Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby Memories from Paulie

Kentucky Derby. It conjures a million words and descriptions. Maybe just as many memories over the past 50 years. I've seen it snow on Derby Day, wilted through 90 degree temperatures and been in the clubhouse, grandstands, infield and even worked four of them. I've hit big and walked out of there without a dollar. 

1966 is my first memory of the Kentucky Derby. My father would go to the infield, take a folding chair and watch the races on the final turn. Kauai King won that year. I liked the name. My dad had a horse named Rehabilitate, that finished sixth. I still have his program from the day. Ron Turcotte rode the horse. We'll talk about him a little later. 

I first attended the Kentucky Derby in 1971. A bunch of us from high school went to cruise the infield. By then, my dad had six seats in the grandstands...near the starting gate. Fortunately, I didn't run into him. We found a "sympathetic" older guy who kept buying us beers if we would buy home one each time. Fortunately, we weren't driving. We took TARC to and fro. 
A little horse named Canonero II won. I had the second place finisher...a horse named Jim French. I thought it was prophetic...because I knew a guy named Jim French. 

1972 and 1973 were memorable years for me. I went with my girlfriend then and we sat in my dad's seats with my mom and her parents. I fancied myself somewhat of a handicapper even then and made nice money both years on Riva Ridge and Secretariat...both ridden by Ron Turcotte. My girlfriend loved a horse named Sham. Fortunately she bet him win place and show and made a little money. I still have those programs, too. 

I missed 1974. Was laid up with a ankle injury and could not walk. 

From 1975-1978 I worked for the Harry S. Stevens company in the infield cooking hot dogs on Derby and Oaks Days. They were hiring UofL students for $50 a day and that was nice money for a starving college kid back then. There were also "side deals" We knew guys in the beer booths. Exchanging trays of dogs for trays of "suds" did happen.

By 1977, I knew enough about the operation and mechanics of the hot dogs booth to be a booth supervisor. A college buddy helped me run it. More shenanigans ensued...including the infamous "missing" tray of mint juleps...and the two girls from Canada and the four of us "closed down" the booth for a brief while for a "inventory" count. Or, as "Boogie" and I later referred to it..."the viewing and screwing of the Vancouver vaginas." 

(Wonder whatever happened to them?) Good golly....

In 1982, I was in Indy. I decided to come down for Derby. I was meeting up with some frat alumni from college. I called my Mom to let her know I was in town. My Dad had business associates sitting with him, so I was infield bound that day. She told me a horse named Gato Del Sol was running. It's Spanish for Sun Cat. She had an old, fat and lazy Siamese cat that loved to lay on one of the indoor sills of a front window and soak up sun. It was her Sun Cat. She asked me to put $5 to win on it. I staggered around the infield all afternoon and nearly missed betting the race. I had two $50's left on me. I told the teller I wanted 20 $5 dollar win tickets on the Sun Cat. He asked for the number. I couldn't remember. He had a program back there with him. We figured out it was #11. He punched the tickets out, I left the window and the race started less than a minute later.

Gato Del Sol paid $44.40 to win. I walked out of there with $2200. I got my Mom her $110 around nine the next morning and she cooked me breakfast. I slept 10 hours and then drove back to Indy. 

I was hit or miss on the next couple of Derbies but always made the party on Central Avenue the night before. When I moved back to Louisville in 1985...that continued and I met a guy through a bowling league I was in who wanted to have a Derby Party and was inviting bowlers and others. I told him I was in. I've attended that same Derby Party for the last 32 years, at five different locations but the same cadre of people and I'll be there again this year. I love assisting in the various jackpots and "financial speculation" that may or may not occur at events like this and are, of course, for "entertainment purposes" only.

I do make Oaks every year live, though. I've sat everywhere for Oaks, it seems...but we finally settled on the Infield in the mid-nineties and been there all but one year since. 

My dad sold his Derby seats in 1999. He didn't get a request to renew them the next year. That's a shame. I would have kept them. 

