Breeding the Best to the Best

It might he hard to believe, but someone has produced a fair sized book on puns, 'The Pun Also Rises,' by John Pollack. I know this because I read two book reviews, and have just purchased the book, a scholarly hard cover edition that stretches 203 pages.

I haven't started the book, but the reviews are themselves interesting.  Puns have been with us quite awhile, and sometimes don't even appear to be puns.  Some you have to hear; some to have to see spelled out; some you just have to keep thinking about to realize they are puns. Some you will never get. No matter what.

One in particular, cited by in the book review by P.J. O'Rouke apparently appears in 'Macbeth' when Lady Macbeth (hardly one it would seem to be padding around the castle in jokey patter) says: "I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal, / For it must seem their guilt.”  Planting evidence never seemed like so much wordplay.  I know my English teacher missed that one.

For some, puns cannot be resisted.  Consider the Twitter tweet of @obitsman who surely couldn't sneak this one into his WSJ obituary of Jess Jackson, the California winemaker and champion thoroughbred horse owner who just passed away at 81, and expect to remain employed: "Jess Stonestreet Jackson dies at 81, Founder of Kendall Jackson winery. A fine life with an oaky finish." Cue the drummer.

For myself, Jess Jackson will be missed because he was one of the deep pocket horse owners who loved the sport that the sport desperately needs to keep the game going on a high level.  People like Paul Mellon, Eugene Klein and Allen Paulson, all departed, and with them stables of great champions.

As a horse owner, Mr. Jackson got what he wanted.  His middle name, Stonestreet, was the name of his stable. He already had complete control over Curlin, the horse of the year in 2007 and 2008.  Early in 2009 Mr. Jackson purchased the filly Rachel Alexandra.  As the racing year progressed, Rachel Alexandra made a name for herself by defeating male horses in the Preakness and the Woodward Stakes. She was Horse of the Year in 2009.  Jess Jackson envisioned the dream breeding matchup of Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, which in human terms would be like the word war horse William F. Buckley, Jr. being mated with the fast filly Pamela Harrison. The offspring could hardly fail to be spirited and great.

Unfortunately, while Curlin has been bred to Rachel Alexandra, the live foal is not expected to be born until February 2012.  Horses take 11 months.  Thus, the result of breeding the best to the best and hoping for the best, won't be seen by Mr. Jackson.

Time will tell what we all eventually will see.

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