Where to buy Kentucky Derby hats

I did a very brief trip to shop for my Kentucky Derby hat this past weekend but it was a complete bust. I bought my hat last year on March 8th (yes, I scrolled through my Facebook feed to find out the exact date) but since Easter is three weeks later this year than last year, the store was barren of gorgeous Kentucky Derby hats.

So, where does one start shopping for a hat worthy of the Kentucky Derby?

For me, I start in a department store at the mall where the African American women shop. Let's face it, white women just don't wear hats of this caliber. I tried the big flagship Macy's but it wasn't in the right neighborhood. I also found that while Macy's might have better prices with all their sales, Dillard's has a much bigger selection.

My 2011 and 2012 Kentucky Derby hat

Costume jewelry stores are a good place to look, too. My first Kentucky Derby hat came from one of these stores. It was inexpensive and it didn't stand the test of time but it was a good place to start.

 My first Kentucky Derby hat, 2008

And then there's the internet. Here are some websites with a good selection of hats

Etsy has a ton of sellers with Kentucky Derby hats. A few of my favorite Etsy shops- The Original Tree, Carolina Hat Girl, and Award Design.
Dee's Crafts in Louisville has a mind blowing selection of hats. 
Hat-a-Tude
Hatagories 
Hats in the Belfry
Lady Diane Hats
Maggie Mae Designs
Just be sure to check the return policy if you order online!

Another tip- if you need a hat box, the Container Store has square hat boxes with string handles.

I'm going to try again in a couple weeks. I hope I have better luck!

El Camino Real Stakes - I got it right!

Finally! My imaginary* exacta would have paid out!

I liked 2- Puppy Manners based on the trainer's record and the horse's recent performances (definitely not on the name because Puppy Manners is a dumb name for a horse),  4- Tamarando based on the jockey, trainer, high Beyer Speed Figure, and race performances, 5- Enterprising because jockey Gary Stevens seems to be on fire lately and Enterprising has had some impressive wins and 8- Dance with Fate based on his route races.

So I wrote down what I would have bet if I had been at the track and did two exactas- 4/8 and 5/2. And that's exactly how they came in! 4-8-5-2! Of course since 4 and 8 were the favorites, I would have cashed a ticket for only $13.70 but that'll get me one mint julep with some money left over for another bet!

The Southwest Stakes took place on Monday and I tried to handicap it but it was snow day #8 for my kids and my heart wasn't in it. It's hard to concentrate when it's the 8th snow day of the school year (will it ever end?!?) and the theme song from Super Hero Squad is blaring from the living room. So I had to lay down my handicapping pen, make a cup of tea and curse that groundhog and his shadow. Screw you, Phil.

It starts to get real this weekend when races are now worth 5--20-10-5 points so I'll definitely be paying attention from here on out. I'm getting excited! 72 days! Hat shopping is right around the corner!

*Why imaginary? Because I live in Missouri and I can't bet online- at least on any reputable sites. Which is probably a good thing since my track record is pretty damn bad.

Robert B Lewis Stakes

The Robert B Lewis Stakes was run at Santa Anita on Saturday. My picks were:
1- Candy Boy, based on jockey, trainer,  and his record at the race distance of 1 1/16. He'd run it twice and came in second and first.
3- Midnight Hawk based on jockey (I have a thing for Mike Smith, if you haven't figured that out yet!), trainer, his record (he was 2 for 2) and his workouts.
5- Cool Samurai based on his pedigree notes (dad was a Grade 1 winner at routes and his mom was sired from a Breeder's Cup Juvenile winner) and because Cool Samurai is a cool name.

I noticed 7- Chitu was a favorite but I didn't know why. This is where my novice-ness stands out. He was 2 for 2 but those wins were in races that were only 6 furlongs. Also the notes on his pedigree said his dad was a sprinter, his mom won once on grass, and a half sister was a sprinter. But he's also a Bob Baffert horse and Baffert is no dummy so if Baffert thinks a horse is ready to go from 6 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, I should probably sit up and pay attention.

The results were 1/7/3/2 and my imaginary exactas were 3/5, 1/3 and 1/5. So, sadly as usual, I came close but I wouldn't have made any money. I hope my luck changes in Louisville! I was impressed by Candy Boy's race- that was a Derby worthy performance. I wish Midnight Hawk had done better but I'm sure I'll be rooting for Mike Smith on May 3rd, even if it's on a different horse.