This year, due to hip problems, I'll try to get a seat inside for Oaks. Got feelers out and looking, in case you have a lead. 

My four year in a row Derby winner streak was busted last year by Nyquist....who held off my pick Exaggerator. I currently have Always Dreaming as my top choice. I'll confirm that Thursday after we get post positions. 

From running around shirtless in the Infield and encouraging girls to do the same to "crashing" millionaires row and hob-nobbing with Denny Crum...from 
working in a tent...to gazing down at the tents below from the roof of Churchill...I've a wealth of Derby memories. 

paulie
xxxxx

Wonderful weekend

PAULIE AND SONJA TAKE A SOJOURN

A wonderful weekend celebrating my and my wife's birthday! Mine was the 22nd (Friday) of February and her the 24th (Sunday). We decided to get away for a couple of days and went to check out one of the Kentucky State Resort Parks. We left early Saturday morning, leaving my brother with instructions not to burn the house down, lock the doors and make sure not to leave the water running.

We enjoyed a hearty breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants and off we went. The ride was pleasant...made Lexington in a little over an hour and headed northeast on US 68 towards Blue Licks State Resort Park. All told, the trip took a little over 2 hours...with a gas stop included.

We checked in and the desk clerk started in...giving me a hard time about the Louisville Lacrosse shirt I had on. This is Big Blue Country up here. The restaurant manager joined in and I flatly informed them that if I cancelled the registration, I'd also call my Louisville WBB buddy Lt. Governor Jerry Abramson and let him know why and about the biased employees at this facility. I asked them if they'd like me to take their names. Their attitudes changed immediately. Even got "comped" a free buffet. They assured me they were just kidding around. Quite quickly.

Dickheads.

Anyway, we went to the room and decided to take a hike. They have several trails there and we picked one that was easy to moderate. My knees and I.T. tendon were feeling pretty good, and we did the 2 mile round-trip hike which was pretty easily except for a climb that took us basically straight up to a ridge that overlooked the Licking River. Beautiful view, but even Sonja was tired after that stretch.

The Licking River actually flows from south to north in the stretch we were hiking in. Rivers usually go in the opposite direction. This one loops and cuts a lot...a sign of an older river. Looking for that path of least resistance, like my paper boy does...

We saw evidence of deer tracks, coyote and maybe a raccoon or skunk paw prints. My recognition of the difference between raccoon and skunk paw prints has suffered from lack of usage over the years. Not that I want to track any skunks...

We also drove around the park for awhile after the hike checking out the River Road and actually started out on another trail...but my knee started to lock up on me about a 1/2 mile into it, so we went back to the car.

After showers, we went to dine at the resort dining room. Not bad, the buffet was well-stocked and the beef stew and fried catfish were pretty good. We ate well and with our "buy one, get one free" deal...we left happy and stuffed. I asked one of the servers how far it was to Ohio. They sell a certain beer I like in Ohio. We talked and he informed me that they sold that beer in the Maysville Kroger...a mere 23 miles away.

We decided to make the drive.

BEER AND LOATHING IN MAYSVILLE

The drive to Maysville from Blue Licks State Resort Park on US 68 on a Saturday night can be a flat-out scary thing. We were going speed limit, even pushing 65 mph at times on this 2 lane country road and we got passed at least at half-dozen times by the Busch Brothers or Ricky Bobby. Finally, we hit the bright lights of the big city, though...and looked for Kroger. It is not an easy place to find. We ended up downtown, the historical section of Maysville and went down a cobble road that had several bars and restaurants on it. Ended up going in and had a beverage at a place called the OPERA. The bartender said they didn't have that particular beer (Yuengling) but he knew where Kroger was and also mentioned that the bridge to Ohio was only two blocks away. We finished our beverages and headed for Kroger. We should have gone over the bridge.

