Running For The Roses

Friday morning the yahoos and I drove

to Dry Ridge to pick-up Cassie and crew.  And look what they brought!  Delicious!

Friday we hit the road with our good clothes, rain gear and Derby hats.  And this is the first thing that greeted us.   I can tell you that I have hundreds of shots from our outstanding weekend but I am only sharing some of the highlights...I am afraid you might never come back to read the blog ever again of I did.

 

Greg and Mike...AKA Poops...are the world's top notch Derby Weekend Planners.  We wanted for nothing.  Little surprises at every turn.  All the hot spots.  And they made it 'all about me'.  I never opened a car door...treated like a queen!

They took us to a really cool Mediterranean restaurant, Ramsi's On The World, complete with belly dancers.  This is what Mark had for dinner...curried chicken and shrimp paella.  I had to smack his hands because he was almost licking the bowl.

My crab cakes were out of this world!

jerk chicken sandwich

smoked salmon Panini

Then it was off to the races...well, maybe it was the parties with all the celebrities...you know a little bit of Kentucky Derby celebrity picture stalking.  We were a little late for the big names, but it didn't matter because we still had fun.

Singer Morris Day and his date.  Have no clue who he is or if I would like his music.  But he is famous in some circles of the world.

Darius Miller, former UK star basketball player that now plays professionally.  Please, don't ask me who he plays for...because I have no clue.

Of course we made friends while standing on the curb.  This sweet young lady let me take pics of all 5 of her autographs.  Again, I didn't recognize any of the names.  She was so cute.  She had been camped out since early afternoon.  We were so hoping to be able to get Michael Funk's autograph.  You know he is famous.  Everyone was waiting to see him arrive!  And little did they know.

 

Special treat on our bed...a box of Kentucky Bourbon balls and a horse tapestry.

It is not everyday that I get to drink my mourning coffee out of real china!

I got a personal lesson on how to read a racing form.  This stuff is really involved.  How can you choose a winner.  I have learned from a veteran better that you watch the horses and the one that poops right before the race is the one to bet on...because they will be the lightest and will be able to run faster.

And the morning paper.  Oh, look Morris and his date made the paper!

Table set and ready for us.  I thought I was at a 5 star resort all weekend.  Sure was treated that way also.

Chef in the kitchen serving our breakfast.

country ham biscuits, fresh fruit, homemade blueberry scones, a breakfast egg casserole, orange juice and coffee

 

Mike's parents, Jerry and Alice, were able to come to the Derby festivities too.  Haven't seen these people for at least 12 years.  We didn't miss a beat...just picked up from the last time we were here for a Star Point Reunion.

We all had special Derby attire  but because the forecast called for rain we decided to wear our rain gear instead.  And covering your Derby hat in plastic was the required rain gear.

Our Clubhouse boxsesats...

Because of security measures I was not allowed to take my regular cameras.  I borrowed Ms Renee's 35MM.  So you will see there was a little bit of a learning curve.

You can't go the Derby and not get a mint julep.  Oh my word...nastiest thing I have ever put in my mouth.  Two sips was more than enough for me.  But I had the experience and now I have the glass.  Best and worst $11 I have ever spent.

 

 

I have no words...but I do have a rose from the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby.  And that is all that matters.  And just so you don't think we are awful, hands full of people were taking the roses.

I wish I could have gotten lots more hat shots.  They were amazing.  Some simple and elegant and other loud and proud.

Love this hat.  She is a first grade teacher and all the first graders in the school put their fingerprint on her hat.  Her own children make paper cranes for the back.

The Paddock

Alice packed a lunch fit for us of fried chicken sandwiches and cole slaw, which we ate under our ponchos.

I came out in the rain to eat my cupcake.  Best and most fun picnic I have ever had!

Bryce I took this one for you...thought the cast from Newsies was there.

 

Great place to people watch for sure!

This gentleman has been painting Kentucky Derby horses for a long while.

Love the silks of the jockeys.

We literally sat in the rain for 8 hours waiting for the fastest two minutes in sports.  Memories that I will cherish and laugh about and probably talk about for a long time.

Every little bit Jerry would take a little walk...to the windows, to the bathroom, or scouting out some special gold rimmed wine goblets with the Derby logo engraved on the back.

 

The gold rimmed goblets were shipped from Belgium.  Just happen to find one that someone just left on their seat.  Not that we were looking to pick up any or anything.

Us at Church Hill Downs for The Derby.

The box beside us was filled with people from LA.

Just before the race we decided to remove the plastic.  Looking good!

Not to bad for being in a bag all day.  Dry as can be.  I guess you could say that goes for both of us.

Got chicken?

Just before the big race...Chef's lined the roof railing.

Attendance...151,616.  Making it into the Top Ten of all Derby attendances.

And they're off!  Coming right at us in the first curve... captured by Mark's cell phone.

And there they go.

 

Glad it was only $6 that I lost.  Just call me the last of the big time spenders.

After The Derby, we drove back to Bardstown Road to a little place called Bristol Bar and Grill.

We shared some Burgoo...delicious! Our salads had the best ranch/blue cheese dressing. And the hand warmer/driers in the bathrooms are to die for!

I knew that I would order a Hot Brown. Beyond describing. Gotta have a Hot Brown for the Derby. Good and warm!

Then we jumped in the car and headed to a little place called the Pie Kitchen for a piece of Derby Pie.  Now, they don't really have Derby Pie...something about it is only made in two official places.  But they had something they call a Traditional Kentucky Chocolate Nut Bourbon Pie.  Sure looked and tasted like a Derby Pie to me!

 

These few pictures and words can not even come close to explaining the weekend we had.  Poops (I'm sorry he will always be Poops to me) and Greg out did themselves.  Everything was perfect!  They made our first Derby experience one that I know I will never forget.  When I am in the home in my wheelchair speaking gibberish, I just know it will be stories from this weekend.  Thank you soooooo much for such an awesome time.