How could you NOT root for that smile?

Lecomte Stakes

**Yeah, I totally skipped writing about the Sham Stakes. There were only 4 horses in the race and there were no surprises. The superfecta paid out a whopping $4.50. I skipped it. Meh.


Moving on to the Lecomte Stakes... I handicapped it and did my imaginary exactas* of 4/1 (Gold Hawk/Roman Unbridled), 7/1 (Vicar's in Trouble/Roman), and 7/4 (Vicar/GH). My long shot was 5, Smarty's Echo. They came in:

7- Vicar's In Trouble
6- Albano
4- Gold Hawk
1- Roman Unbridled

My long shot, Smarty's Echo, came in dead last. But like I said in my Jerome Stakes post, that's why he was my long shot. I didn't give Albano too much credit because he hadn't raced a race this long before. That's the same reason I threw out I'll Have Another in 2012 Kentucky Derby. Yeah, we know where that got me! But I'm feeling pretty good about my other picks. By May, I'll be picking winners like a true degenerate gambler!

The top 4 finishers were in the front for most of the race but coming down the stretch, Vicar's In Trouble found his second wind and left the other three in the dust! He finished 7 lengths ahead of Albano! I'll be keeping an eye on Vicar! He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97, the highest of any horse on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

 *Why are my exactas imaginary? Because I can't wager online from the lovely state of Missouri, at least not on any reputable site that I've found. I'm sure a guy in Nigeria would be elated to have my credit card number but TwinSpires.com will not take registrations from the Show Me State. Therefore, I just write down what I would bet if I were at the track. I don't win any money but I don't lose any money either!

Side note- Whenever I see the name Vicar's In Trouble, I start to sing Vicar In A Tutu. Surely I can't be the only child of the '80's to do this? Maybe I should pass this along to Vicar's In Trouble's connections as a recommendation as a name for Vicar's offspring! Think of how many people bet on a horse because of it's name! Or not. I'm not sure how many fans of The Smiths follow horse racing and it's a pretty obscure Smiths song. Girlfriend in a Coma is more well known but that would be one hell of a morbid name for a racehorse!

PS. 102 days till the Kentucky Derby! We're almost to double digits, ya'll!

Where to park at the Kentucky Derby

This is a question I see a lot on message boards. I've only parked at Papa John's Stadium which to me seems to be the cheapest and easiest option but I'll do my best to write about other options.
  
Self parking

The easiest way is to park at Papa John's Stadium for $15 and then either walk to Churchill Downs (15 minutes or so) or catch one of the shuttles they have running back and forth (another $15/person). It's an easy walk but I highly recommend wearing your comfy shoes and then slipping on your heels when you reach Churchill. The hardest part of the walk is the rather lengthy staircase you have to climb from the parking lot to Central Ave but then it's literally downhill from there. You'll pass people selling flip flops, beer or beads, at least two guys with bullhorns talking about Jesus (and at least two wiseguys heckling them), a carnival stand selling everything from funnel cakes to corn dogs, etc.

The first gate you'll come across is Gate 3 on 4th Street. This is where you want to enter if you are sitting in the infield and have a chair, blanket or tarp. The entrance will take you right to the infield. If you have grandstand tickets, keep walking down Central Ave and enter through Gate 1. Blankets and tarps are allowed but not chairs. If you have reserved clubhouse seats, Gate 10 is apparently the place you want to go. No chairs, blankets or tarps are allowing through Gate 10.
Churchill Downs is selling parking passes too. Passes are good for both Oaks and Derby. $300 will get you into lot 2B and $95 will get you into lots 15/16.
Here's a map I made featuring parking lots and gates; parking lots are red markers and gates are green. 


Residents near Churchill Downs apparently charge people to park on their lawns but I haven't seen this in action and I have no idea what they charge. I honestly think parking at Papa John's Stadium is the way to go. It's cheap and the walk isn't bad at all. If you can't handle the walk, you can do the shuttles.

