Run for the Roses

The Kentucky Derby.  The Greatest 2 Minutes in Sports. My version of the Superbowl.

Twenty horses racing one and one fourth miles around a track, bumping into each other, longing to wear the roses upon their neck...and as a bonus, a cool million dollars goes in their owner's pocket.

Not bad.

The Kentucky Derby isn't just a horse race to me. Not only do I live 50 miles from the big race, my family and I start planning for the big day months in advance. Not that we do anything glamorous or exciting - the day is just a complete rush for us! The adrenaline, the people watching, the community of it all - it's worth every dollar I lose in the wagering - with a mint julep in my left hand, my racing program in the right, my screams can be heard far and wide for my horse pick to "GO Baby GO!"

See those people in the Grandstand?  I am not one of those people. Those people pay hundreds of dollars to sit there. So no, I don't sit in the Grandstands.

Am I here?  In the Derby Infield (inside the track)?

Nope not there either.   Although, I have been to the infield twice, back in my younger days when I didn't have kids or morals (okay, I had morals, I just didn't feel guilty about being in the middle of people like this)(...and loving every minute of it).

Now in my old (ahem, 30ish) age, we take the family route and camp out at the other big race track in Kentucky with about 10,000 other fans and watch the big race on the screen. We still get the people watching and atmosphere, but we can be a little less crazy and still look like we fit in. Like this:

Now, that's what you call comfort, sister!  Program and pen open to study the forms for a winner, feet up guarding the liquor stash and "sammiches", jello-shooter in a cup (and spoon of course), and old people in the background.  Yep. That's Derby for us now.  Big difference from this:

Oh...infield: