal.
On December 29, 2007, Ovechkin notched his third hat trick against Ottawa Senators netminder, Martin Gerber. Ovechkin tallied 5 points that night: 4 goals and 1 assist to lead the Capitals to a 8-6 victory. On January 31, 2008, he had another 5-point performance (4 goals, 1 assist) in a 5-4 overtime victory against the Montreal Canadiens.
After much speculation, Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract extension worth $124 million with the Capitals on January 10, 2008. The contract, which averages $9.5 million per year, is the richest in NHL history. Working without an agent, Ovechkin negotiated with Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and general manager George McPhee.
On March 3, 2008, Ovechkin notched his fourth hat trick, against the Boston Bruins. He scored his 50th, 51st, and 52nd goals of the season, the second time he has hit the 50-goal mark in three seasons with the Capitals.
On March 21, 2008, Ovechkin scored his 59th and 60th goals of the season against the Atlanta Thrashers. He was the first NHL player to score 60 goals in a season since 1996. He is the 19th player ever to reach the 60 goal plateau. On March 25, Ovechkin scored his 61st goal to hold the Washington Capital's team record for regular season goals previously held by Dennis Maruk. He would break Luc Robitaille's record for most goals by a left winger in one season on April 3, 2008, by scoring two goals, his 64th and 65th of the season.
Alex Ovechkin finished the 2007-08 NHL season as the leader in points (112) and goals (65), and will thus be awarded both the Art Ross Trophy and the Rocket Richard Trophy.
In his first NHL playoff game, Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal with less than five minutes left.
Info (c) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Ovechkin

Tragedy Robert Knox Actor Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Knox was stabbed to death on May 24, 2008, before the film was released. The brother of the actor has confirmed, that Knox was finish the work on film
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Freddie Stroma, Isabella Laughland, and Robert Knox will play Cormac McLaggen, Katie Bell's friend Leanne and Marcus Belby respectively. Warner Bros. released a statement concerning Knox: "We are all shocked and saddened by this news and at this time our sympathies are with his family."
The young actor as one of witnesses of incident has told, appeared " in a unsuccessful place in unsuccessful time " and was lost, trying to support the brother.
On suspicion in murder the police has detained the 21-years guy whom have delivered in hospital with damages of the person. Him have arrested right after that as doctors rendered him first aid.
Friends and admirers bring flowers on a place of destruction of the young actor.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a 2008 fantasy adventure film, based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It will be the sixth film in the popular Harry Potter films series. Production is in the principal photography stage. David Yates, the director of the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will return as director for this film. David Heyman and David Barron will produce the film, and Steve Kloves, though he did not write the fifth film, will return as screenwriter for this instalment. Filming began on September 24, 2007 and the film is scheduled for a UK and US release on November 21, 2008 and an Australian release on December 11, 2008. Like the previous film, the sixth film will be simultaneously released in regular theatres and IMAX 3-D.
Harry Potter and Halfblood Prince - first video.

Steven Curtis Chapman family accident

Maria Sue Chapman was 5 year old. Steven Curtis Chapman s daughter adopted. She was killed in an accident on May 21, 2008. She was struck by an SUV driven by one of the Chapmans teenage sons as he backed down the driveway of the family's Franklin home. The entire family was home at the time celebrating their eldest daughter's engagement, and several members witnessed the tragedy. Maria Sue later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. A spokesman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol termed it "a terrible accident" and said no charges are expected to be filed. Maria was the youngest in the family and one of three daughters adopted from China by Steven and his wife, Mary Beth.
Steven Curtis Chapman was born November 21, 1962 in Paducah, Kentucky. He is a Contemporary Christian musician.
After starting his career in the late 80s as a songwriter, Chapman has turned into one of the most prolific singers in the genre, releasing more than 20 albums to this date. As of 2007, he has sold more than 10 million albums and has 9 gold and platinum albums. Chapman has also won five Grammy awards and 51 Gospel Music Association Awards, more than any other artist in history.
Chapman is also a vocal advocate for adoption, along with his wife Mary Beth. Together, they have adopted three children from China and have started a charity organization called Shaohannah's Hope, which offers grants to qualifying families to help defray the cost of adopting, at home and abroad.