Valet parking

Another option is to do valet parking through Derby Experiences. Their lot is 1.5 blocks from Churchill Downs. According to their website, they charge $325 per person. They're parking cars, not people so I'm not sure why it says per person. It looks like even after paying $325, you still have to walk 1.5 blocks. For that price, I want Zenyatta herself to carry me to the entrance of Churchill Downs and a shirtless Mike Smith to escort me to my seat.

Taxis

I've never used taxis but word on the street is getting taxi after the Derby is over is a 2-3 hour affair. After a long day on your feet, it's not something I'd want to do. A friend of mine once stayed in Sellersburg, IN and found a local to drive him back and forth. I assume the front desk clerk recommended someone to drive them. The driver dropped them off as close as road closures allowed and they had a designated pick up time and place. That sounds a lot more convenient than waiting in the taxi line for 2 hours. I'd try this instead before doing a taxi. It might be something you can use CraigsList for? I'll check when the Derby gets closer.

As usual, if you have any other ideas that I haven't listed, let me know!

Lunch at the Kentucky Derby

Don't go hungry. It's a long day and you'll need something to soak up the mint juleps, lilies and beer.

If your ticket doesn't include a lunch buffet, you're on your own for food. I have to say, the food at Churchill Downs is disappointing, to say the least. We've spent most of our years on the east end of Churchill Downs so that's what I know best. You'll find stands selling chicken fingers, burgers and fries, hot dogs, Carolina BBQ, gigantic sausages and one special stand that sells a roast beef sandwich with blue cheese and a lobster roll.

I haven't tried the burgers but I can assume they aren't hand-pattied Angus beef. The hot dogs taste like they're mostly sawdust and the Carolina BBQ? Let's just say I only ate the bun. Of course, this was the year I was hungover at the Oaks so maybe if my stomach wasn't rocking and rolling, I might have liked it better. But I doubt it. It's more like shaved pork loin instead of pulled pork from a pork shoulder. The gigantic sausages were decent. Not great, but pretty tasty after you've had a few drinks and need something with a bit o' grease.

As far as I know, there is only one stand that sells what I actually find delicious at the Kentucky Derby. It's located all the way past the paddock, keep walking past the gift shop, bypass the bank, several bathrooms and go out a set of doors. It's in a covered walkway behind the first floor clubhouse. It sells a roast beef and blue cheese sandwich (it included basil in 2008 but that was the last time I saw it with basil) and a lobster roll. Buyer beware on the lobster roll- Husband claims it was imitation crab and mayonnaise. I have no idea why there's only one place that sells it but the roast beef sandwich is definitely worth the trek if you're in the bleachers or grandstand like us.

Another option is to bring your own lunch in. Churchill Downs has very strict rules about how the food can be brought in, though, and this changes year to year so be sure to check the What to Know page at KentuckyDerby.com. Last year, after the Boston Marathon bombing, they totally overhauled a lot of rules at the last minute so check before you pack up your fried chicken or club sandwiches!
A few Louisville restaurants sell box lunches just for the Derby. Once the Derby gets a little closer, I'll do my best to post links to restaurants that offer box lunches.

Tip: We always eat a big breakfast so we're not hungry for lunch till later in the afternoon. There are stands selling pretzels and popcorn, if you need a snack.

Where to stay for the Kentucky Derby

Hotels should be ashamed of the prices they charge for rooms during the Kentucky Derby. The Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville usually charges anywhere from $90-200/night but Derby weekend, they ask (and apparently get!) $1200/night. And they probably have a three night minimum so you're looking at $4,000 for a hotel room for the weekend. You could buy a pretty decent used car for that price!

So where to stay without breaking the bank?

The farther you get from Louisville, the cheaper the rates get. Fort Knox is about 28 miles from Churchill Downs and you can find rooms for less than $150/night. Lexington (80 miles, give or take) has decent rates too. Open Google Maps, find Louisville, find cities along highways around Louisville, go to Kayak.com and start searching.

Or you could do what we do and "slum it" at one of the budget hotels in Louisville. Motel 6, Super 8, and Red Roof Inn all jack up their prices but it's not nearly as bad as Galt House, Sheraton, or Marriott. True, they don't have the greatest reviews on Trip Advisor. I'm not picky, though. The linens might not be 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton and the closest thing to room service is a drive thru down the block but I'd rather spend my money on gambling, juleps and a fabulous hat.

