With Kentucky Derby 134 now in the rear view mirror I thought I'd list the things I'll remember about the Derby festivities.

1. Great Race Has Tragic Ending
While Big Brown triumphed to the win, Eight Belles finished an impressive second. But before she could even enjoy her magical run in front of more than 150,000 fans she broke down, breaking her two front ankles. She had to be euthanized on the spot. That's what I'll remember most from the Derby. I was a huge Eight Belles fan. I thought she really had a shot to beat the boys. I even bet $5 across the board on her. When the scene after the race unfolded I was heartbroken.

Ever since my wife and I got two dogs, I've been more sympathetic to animal rights. Watching the horses on the backside every morning for nearly two weeks, you start to develop a bond with them. I started to look at the horses, not only as animals about to race, but as individuals with certain personalities and quirks. To lose Eight Belles after a brilliant run in the Derby is painful. I know horses break down, but it doesn't make it any easier. To honor Eight Belles I've decided to save my winning ticket. The 40 or so dollars the ticket is worth pales in comparison to the memories I'll have of Kentucky Derby 134.

2. Big Brown Is a Serious Triple Crown Contender
Big Brown made a believer out of me. I knew he had the potential to be a pretty good horse but I thought he was too lightly raced, and he had only beaten marginal competition. But his nearly five length romp in the Run for the Roses was indeed impressive. He's a serious Triple Crown contender. I just don't see anyone on the radar that can beat him. The Preakness should be no problem for him. The only challenge is getting the mile and a half distance of the Belmont. But he was drawing away from the other contenders in the Derby so that should be no problem.

3. The Parties Were Off the Hook
Don't tell my boss but I tried to attend as many Derby parties throughout the week as I could. I just wanted to feel the true buzz of Derby week even though I had to be at Churchill Downs every morning by 5:00 a.m. I felt I needed to be where the energy was. The city of Louisville came alive and this may have been the best week of parties Derby has ever seen.

It all started for me on Thursday when my wife and I attended the Derby media party at the Galt House. Open bar and a buffet? What more could a media person ask for. Seriously though. The wife and I had a great time. The food is always excellent at this soiree and it's always good to see the trainers, jockeys and media types mingling in the same room.

After that it was to the Bowl for the Roses party at 4th Street Live. Another well done shin-dig with former UofL football player Kerry Rhodes, and TO, Terrell Owens in the house as well. Once again everything was on the house and you really can't go wrong when you do that.

The final stop was the Pre-Derby All Star Jam hosted by The 411's Sherlene Shanklin. It was a small affair but you can tell it's building steam. With DJ Lo-Skee on the 1s and 2s I couldn't help but get on the dance floor.

Friday my wife and I made the rounds again. We started off at the Jenny McCarthy party at the Frazier Arms Museum. There was a nice vibe there. McCarthy was a gracious host and looked as stunning in person as she does on TV.

From there we went to the Crown Royal Playboy party at the Mellwood Arts Center. It was packed. I went last year and while there were more people this year, I had more fun last year. Randy Moss was holding it down with his crew. But it was total chaos and mass confusion when Hugh Hefner and "The Girls Next Door" walked in. While they were sitting and enjoying the vibe, fans about three or four rows deep were clamoring for pictures. Not my style. But there were some beautiful people in the house, and even though it took forever to get drinks it was still an experience.

Derby night was truly the night I'll remember the most. My first trip to the Grand Gala made me want to come back year after year. It was the best Derby party I've been to. The celebrities were accessible. From Dr. J, to Michael Jordan, to Dwyane Wade, to Gabriel Union the list could go on and on, the celebs were there to have a good time. my wife and I hit the dance floor and right next to us was Dr. J himself. But he wasn't sweating anything. He along with the rest of the celebs partied past the o'clock hour. It was truly a great night and a great week of Derby parties.

4. Lack of Backside Buzz
While the race had drama, and the parties were crazy the backside of Churchill Downs seemed pretty tame this year. As the week progressed more people showed up but overall the week lacked something. The Playboy Playmates were definitely a hit on the backside. And it was good to see NASCAR drivers Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann back there. Even the chef Bobby Flay made an appearance. It was all good but I expected more buzz on the backside.

1 Comments

Jennifer Kennedy said:

I loved your blog on Derby! I am also a dog lover and feel as you do about the horses and other animals. I can completely understand and admire you for keeping the ticket on Eight Belles! And I think you are spot on with the assessment of Big Brown! And I enjoyed some Derby Parties also and am ready for next year! Thanks for all your continuing great coverage!

May 7, 2008 10:54 AM

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