"Nobody ever drowned in his own sweat."

--Ann Landers

Mine That Bird, the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, is in town for a promotional visit this week. There's a picture of him on the front page of the paper, and he seems like a polite, well-mannered horse.

  

But why should he be polite and well-mannered? He's a celebrity, worth more than certain bad-boy former boy-band members. If he wanted to act like a diva he could certainly get away with it.

Mine That Bird could demand rose petals in his porcelain water bucket. He could insist on being hand-fed green grass and a dozen palomino fillies as back-up dancers.