I fondly remember when I was watching the Belmont Stakes in 2010. I absentmindedly searched for hotels for the 2011 Kentucky Derby (yes, 11 months in advance) and found a room at Super 8 for $65/night. I quickly checked the cancellation policy and booked it. It turns out there was a change in management and no one was paying attention to Derby weekend rates. For 11 months, I periodically checked our reservation; I was terrified they were going to realize their mistake and cancel on me. Luckily, they didn't and that year we saved a fair amount of money!

Which brings me to my final tip, if you think you might go to the Derby, even if you don't have tickets, check hotel rates between May and October. At that time Derby tickets aren't on sale and you might find a loophole like we did.  Just be sure to check the reservation policy before you book anything.

Oh, one more! If you have a big group of people, check out Louisville CraigsList, HomeAway and VRBO. I've heard that people will rent out their entire houses for Derby weekend. This might be the way to go if you have a large group. A few other sites for home rentals: Kentucky Derby Home Rental and Event Home Leasing.

Delta Downs Jackpot

I didn't get a chance to handicap this race but just looking at who was entered, I would have bet on Whyruawesome based on the name alone and on Mighty Brown because I assume he's an offspring of Big Brown who won the Kentucky Derby in 2008, my first Derby. I have a soft spot for the offspring of horses I've seen win.
I just watched the race and boy howdy! Rise Up was impressive! He took the lead early on, kept it and then just about caught fire coming down the stretch! Nobody came close to catching up to him. If he can keep racing like that, I'll bet on him the first Saturday in May.
Rise Up's win in the Delta Downs Jackpot gave him 10 points. He's tied for third place on the leader board with New Year's Day, We Miss Artie, and Cleburne. But the Kentucky Derby is still 159 days away (I may or may not have an app on my phone that keeps track of that for me) and so much can (and will!) change in that time.
Until next time, Derby fans!

How to get Kentucky Derby tickets

It's actually not that hard to get tickets to the Kentucky Derby! They're not cheap and you won't get the best seats unless you take out a loan with a mob boss but they are available to every day people.
 

 
General Admission
The cheapest way to get into Churchill Downs on Derby day is to buy general admission tickets. These tickets are $30 for the Oaks and $50 for the Derby. You can walk up to the gate and buy them the day of the event. There's no need to purchase them in advance. General admission tickets will get you into the paddock area and the infield- you won't have an assigned seat or even a view of the track. You'll have access to betting windows, the gift shop and food/drink vendors. Just be aware of what goes on in the infield.  It's a drunken mess complete with people racing on top of the port-o-potties, mud wrestling, vomiting and those creepy horse masks. If I had to do general admission, I'd get in line early, bring a camping chair and settle down in the paddock area.

 Mud wrestling in the infield.

Count me out. 

Through Churchill Downs
The next cheapest way to get Kentucky Derby tickets is to get them through Churchill Downs. The day after the Kentucky Derby, ChurchillDowns.com has a form you can fill out to get tickets. This link is good till some time in the fall. In November they'll send you a link to the "pre-sale" where you buy tickets at face value. Not every section is available in the sale in November and sometimes they add on some "extras" that you might not want. This year they sold 6-seat boxes in section 325 that included 6 tickets to Taste of the Derby. Last year Taste of Derby tickets were $300 each so that automatically jacked up the price of the box by at least $1800. Even though I really wanted to sit in that section, I didn't want to pay that much off the bat for a box, especially if it meant I might be stuck with $1800 worth of ToD tickets that I couldn't get rid of.
Anyway, tickets through the Churchill Downs sale are good for two days of racing- the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. So if you're reading this between November and April, you've missed the window of opportunity and you'll have to go through other avenues.

Ticket Brokers
The next cheapest way to get Kentucky Derby tickets is through Stub Hub, eBay or other ticket scalpers brokers. Prices will be at least double what face value is and tickets to Oaks and Derby are sold separately but there is a bigger selection of sections than what is offered through Churchill Downs.


Craigs List
Another option is to try on Louisville's CraigsList. Prices are all over the place, at least at the time of this writing. Some tickets seem to be on par with StubHub, others are way more expensive. Definitely do your research before you get out your credit card.

