Yep…Derby week
is in full swing and tomorrow, Louisville will become THE place to be
for three days! If any of you are reading this and will be in the area…Welcome
and have a great time!! If you want to have a mint julep, feel free to stop by!
My week has been
so fun and the events did not disappoint. It all started with Opening Night in
the Turf Club at Churchill Downs. It was a beautiful evening with a light
breeze. Our driver was very kind, but sadly, her car did not have air
conditioning, so we were a little warm heading out to the track. Note to
self…be sure to ask that question when scheduling!!
After arriving
near the gate, we enjoyed the easy ride on the escalator and elevator to the
Turf Club where we were seated and greeted and ordered our first cocktails…a
mint julep for me!!
I have to say,
it was a lot of fun and I think that winning a few races helped keep the fun
going! Food and drink along with good people, celebrities and excellent people
watching kept us out on the town until 10:30 or so. The pick-up car arrived and
we enjoyed the open windows as we headed home.
The next
morning was the Mayor’s Derby Brunch, located on the river in Southwest
Louisville. It was another beautiful day, and the people watching was
outstanding! I love the hats and colors and the festive mood everyone is in. Once
again, good food and drinks made for a lovely day.
Those two days
of activities were crazy! This old body hadn’t been in heels two days in a row
for a long while. It was exhausting and ibuprofen was one of my food groups,
but totally worth it.
I went to bed
on Sunday night, only to be awakened by my 5am alarm. Yep, I still had one more
Derby event to manage before heading back to work. My co-workers and I were
meeting for a private tour of the Churchill Downs backside. I can’t say that I
was very excited but I got up and headed out the door at 6am. We met at
Wagners, the old time drug store/dinner. Our host for the morning was Scott
Davenport, Bellarmine’s head basketball coach, and part owner of a horse that
is housed at Churchill Downs.
He was a
delight! This man grew up near Churchill Downs and has more stories than you
can imagine! He shared many with us. He gave us history, guidelines about the
track practice, told us about how he worked or DeWayne Lucas for a few weeks so
he could pay for his wife’s 40th birthday party, and he told how the
people on the backside work really hard, have much pride in their work, and
that they are a family. We couldn’t walk two feet without someone saying, “Good
morning, Coach!” or “Who’s your pick, Coach?” He told people that we had
purchased his VIP tour at an auction so he needed to keep us happy!
We were there
over two hours, watching Oaks and Derby horses work out, get bathed, eat and
pose for pictures. Of course, the tour was topped off by breakfast at Wagners. What
a great morning.
I can’t believe
I’m about to say this, but the tour on Monday morning was definitely one of the
highlights of my Derby week. The kindness of the Coach, the loving care shown
to the horses by their walkers, groomers, and trainers, is truly easy to see.
Monday night,
although I was in my pajamas early, I watched the high-spirited bed races on
TV. Gosh…Derby week is so fun!!! There truly is something for everyone!
Although my Derby Day will be spent at home this year, I’ll have great memories
from this year! I know I’m happy to be back in Derby City and I look forward to
doing some other fun things again next year!
Now, fingers crossed that my name will be pulled out of the hopper for the
$20,000 grand prize available only to gold pin holders!! I could do a lot of
Derby fun next year with $20,000!!! xoxoxoxo
Oh woman, you never cease to amaze me with your adventures!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy hearing about them and yes, a little envy sneaks through too. I too will be watching from home with a Ky. Beverage in my hand! What a beautiful way to start the month of Racing!!🌹🏁🏎🏇