And They're Off!!!

This weekend, I went with six friends from work to witness "the greatest two minutes in sports." Yep, the Kentucky Derby!



It was a quick trip, we were really only gone about 36 hours, but we had a lot of fun! Tickets for the grandstand are practically impossible to get, so we joined the thousands of spectators watching the races from the infield! The 132nd Derby had attendance of more than 156,000 people, and the outfits ran the full range! From the grandstands with men in seersucker suits and ladies in fancy hats to the mullets and zany, festival-like nature of the infield, it was a big time!!

The flight to Louisville were all sold out by the time we decided to make our Run for the Roses with flights into Indianapolis. (They're only 2 hours apart) We stayed about halfway inbetween in Seymour, IN and drove to Churchill downs Saturday morning. Post time for the derby was 6:05, and we arrived around 1p. We found a good spot along the fence, just after the first turn so we could see the horses as they came thundering by!

We did try the mint julep, but I certainly wouldn't recommend them! Maybe Kentucky Bourbon is an acquired taste, but it sure did take me about an hour to finish my drink! They did serve a $1,000 version of this drink to benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which I had to pass on since my $16 in winnings wouldn't quite cover that.

I bet on one horse, English Channel, in the race before the derby, and then picked 3 horse to win, place, or show, plus a long shot to win, for the derby. My picks were mostly based on the horses' names and what the jockeys were wearing, but luckily, Barbaro (one of my picks pictured above) was among the winners! My AP Warrior, Sharp Humor, and Deputy Glitters didn't finish as strong, but that's ok.

So we had a great time at the derby! The weather was perfect, people-watching was at an all-time high, and I came home a winner! I'll post pictures soon!