Our first official “Derby” day.... off to the track at 6:40 a.m. all dressed up with make-up on even. Dawn at the Derby was our beginning event. Thankfully our hotel was only 15 minutes from Churchill Downs. The sun was barely coming up and the morning chill was still in the air.
We could park in the regular lots today. Not many people were there when we arrived but lots of cars filed in behind us. Having never been to Churchill Downs before, I didn’t know what to expect ---- the initial sight of the twin spires is an beautiful view. I call it the “Trocadero” view. My first view of the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero metro stop exit is one of the most memorable sights in my life, so I call certain memorable sights that knock your socks off -- my “Trocadero” view. And Churchill Downs at dawn deserves that honor.
sweet as.....
You could feel the energy of the place when you walk through the first turnstile. It was a tad bit eerie that no one was there. But it was kind of exciting to be able to stroll around areas that you know are bustling with activity during normal hours.
They have huge mural like paintings showing the recent horses, jockeys, trainers, and owners in caricature and one of the historical figures --Bright and bold showing the vibrant life and history of Churchill Downs.
Secretariat .....
maybe?
We went up a few escalators to get to Millionaire’s Row 4 for our Kentucky buffet breakfast and race horse watching. They gave us stickers to wear and showed us to our table “73”. Millionaire’s Row is a massive area set up for “grandstand” viewing of the races. I loved the yellow paint and the TV’s along the ceiling and pillars were very helpful when watching the pretty horses. There were over 100 tables set up for 8 people each. Waiters were walking around bringing drinks and taking empty plates. The buffet was great --- scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, dozens of pound cake/coffee cake slices, cheesy onion hash browns, grits, and biscuits and sausage gravy. (And the hats were out also -- small and large.) Our table had a group of nice ladies -- three generations -- a mother from Michigan, her two adult daughters (Louisville and Dallas) and granddaughter (Florida). They gave us tips about Louisville and we discussed our picks.
yes, a few carbs
this hat I "get"
maybe on this one..
this hat I don't "get" - is it a hat? for a rat?
A really pretty female jockey turned newscaster, Donna Barton Brothers, came out with the “special guests” Mike Smith, jockey and a couple of trainers to discuss the Derby and the Oaks before the select horses came out for their morning workouts. She was so little like an elf. You wouldn’t expect a jockey to be ladylike looking but she was. Her mother, brother and sister were all jockeys too. What a different family business.
The “select” horses were the only horses allowed on the track from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. Angel and I made it out to the viewing area and found a front row position. The sun was coming up over the track and the horses came out from the backside (where the horses are stabled and the “real” life of the track takes place -- trainers, jockeys, stable hands, vets, and horses).
Being at Churchill Downs, watching the horses workout in the morning light, few spectators and very little noise...... an experience like no other. The others started discussing which horses were their picks. Calvin Borel, a Cajun jockey, was working out his Derby horse, Take Charge Indy; and Larry Jones, a trainer, was galloping his own horse for the Oaks.
my favorite of the day :)
I love my sunrises
After the horses went back in, Angel and I wandered downstairs --- she had advised shopping early. They normally run out of things and did we really want to carry bags with our big hats and fancy outfits. It was a zoo in the shop, even that early in the morning. I wouldn’t be able to walk in there during the races. Donna Barton Brothers had written a book -- Inside Track -- and she was signing copies. I got in line and got a couple. Considering what a shopaholic I can be, I thought I was very conservative in my gift purchases.....
Can you imagine the patience?
this is a "Southern" event
a fancy light fixture
I did meet a very nice man, Lee Pennington, who is a Kentucky documentary maker. Not that it is a habit of mine to talk to strangers (yeah right, mom I never learned that lesson), but I so loved his tie. He looked like a southern gentleman and was intelligent and friendly. His web site is http://joleproductions.com/ and he is a creative writing professor. If he is reading this now, please forgive my errors in grammar and style. :) www.joleproductions.com
He had a pretty lady friend with him, Jill Baker, who is an artist in Indiana. He gave me his websites and hers also (and I gave him mine). Her work is very impressionist like in some ways and primitive in others. I really like her Italian scenes (but I haven't been to Venice since 1995). www.jillbaker.com I like how she's described -- Renaissance Woman. (And she is a Baylor Grad too.)
