Kentucky-born humorist Irvin S. Cobb said this about the Kentucky Derby: “Until you go to Kentucky and with your own eyes behold a Derby, you ain’t been nowhere and you ain’t seen nothing.”
All I can say, after attending about 25 derbies in the last 30 years, is — he’s right.
We just got back Monday night from “My Old Kentucky Home,” where we had a great time enjoying the sights and sounds of Derby Weekend and Derby Day at historic Churchill Downs.
On Derby morning, I managed to cobble together five first-floor clubhouse tickets by positioning myself outside a major track entrance and holding up a sign that said: “Need one or two…For me (Jim) and my wife (Patty).”
Usually I do need only one or two, but this year our 23-year-old daughter Brooks and 21-year-old son Charlie went with us, as did a buddy of Charlie’s from Tulsa University. So, naturally, I kept my sign aloft and continued buying after I got the first two. With a record-setting crowd of 165,000 people descending on the track, extra tickets were relatively scarce, and the prices were unusually high. To give you an idea, I paid $1,370 for the five tickets — about $400 over total face value.
It was a memorable day — as Derby Day always is — made more special because Brooks and Patty bet on the winner, Animal Kingdom, who went off at 20-1. Patty netted about $40 on the race, while Brooks made about $60. Both were thrilled, as they were entitled to be: Picking the winner out of 20 horses (19 this year because of a scratch) is a daunting challenge.
Here, then, are some of the images from Derby 137.
For this guy, Derby Day got off to a lousy start.
Outside the track, where I was stationed to buy tickets, I ran into my cousin, Colleen Salazar (right), her husband John and a couple they were with.
On Derby Day, people even look good in purple.
Melissa, of Seattle, made her hat. (She was sitting a couple of boxes from us.)
Should a gentleman offer a tiparillo to a lady? Absolutely!
Shrewd bettors, Brooks and Patty
Gay blades
Fearless blogger
The lady who took my picture in the concession line -- Carolyn, I believe
Jeff and his wife Terri, of Fort Myers, Fla. He sold me the only two tickets I was able to get that were together. They graciously hosted us in their box.
My Derby horse, Archarcharch, during the "walkover" from the barn area. "Arch" came in 15th.
The third-floor clubhouse (lower balcony) and the fourth, fifth and sixth floors -- "millionaires' row." At far right, you can see one of the famous Twin Spires.
First-floor clubhouse (to the left and right of the walkway), where we sat
My son Charlie (center), flanked by his friend Patrick Schell (left) and Ascot Man. (I have no idea who he was, but he definitely belongs in the picture.)
At the end of the day, our group was still smiling. Back row, from left: Judy of Fort Myers, me, Charlie, Patrick, Patty and Jeff. Front row: Terri and Brooks.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
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