A CRUSH OF MEDIA IS PART OF THE DEAL.

Byline: Jenine Sahadi Derby Diary

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Everybody told me that dealing with the media is a huge part of a Kentucky Derby trainer's job, but I don't know if I believed it until the past couple of days.

I got to the barn at Churchill Downs at 6 o'clock Wednesday and spent most of the morning with reporters. I only spent about 20 minutes with my horse. Fortunately, all The Deputy was doing was walking, this being the day after a workout.

TV crews from ABC and the Lifetime cable network have been following me, and there are radio shows going all the time. I can't even begin to count the number of reporters I've talked with, probably 300 people. Maybe some of them are fans who brought tape recorders. I don't want to say no to anybody.

If had stayed at the barn until lunch time, and didn't have to go and pick up my Derby tickets, I'd still be talking to writers.

Then there are the photographers. I'll take The Deputy out in back of the barn to graze, and they'll be shouting at me to turn him this way or that. Thank God my horse is a calm one. He literally poses for pictures.

It's actually kind of refreshing to deal with reporters who admit they don't know a lot about racing. I can't condemn anybody for that.

The ones who throw me for a loop are the ones who have been covering racing for a long time and still ask stupid questions. On Tuesday one of the reporters asked me if my husband, Ben, who is also a trainer back in California, is bringing a horse for one of the other races here. This was right after I'd given my horse his last workout before the Derby! While I love my husband, and I'm very proud of him, that was just not an appropriate question.

Another guy asked about the incident the week of the Santa Anita Derby between Bob Baffert and me. The guy asked, ``If Baffert stuck out his hand, would you shake it or spit on it?'' I said, `Come on, that's a ridiculous question.' ''

A lot of reporters are doing stories about the ``man vs. woman'' thing. I tell them it has nothing to do with men vs. women. It's not trainers competing with trainers. It's horse racing.

There's nothing that prevents a woman from doing this and doing it well. If I thought about the woman thing, I wouldn't have even come to the Derby. There's 126 years of history against me. It's sort of depressing to dwell on.

Another common question has been, ``What would it be like to win the Derby?'' I can't answer that at this point. That would be the biggest thing in my career. My emotions would take over in ways I can't imagine.

I've always been one to lay it on the line when people ask me a straight question about my horse. I really do believe fans have the right to know what's going on; that's good for the sport. You can't hide anything; you're too under the microscope. Also, having worked in publicity, I'm sensitive to the fact that reporters have a job to do.

I know I'm doing the right thing because everybody has been very thankful. Someone told me I'm the darling of the media at this Derby. That's nice to hear.