Written by racing fan Patrick Kenneally
I want to express my thankfulness for all that Centennial has done with Wicked Strong and the story of the name. Not only have you shown support for Boston and the Marathon survivors, Wicked Strong has provided my father with inspiration while he battles leukemia.
We live right near Saratoga Race Course but are currently in Louisville, Kentucky for my father’s chemo treatments. The Travers race has always been exciting for us being near Saratoga. My father immediately picked Wicked Strong as his pick for the race once the field was set. As a family we embraced the mentality to be Wicked Strong. Our motto is that “Bill is Wicked Strong”; Bill is my father. My father has President Don Little’s quote about “no matter the highs and lows in life you must move forward” on the wall in his hospital room.
As Travers day came my dad was all aglow about watching Wicked Strong’s race, he even had me place bets on the race which he never does. The whole Travers day was a great distraction from the normal routine of being in the hospital. Dad could not have been happier watching that race. He was filled with so much inspiration watching Wicked Strong’s effort that he got out of bed and went for a walk for the first time in two days. He was like a thoroughbred how fast he was going through the halls.
His treatments will be over in a week and on Labor Day they will be doing a bone marrow test to see how successful it was. If he is able to come back to New York we will be so thankful.
My father is wicked strong and will beat leukemia; we thank you for giving us Wicked Strong to rally around.
**Update as of September 9 – the results of Bill Kenneally’s bone marrow biopsy came back and he is officially in remission from his leukemia. We wish him continued “wicked” good health.
Courtesy of NYRA – Adam Coglianese