As of 2007, Chapman has been married to Mary Beth Chapman (they shared the same last name prior to their marriage) for 23 years. The couple met in the early 80s at Anderson College in Anderson, Indiana and married in the fall of 1984. They currently live in Franklin, Tennessee, and have three biological children (Emily Elizabeth, Caleb Stevenson, Will Franklin). They adopted three young girls from China (Shaohannah Hope Yan, Stevey Joy Ru, Maria Sue). Sadly, Maria Sue is deceased. (See 'Death of youngest daughter' below).
When Steven and Mary were first married, they struggled with finances and turned to God in prayer. A few days before their anniversary, they found out that Mary was pregnant. When arriving home one night, they noticed fire engines outside their apartment, and realized their apartment had burnt down. They had no insurance to cover the cost of damages, and they moved in with friends. Then Sparrow Records noticed Steven's vocal abilities and signed him.
Together, Chapman and his wife have written three children's books with adoption themes, Shaoey And Dot (2004), Shaoey and Dot: The Christmas Miracle (2005), and Shaoey and Dot: A Thunder and Lightning Bug Story (2006). Together with minister Scotty Smith, Chapman authored two books for the adult inspirational market, Speechless (1999) and Restoring Broken Things (2005). Chapman's song "All About Love" has been featured in commercials for the Fox television show, Celebrity Duets.
Chapman and his sons recorded under the name of "Stevenson" for the 2003 Veggie Rocks CD. (Song: "I Love My Lips", VeggieTales). Chapman also starred in the 2003 film Christmas Child.

motivational speaker Sean Stephenson audiences

Osteogenesis imperfecta Sean Stephenson.
Sean blows aways the audience at The Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, Ca for his very first EVER Sit Down Comedy Appearance.

Sean Stephenson Live Sit Down Comedy.
this man right there is AMAZING!
Sean Stephenson on CBS News
sean stephenson motivational speaker

Sean is covered in Chicago CBS News for his roll in the community and his rapidly developing company in the personal growth industry.
President Clinton praised Sean Stephenson's work both at the White House under his Administration and his work with students across the country.

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood duet lyrics

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

In the mid-1990s, many tabloids reported throughout the decade that he was actually having an affair with longtime friend and collaborator Trisha Yearwood. The two have continually denied having had an affair. Following Garth Brooks's divorce, however, the pair did begin dating, and the couple wed on December 10, 2005, at their home in Oklahoma, marking the second marriage for Brooks and the third for Trisha Yearwood.

Troyal Garth Brooks (age 46) was born February 7, 1962. He is an American Country Music artist. Successfully integrating rock elements into his recordings and live performances, Brooks soon began to dominate the country singles and country album charts and quickly crossed over into the mainstream pop arena, exposing country music to a larger audience.
Brooks has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, with over 70 hit singles and 15 charted albums to his credit and over 165 million albums sold in the United States alone.
Garth Brooks has released six albums to achieve diamond status in the United States, those ; Garth Brooks ,No Fences ,Ropin' the Wind , The Hits , Sevens and Double Live.
Throughout the 1990s he broke records for both sales and concert attendance. In 1999, looking to expand his career boundaries, Brooks began a project that was intended to foreshadow a movie that followed the life of a rock star by the name of Chris Gaines. The album left most people scratching their heads due to the fact that the movie was never released and the album was left to stand alone, while it did not sell as well as his other titles; it nevertheless reached 2 on the album charts and went double platinum.
Troubled by conflicts between career and family, in 2001 Brooks officially retired from recording and performing. During this time he has sold millions of albums through an exclusive distribution deal with Wal-Mart and has sporadically released new singles. More recently he has issued a successful collection of his hit singles from 1989 through to 2007 which itself has gone 5x platinum.

