There had not been an undefeated winner in the Kentucky Derby since Seattle Slew did it in 1977. Fans watching the 2004 Derby saw a Pennsylvania-bred horse named Smarty Jones, with a trainer and a jockey who were both Derby rookies, end the 27-year drought by running his record to 7-0. Jockey Stewart Elliott said, "At the three-eighths pole I was biding my time. I knew I had a loaded gun beneath me. He straightened up, switched leads, and I figured it was time to go."

Stewart Elliott knew that it wasn't his power that was going to win the Kentucky Derby, but that it was the power of his horse that would carry him across the finish line. In the same way, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that is carrying us to the finish line in the race of life. Through His power, the Holy Spirit also sets us free from the law of sin and death, speaks God's words through us, convicts our hearts of sin, strengthens us in our weakness and enables us to live the life of obedience that God desires for us.