Millions will watch the Kentucky Derby on television, this first Saturday in May, listen by radio or read of it Sunday, the most traditional thoroughbred horse race in the world; the most significant, the biggest deal in the sport, one of the best-known event in all of sports.

But, it could use a boost, another Secretariat, if there is ever to be such a second coming.

When I was the sports editor of The Tampa Tribune I had only one picture on a wall. It was of Secretariat, a portrait of Big Red looking at you. And I grew up in Wauchula in the country part of the state, where cowboys rode horses to work. Secretariat’s world was not unlike that of my growing-up times.

But, I had to learn about horse racing and did, and I grew to love it, with Tampa Bay Downs at Oldsmar the learning place all along the way, even through its name changes, thanks to the good stewardship of Stella Ferguson Thayer. It has become a fine small track that does well and that’s good.

No, Secretariat (shown above, at the Derby with jockey Ron Turcotte) did not race at the Downs on his way to greatness, but Big Red stole the hearts of horse people and of Kentucky Derby people, including mine. Oh, partly because Tampa Ford dealer George Holtsinger, who had a farm in Lexington, convinced the Tribune Managing Editor then, Red Newton, that he should send me to cover the Derby and his horse in 1976. Holtsinger’s horse was withdrawn while I was in the air, on the way to Louisville. I went on and covered Kaui King’s win, and covering derbies until I retired from The Tribune.

In time, and time does this, I advanced from a seat in Churchill Downs’ press box bleachers to a finish line seat by Red Smith and Jimmy Cannon, and experienced in life some of the greatest times in Kentucky Derbies. How about the head-and-head race down the stretch with Affirmed, Florida-bred (my angle), edging Alydar at the wire in a what plenty thought was the greatest Derby ever.

But another great race, argued in Tampa particularly and by me personally, was when Carry Back broke through the Kentucky blockade in 1961 and won the Derby for Jack Price of Ocala, the first Florida-bred to win a Derby, a mighty boost to the Florida horse breeding industry.

Then came the best of deals for us all around here. A Tampa insurance man, who loved horses and was looking for a yearling to have friend Cam Gambolati train, was riding through the Lexington country and spotted a feisty yearling he liked. He stopped, dealt with the owner, and bought the colt for nothing. Or, nearly nothing.

He became Spend A Buck, an ever-growing colt and in time a race horse. Spend Buck won the Kentucky Derby in 1985. Crossed across most of the track from a poor post position to win it. Yipes, what a story I had, then and the next day. I had gone to the track, race day, with the Spend A Buck family. A Tampa horse had won the Derby.

I had bet $50 on the nose. And, I am Scottish. I do not bet much ever. And, better still I did not panic; in the job, I guess. Got a silver cup from Churchhill Downs for the work that day. Not bad. And a handshake from the late great editor, Bob Hudson, who talked me into coming to Tampa from St. Petersburg years before.

I had been alerted and readied for longshot developments when in 1970, Tampa jockey Mike Manganello won the Derby on Dust Commander. He came out of nowhere, and again, across the track from the outside to win. I knew Manganello well. He regularly raced at Tampa Downs, and won there. We had dinner together the night before the big race, he and I, at the Louisville Airport restaurant because he wanted Hawaiian food and they had it.

Well, here’s one more Derby break, the biggest.

I arrived on Thursday afternoon in Louisville in 1973 and rushed to the gotta-go Derby party. As I started in, out came the sports editor of the Louisville Times. He was short, not skinny, and had had a few. I knew who it was but waited.

“Tom, can you take care of Lucien Lauren, please, and get him back to the Executive Inn, where I guess you are staying,” the editor said, “I got to go to work. Thanks.”

He was gone. I was in charge of the trainer of Secretariat. We stayed at the party a while, then went back to the Executive Inn, had a shooter, and I took Lauren to his room. He was a friend forever, and so were owner Penny Chenery, jockey Ron Turcotte and Secretariat.

Luck’s good in horse racing.