Angel and I, with loaded arms, went to the Kentucky Derby Museum and to the gift shop there. On the way we stopped at the back of the twin spires. There is a bronze statute of a horse and a jockey in a small garden area. After taking a few photographs, we went across the paddock walkway (it was cushioned) and finally made it to the Museum. Along the eaves there are the Derby winners plaques.
check out the crown
the paddock....
just imagine the horses that have trod this path:
At the Derby Museum, there were a lot of people also but a few different treasures than at the other gift shop. (They also had some items on sale from previous year’s events.)
It was getting late in the morning and we needed to get a move on it, after collecting Lucky and Silver we headed out, dropping Silver off to meet his son on the backside.
Lucky and I waiting on Angel as she got a spray on tan in some random lady’s garage (she is a whiz at finding people on the internet and the lady was very nice). Spanish daggers were in her yard and they were beautiful. On the way we saw some of the Louisville painted horses (like the painted cow parade or painted cable cars).
As this was a “hat” event, Angel had special ordered her hat from a Louisville shop. It’s amazing that she sent them photos of her dresses and voila -- a beautiful striking hat that fit her perfectly. We can’t tell you where we went but they had a ton of hats already ready to wear also.
maybe next year
Lucky was famished and we had to feed him, even though we wanted to shoot over to Lexington to see the horse farms. That morning one of the ladies we met at the Dawn at the Derby had told us her favorite restaurant in Louisville was Jack Fry’s (it was located in a bohemian/ artsy area of Louisville).
It took us a few tries to find a parking place and then we entered by a side door an old building. It had dark chocolate walls and black and white photographs covering the walls. Photos of famous people who have signed them, photos of newsworthy Louisville events, and photos of historic national events.
There were a lot of people in the restaurant and the main dining room was in the old front room of the building. It looked like an old store from the 50’s that had been converted. The front windows were well covered with blinds and the sun did not come in. There were windows high up on the side walls covered with very simple white curtains.
The menu was simple and not that many items were featured. I ordered a grilled chicken salad, Angel had a sandwich while Lucky had the clam soup and a beef dish. The food was excellent (and so was the service -- cute little waiter).
To finish off the meal --- roasted banana homemade ice cream for me and caramel something or another for Angel -- Lucky (who was not supposed to be eating desserts) opted for the blackberry and strawberry cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream. Yum! I should have lost 5 pounds before I came on this trip just so I could gain them with all this great food we were having.
On our way out of the area, there was a Walgreens we had to hit. Kentucky Derby mint julep glasses -- $2 each (score) and other various souvenirs. When we went in, I was reminded of where we were - Kentucky. There was a young girl, no older than 20, with her baby stroller. The girl was smoking a cigarette talking on the phone as her precious little blond baby girl played with a toy. Really? The middle of the afternoon on a Thursday -- she did not look like she was in the upper income bracket and was facing a very hard life. I wanted to say -- put out the bloody cigarette and get an education and go to work somewhere to support your child. Some people don’t figure it out early enough.
Before we went back to the hotel, we had to pick up another ticket for a Derby event tonight -- the Taste of the Derby. Angel had found one ticket via Craig’s list or somewhere on the internet. It felt like we were doing a drug deal -- we crossed over the Ohio River to Indiana and went to a small restaurant on the river. We called the guy and he came out to the car, looking kind of shady like. The ticket looked like ours and looked legit.
Time couldn’t get here quick enough for us to ditch Lucky, you really can’t shop with him around -- what do they say - you can’t hunt with the game warden? To put it in a nicer fashion, for us to deposit him at the hotel so he could rest and for us to proceed to Lexington.