This was one big, freaking Kroger! Twice the size of any Kroger I've frequented. The beer aisle was as long as a football field, I swear. All kinds of beer. Plenty of Cincinnati beers, like Christian Moerlin, Burger, Hudepohl and a wide variety of regional beers, but no Yuengling. The clerk had never heard of it (he was only 19, all credit due...) but told us Kroger had a liquor and wine store right next door and they might know about it. Off we went.

The cashier at the liquor store told us that no one in Kentucky sold Yuengling. Some sort of small -batch brewery thingie. He said it would be 2015 before it would be available for purchase in Kentucky, I told him I didn't want to wait that long, but thanked him and left after purchasing a bottle of Ballatore for Sonja. Off to Ohio we were headed.

THEY'RE RAIDING THE MARATHON GAS AND GROCERY!

Back down the hill we went to Maysville and then over the bridge to Aberdeen, Ohio. We spotted a Marathon station soon after we crossed the bridge. A most interesting two lane bridge, lit up like the bridge in Apocalypse Now...without the gunfire and 'Roach'.  We went in, up to the beer doors and there was one six-pack of Yuengling left on the shelf. I hadn't driven all this way for one stinking six-pack of beer, so I asked the clerk if there was any that hadn't been put on the shelves. She went to check. In the meantime, two guys walked in and each grabbed a 12-pack of Natti Light.

Seriously? You live in Ohio, where you can get Yuengling every day if you want and you're rockin' the Natti Light? The cashier starts sliding 12 packs of Yuengling from the cooler floor to the shelf. She stops at four. I open the door and tell her to keep them coming. She tells me that is all they have.

I have bought a store out of beer...well, at least one brand. Reminds me of the time I drank a hotel bar out of Michelob...but that's another story, another time.

I motion for the Natti Light guys to proceed me to the register. They thank me and make their purchase. Sonja and I are hauling Yuengling to the register and she's ringing it up. 54 bottles of Yuengling will last me a pretty long time. I'm giving a 12 pk. to Mondo Vendo, because he's my buddy and likes Yuengling also. Plus he has a daughter getting married this week. He's gonna need it.

So, we get the beer loaded in the trunk and back to the state resort park we go. More Mario Andretti and Speed Racer stuff on the way back. One guy passed me doing well over a 100 mph...I am sure. Sounded like a jet airplane rolling by me. US 68 on a Saturday Night shenanigans. Not for the faint-heated. Finally, back to the resort room. With a bottle of Ballatore and six-pack of Yuengling, a most enjoyable night.

THE BRIDGES OF SEVERAL COUNTIES

I dig old, wooden covered bridges. In this part of Kentucky, there are eight of them. We decided to go check a couple of them out Sunday morning after breakfast. We got a map, poorly designed, that showed the approximate location of them. We found the first two without any trouble, the first one was just a few miles from the resort park and the second one a few more miles down the road. Beautiful, unique structures...not in the best of shape and all but one not designed for vehicle travel anymore...but we were able to walk across them and check them out. I like checking out the different types of support structure and the styles of roofing. These were pretty basic but well built.

What gets me is litter. At each one, down the side of the bodies of water they spanned....people had dumped trash. Old containers, plastic and glass. Deplorable. Seriously, folks?

Finding the third bridge was a bit tougher. We finally pulled into an old general store/gas station and got directions. Sonja did, anyway...guys don't ask for directions, right? She emerged with directions to two bridges and two bottles of Ale Eight One...a local soft drink that tastes like ginger ale. We found both bridges...the best two bridges that we saw. It was getting toward mid-afternoon after seeing the final one, so we decided to head back to Louisville. As luck would have it, we were able to pick up 790 AM and listen to the Louisville vs. Villanova women's basketball game on the drive back. Cards won, too! I enjoy listening to Matt Andrews and Adrienne Johnson call a game. Sonja does, too.

A great weekend! The house was still standing when we got back to Fern Creek and brother was asleep. Plenty of time to relax before the Academy Awards and The Walking Dead came on TV.

Any guesses on how long the Yuengling lasts?


-Paulie