Annika Sorenstam Mike Mcgee

Sörenstam met her first husband in 1994 in Phoenix, Arizona, where David Esch worked for Ping. They were engaged at the 1995 Evian Masters, married in Lake Tahoe on January 4, 1997 and were divorced in 2005. She announced her engagement to Mike McGee, the Managing Director for the ANNIKA brand of businesses and son of former PGA Tour and Champions Tour player Jerry McGee, in August 2007 with a wedding planned for January 2009.
Annika Sörenstam was (age 37) born 9 October 1970. She is a Swedish professional golfer whose achievements rank her as one of the most successful female golfers in history. Sörenstam has won 72 official LPGA tournaments including ten majors and 18 other tournaments internationally, and she tops the LPGA's career money list with earnings of over $22 million over $8 million ahead of her nearest rival.
The winner of a record eight Player of the Year awards, and six Vare Trophies given to the LPGA player with the lowest seasonal scoring average, she is the only female golfer to have shot a 59 in competition. She holds various all-time scoring records including the lowest season scoring average: 68.6969 in 2004.
Sörenstam made history at the Bank of America Colonial tournament in 2003 as the first woman to play in a men's PGA Tour event since 1945. Often known simply as "Annika," she achieved the fame of male golfers known in the same way: Arnie (Arnold Palmer), Jack (Nicklaus) and Tiger (Woods). Her growing off-course interests include the ANNIKA golf academy, golf course design and a charitable foundation.
Declaring herself recovered from injury and ready to return to a complete season of competitive golf in 2008, Sörenstam opened the year at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay where she captured her 70th LPGA Tour victory and first since September 2006. She won next at the Stanford International Pro-Am in April then following a week off, won again at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, giving her three wins and over $1 million in earnings by mid-May.
On May 13, 2008, Sörenstam announced that she would retire from competitive golf at the conclusion of the 2008 season. She announced that her last scheduled tournament on the LPGA Tour will be the season-ending ADT Championship in November and that her last scheduled tournament will be the Dubai Ladies Masters on the Ladies European Tour in December. That night (05-13-08), she threw out the first pitch of the Washington Nationals/New York Mets baseball game at Shea Stadium in New York. She announced her retirement in the city Clifton, NJ.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen kissing together

Hot Olsen twins
In 2008, Mary-Kate Olsen was caught up in the media-hype surrounding the death of Heath Ledger after Masseuse Diane Lee Wolozin, who had gone to the flat to give Ledger a 3pm massage and found his naked body in his bed, rang the 21-year-old Olsen twice before calling the 911 emergency service. There is also speculation that Olsen was having a relationship with Ledger at the time of his death. Olsen released a statement though her publicist stating "Heath was a friend. His death is a tragic loss. My thoughts are with his family."
Mary Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (age 21) were born June 13, 1986.
Photos of Olsen twins from Australia,Sydney,LunaPark (c) Naddsy from Flickr

They are American actresses, best known for playing the role of Michelle Tanner on the sitcom Full House. Both have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements.
Photos of Olsen twins from Australia,Sydney,LunaPark (c) Naddsy from Flickr

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen video

The first acting of Mary Kate appearance without Ashley was in the movie Factory Girl, released in December 2006. Mary-Kate was originally in several scenes, but only appeared in the background in the finished film. Mary-Kate has also a recurring guest role in the third season of the Showtime series Weeds, and she is also in the 2008 independent film The Wackness starring Ben Kingsley, with whom she shares a passionate kiss.
Ashley is also appearing alone in the 2008 film "The Informers" starring Billy Bob Thornton.
Photos of Olsen twins from Australia,Sydney,LunaPark (c) Naddsy from Flickr

Mary-kate and Ashley Olsen - kiss the girl

They were tapped as the faces of upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka in 2006, in an attempt to gain credibility in the fashion industry after their association with Wal-Mart. They have also launched their own new couture fashion label "The Row" named after the famous Savile Row of London. The pair have also started a new line for The Row, entitled "Elizabeth & James", named after their siblings.
Photos of Olsen twins from Australia,Sydney,LunaPark (c) Naddsy from Flickr

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen Tribute

Mary-Kate and Ashley have been criticized by animal rights group PETA for their use of fur in their fashion line, The Row. PETA's youth group, PETA2, set up a website in December 2007 in which they refer to them as the Trollson Twins, Hairy-Kate and Trashley.


