"Every class decorated doors with a stable scene. They also had a poster of jockey silks to match a photograph of a jockey riding a thoroughbred in a race," teacher Mary Dancer said.
Dancer, who owns a horse farm in the township and also teaches horse back riding to youngsters added that each class "had to name their racehouse with the understanding that they couldn't name their horse after a famous horse like Seabiscuit or Secretariat."
The reading incentive program began in March with Read Across America Day and continued for several weeks "until the finish line of April 30. Every 32 pages read was considered one book. A sticker was placed on the jockey silk for every book read. Ms. Baylog's first grade class won the Run For The Roses with a total of 1,741 books," Dancer said.
"Mr. Valles fourth grade class was second place and Mrs. Eagan's second grade class was third," Dancer added.
On Monday afternoon, Ms. Baylog's class celebrated with a Kentucky Derby party complete with a sheet cake, in the school library.
The students watched a tape of Saturday's Kentucky Derby where Philadelphia horse Smarty Jones took first place.
"I'm very proud of all the students who participated, it was a very close race of all the students who participated. It was a very close race. It turns out everyone is a winner because they made the "smart choice" to read," Dancer said.
Dancer said that 1,741 books were read.