The interstate to Lexington from Louisville was very short -- less than an hour and half drive. About 30 miles in you started seeing horse farms along the highway. A very interesting feature was that the pens were not blocked off, instead they had rounded edges. Angel said so the horses would never get stuck in a corner. It was interesting how each horse had his own beautifully fenced in area -- kind of like a “private” room in a dorm or a hospital. some even had their own little feeding sheds too.
The grass here is different and beautiful -- I guess that is why they call it the bluegrass state. After passing the Kentucky Racehorse Retirement Farm, we arrived in Lexington around 4:45 p.m. at the Kentucky Horse Park. They were closing so we didn’t go in but we did drive around and look at the pretty horses.
On the way into town, there were many horse farms / horse mansions? for sale. I can only imagine what the price tags were, Sotheby’s were the real estate company on most of them.
We made it into town, with an hour to spare at L.V. Harkness (a posh Lexington gift shop). I have a thing for gift shops, having grown up in one and going to “market” since I was a young child. I am a professional shopper of a different level.
I found a great new perfume -- Tryst by Lady Primrose. Glad I escaped with only that, as there were so many pretty things. But as I really wasn’t in the market for a $28,000 etched vase, I got out of there for less than $100. www.lvharkness.com
On our quick trip back to Lexington, we still managed to stop to take pictures of the Castle (how do we spend a night there?) and the Keeneland track. It was the fanciest track I have ever seen. It reminded me of a winery in the Napa Valley.
It's a hotel, sort of.
This is a BARN for HORSES that is bigger than my high school.
We made it back to Louisville just in time to hurriedly get ready for the Taste of the Derby -- my first “red” carpet event. I had found a great teal ruffled cocktail dress. (I am really feeling like a princess -- two different dresses in one day. I didn’t even think it was a hassle having to put on full-on makeup so much.)
at the front door
This fancy party -- a fundraiser for hunger relief charities-- one of them is Blessings in a Backpack www.blessingsinabackpack.org ---- was being held in a Hangar at Bowman Airfield --- wicked a party in an airplane hangar - I have arrived in the big time.
After taking pictures on the red carpet -14 Hands Winery representatives met us at the entrance giving us an engraved wine glass and a “wine glass holder plate” for our bites.
Angel and I wandered around picking up different dishes, I liked the taco ones from Texas. Every table had a person filling your wine glass. Lucky found him a great seat at the entrance and was enjoying the people watching (let’s just say all the ladies showed up with not so modest attire).
I didn't know what this was but it was delicious.
:)
see -- just the right bite size
The dessert table had wonderful raspberry filled shortbread cookies and mini derby pies. They also had some kind of cooking presentation -- with a mirror so you could see what they were doing. There were a lot of people milling around watching these great chefs. I didn’t have a clue so I wasn’t that interested ---sample all the delicious treats or watch someone preparing them, hum? Not a tough choice for me.
While Lucky was at the front, Bill Carstanjen, the COO of Churchill Downs came in with his sweet wife. Lucky had met him last year and Bill remembered him (Lucky is hard to forget). Lucky kept calling him Undercover Boss (as he was on a great episode of this show). The COO chatted for a while about the four different tracks that Churchill Downs had an interest in and how pleased they were with this year’s attendance.
The band was pretty good, but their outfits were lacking modernity.
Silver’s son, Doc, showed up with his father and it turns out we have mutual friends from college and my hometown. It can be a really small world sometimes. After dancing and listening to the band for a while, we went to the valet and waited on our vehicle. Too bad the car parked at the front wasn’t ours (but we couldn’t have fit with our hats -- I do wonder which man in his midlife crisis had this one). While we waited we were given red roses from Kroger (where they make the rose blanket for the winning horse).
Love it -- a day in Louisville starting with a great initial visit to Churchill Downs and beautiful horses working out on the famous track, hat shopping and eating at a tasty local eatery, a scenic drive to Lexington and then eating (or would you call it grazing) at a fancy pants party in a airplane hangar.... I can only imagine what the next magical day can hold..........
our hotel artist at work :) good job
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