Photos of Olsen twins from Australia,Sydney,LunaPark (c) Naddsy from Flickr

Traditions Kentucky Derby Kentucky Oaks History Records

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter miles (2 km) at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57.2 kg) and fillies 121 pounds (54.9 kg). The race is known in the United States as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" for its approximate duration, and is also called "The Run for the Roses" for the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the US and typically draws around 155,000 fans.

kentucky derby horses photo (c) by Velo Steve from Flickr

In addition to the race itself, a number of traditions play a large role in the Derby atmosphere. The Mint Julep, an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint and a sugar syrup is the traditional beverage of the race. The historic drink can be served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup but most Churchill Downs patrons sip theirs from a souvenir glass printed with all previous Derby winners. Also, burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork and vegetables, is a popular Kentucky dish served at the Derby.

2008 Kentucky Derby Infield photo (c) by bhenak from Flickr

The infield, a spectator area inside the track, offers general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race. Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party with abandon. By contrast, "Millionaire's Row" refers to the expensive box seats that attract the rich, the famous and the well-connected. Women appear in fine outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats. As the horses are paraded before the grandstands, the University of Louisville marching band plays Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home."
kentucky derby post time
2008 KENTUCKY DERBY WORKOUTS - SUNDAY, APRIL 27

The Derby is frequently referred to as "The Run for the Roses," because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year. The tradition is as a result of New York socialite E. Berry Wall presenting roses to ladies at a post-Derby party in 1883 that was attended by Churchill Downs founder and president, Col. M. Lewis Clark. This gesture is believed to have eventually led Clark to the idea of making the rose the race's official flower. However, it was not until 1896 that any recorded account referred to roses being draped on the Derby winner. The Governor of Kentucky awards the garland and the trophy. Pop vocalist Dan Fogelberg composed a song by that title for the 1980 running of the race.
Norman Adams has been the designer of the Kentucky Derby Logo since 2002. On February 1, 2006, the Louisville-based fast-food company Yum! Brands, Inc. announced a corporate sponsorship deal to call the race "The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands. Info (c) en.wikipedia.org


Photo (c) by MCHart from Flickr

The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles (1811 metres) at Churchill Downs; carry 121 pounds (54.9 kg). The Kentucky Oaks is held on the friday before the Kentucky Derby each year. The winner gets a $500,000 dollar purse and a garnet of lillies.
The first running of the Kentucky Oaks was on May 19, 1875 back when Churchill Downs was known as the Louisville Jockey Club. The race was founded by Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. along with the Kentucky Derby, the Clark Handicap, and the Falls City Handicap. The Oaks and the Derby are the oldest continuously contested sporting events in history and the only horse races to be held at its original site since its conception. The Kentucky Oaks was modeled after the british Epsom Oaks. In the first race the horse Vinaigrette won the then 1 ½ mile race in a time of 2:39.75 winning a purse of $1,175. Since that race the Kentucky Oaks has been held each year.

The Kentucky Oaks is considered by some to be the second most popular horse race in the american horse racing society due to its attendance. It attracts about 100,000 people in attendance a year since 2001's 127th running of the Kentucky Oaks. In 1980 it was about 50,000 people and by 1989 it had reached about 67,000 people.The attendance at the Kentucky Oaks usually surpassed the attendance at the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, as well as the Breeders' Cup.
The Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, and the Acorn Stakes are the counter parts to the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. However the "Filly Triple Crown" known as the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing is a series of three races at the Belmont and Saratoga Race courses. Some consideration has been made by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) to change the Triple Tiara series to the three counter parts of the Triple Crown.
The 2006 horse Lemons Forever had the highest odds at 47-1 ever to win the Kentucky Oaks.

Info (c) en.wikipedia.org