Derby Day

The Kentucky Derby is a frat party-wedding-music festival (without the music)-debutante ball-Easter Sunday-tailgate-junior prom-spring break disguised as a horse race. It was like a prep school graduation with trust fund kids (and their parents) playing dress-up, chugging mint juleps.

There were rumors that certain fleet-footed, four-legged creatures known as a "horse" would be racing today. Of course, I have no pictures to prove it. The paddock was about 8 deep with seersucker, and if you don't have a grandstand seat (we didn't), you were most likely on the infield, and there were very limited spots to see actual, live "horses". There was one huge big screen where everyone on the infield could follow the races.

Before the seventh race, they ran out of water (but not mint juleps!). I took a nap, then watched my horse Dortmund finish third in the Derby after leading most of the way. He ran out of gas at the end, and we did too.

The main gate at Churchill Downs.

Just outside the gates of Churchill Downs, people sold space on their lawns for cars, RVs and tailgates.

The big screen.

The view from my seat in the infield.

Jack Fry's, a classy, old-school restaurant in the Bardstown neighborhood of Louisville, lifted our spirits after the somewhat disappointing day at the races.

Shrimp and grits.

Pork chop.