Packages
Finally, you can buy a Derby Experience through Churchill Downs. You get a complete package with a hotel room, transportation to the track, celebrity jockey appearance, lunch buffet, gift bag and either a cash bar or open bar. If you're scratching the Kentucky Derby off your bucket list and don't want to worry about little details, this might be for you. This link also offers tickets without the hotel accommodations, if you already have somewhere to crash in Louisville.I assume you still get the lunch buffet, gift bag, etc.

If you have any other ideas on how to get tickets to the Kentucky Derby, let me know!And if you need any advice on where to sit or how to get the best seat for your money, feel free to ask! I love talking derby.
 
 The following is old info from my planning for the 2014 KY Derby but someone might find it useful in their own research:

As of April 13th, there are still tickets available through Churchill Downs! They still have tickets in section 110 at this link. They offer trackside and uncovered seats for $698 and covered seats for $799. This includes "full food and beverage hospitality" and includes tickets to the Oaks on Friday. However, I did some research and found two negative reviews of section 110 from 2013. One says the food was hot dogs and chips and they waited in line for 30-40 minutes for drinks and toilets were port-o-potties. Another complains of inadequate staffing and long waits at betting windows and you couldn't see the tote board.
Keep in mind, 2013 was the first year they had section 110 and I'm sure it was a learning experience for Churchill Downs. The link to tickets above touts "expanded aisles, betting windows, and restrooms" so they're aware of last year's problems and are making improvements. And, yeah, port-o-potties are a way of life at the Kentucky Derby. It's not ideal but you get in, hold your breath, do your business and get out. I'd rather be in and out of a port-o-potty in 2 minutes than wait in line for 20 just so I can flush.

 StubHub Update as of 3/12/14! Ticket prices are falling! I have kept track of ticket prices in sections 324 and 223 since the beginning of January.  For section 324, ticket prices were steady at $951 per ticket in January and February (when I say "ticket prices" I mean lowest found on StubHub). Last week, the lowest price was $806 and today they're down to $764. Prices for the Oaks in that section have also fallen from $277 to $225. Prices also fell for section 223. Prices for the Derby went from $582 to $472. Prices for the Oaks haven't fallen as dramatically. In fact they've gone from $159 to $180 to $166 to today's price of $175. Last year I only kept track of prices in 324. Prices started to fall in early March and continued to fall until mid April. The highest price was $852 in early January and lowest was $659 April 18th (that $659 price was only on there for 2 days, max. It went up to $733 two days later). Keep in mind actual tickets are not shipped until the first week of April so no matter when you buy your tickets, you won't have them in your hand till around the second week of April.

How I fell in love with the Kentucky Derby

I'd love to tell you that I've been watching the Derby since I was 4 years old or my grandfather trained racehorses but quite honestly, my first memory of watching the Derby was in 2000.  I was at a friend's house in college (college was University of Missouri,  house was the legendary 1609) and someone turned it on.  We watched them sing My Old Kentucky Home and I loved seeing the hats and the celebrities. But I was a bit let down by the actual race- it really IS only two minutes long!  It was so cool watching the horses- I wanted it to last a little longer.
Fast forward to 2008, my aunt and uncle, who go to the Derby every year,  called and asked if my husband and I wanted to go with them. I like going to Fairmount Park, the dumpy little track near St. Louis and it seemed like a great opportunity so we did the math on what it would cost and agreed to go! I bought a dress and hat, Mark bought a seersucker suit and we were off to the races! Oh, we had a ball!  The people watching was outstanding!  I felt like a million bucks in my dress and hat! Mark was absolutely dashing in his seersucker! We didn't win any money (and spent a ton) but we had a blast. We were bitten by the Derby bug.
We went in 2009 to see Mine That Bird come from behind. We saw Animal Kingdom win in 2011. We witnessed I'll Have Another's victory in 2012. We braved the rain in 2013 to see Orb win the roses. We cannot wait to see who wins in 2014!
As for 2010, we had to take that year off to have a baby. He was due May 5th but since I have gigantic babies and he was to arrive via c-section, we got to choose his birthday. We went with April 29th so his birthday would never interfere with future Kentucky Derby trips. Two days after having a baby, I wrote down my bets and sent Mark across the river to an off track betting place. We don't mess around when it comes to the Kentucky Derby!