We did another hearty breakfast at Bob Evan's and then donned our Derby finery- seersucker for him, black and white dress with a pink hat for me.
We had the same seats as Oaks Day and they were still fabulous. I don't think I won a penny that day but I had a blast.
One slightly amusing story- a friend of mine in Boston gave me $25 to bet on Wicked Strong. After Hoppertunity was scratched, I was under the assumption that since Wicked Strong had originally been in post 20, everyone would move down a notch, Wicked Strong would break from 19 and post 20 would be empty. I asked a few people who seemed to know what they were doing and it seemed it would be that way based on something I had from Daily Racing Form. So, I put my friend's money on the 19 horse. The Kentucky Derby race rolled around and I realized (too late!) that Wicked Strong would be breaking from the 20 post and I had my friend's money on Ride On Curlin instead.
Shit.
Despite our great seats, I could barely enjoy the race. I was so worried that Wicked Strong would be in the money and I'd have to disappoint my friend or cough up the winnings myself. By the skin of my teeth, I was OK. Wicked Strong came in 4th and I was able to breathe again. I won't make that mistake again. Mostly because I don't think I want to place bets with other people's money ever again. Crap, that was nerve wracking.
A few pictures from the race:
And they're off!
Up the backstretch
And California Chrome wins the 140th Kentucky Derby!
My lovely husband boxed the favorite and post 17 (because no one has ever won from 17) and he won $170! It was the most either of us have ever won on a horse race and I think it was probably the first ticket we've ever cashed on the Derby at all!
Some closing thoughts:
I'm going to have to rewrite my entry about lunch at the Kentucky Derby. With the improvements done to the grandstand, food was definitely better. Was it gourmet/organic/free range/remotely healthy? Not in the least but it was filling and tasty and a vast improvement over previous years. They had tacos, nachos, sausages, kebobs. Expect to spend about $10-12 on lunch.
Did I make any mistakes this year? Actually, I did. When I got my Kentucky Derby pedicure, the girl doing my toes asked if I wanted her to get the dead skin off the bottom of my feet. I said yes. Big mistake. The bottoms of my feet were baby soft but after all that walking on Oaks Day, I wanted to crawl from the car to the restaurant. The soles of my feet felt like they were on fire! Luckily it was short lived and I was OK for the Derby.
No Kentucky Derby for us in 2015. We'll be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary and as much as I love the Derby, I want to park my arse on a beach and relax for a week. The Derby is fun fun fun but for our anniversary, I want a drink in my hand, my toes in the sand and not a thing on my calendar.
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