Louisville is an old charming sleepy place. It has a number of handsome neighborhoods and parks. And of course, it hosts that famous horse race.
Inevitably every visitor ends up stopping at The Brown for the city’s novelty cuisine.
Delicious.
If it’s Derby Day, you’ve also polished off a few drinks too. You have to prepare for all the possibilities. And you have a little walking to do before you get where you’re going. You will pass sites like this.
Until you arrive at Mecca:
You wander until you finally find the place where the horses come and go. Horses! Oh, yeah, this is a horse race.
Oh, yes, we came here to watch some horses race and make some bets. Better get to it. Just one more of these Julips. Or two.
Ah here we go. Wagering windows. Shit, must be nearing 6 pm.
Now what horse? If only we could decide. Another nip will help.
Ok, split your bet between Friesan Fire, the absolute favorite, and General Quarters, the local horse with the insider’s gossip. It’s a sure thing!
Quite a tragedy that you were too distracted to hear your cell phone going off and hear that voice from back home asking you to make a little bet on the 50-1 odds Mine that Bird. Cursed distractions!
Ok, now go get trackside. It’s “sloppy” conditions today on the track. Love that word to describe track conditions. (As opposed to the other boring old track descriptors: “fast,” “wet-fast,” “firm,” “muddy,” “heavy,” “yielding.” Ok, fine, what’s up with horse-racing, why is the whole damn enterprise so sexy?)
It’s finally the glorious moment of victory!
Or, perhaps, it’s not.
But then a t-shirt speaks from the darkness.
At this point, we got back in my buddy’s car.
Although, we had to remove some lookie loos.
And then the camera ran out of batteries. Quite a shame as we were headed to a little spot called the Thoroughbred. Sorry I couldn’t snap a photo. Their tag line on the marquis is unforgettable: “G-strings and chicken wings.” Delicious. Only in Louisville.
Hope you enjoyed tagging along on a day at the Derby. My advice: If you like essays by Hunter S. Thompson, debauchery, dressing up, being slightly bored, then getting buzzed, then enjoying yourself watching beautifully-dressed hot people, admiring mighty horses, calculating impossibly complicated odds, getting drunk, acutely feeling your economic class, losing money, realizing none of those hot people are actually interested in you, and doing a lot of walking and standing, then it’s totally worth a visit. The Kentucky Derby has something for everyone.
wow this is great. connecting up with the old santa anita days.
still kind of sad that you never explored OTB before they shut them all down.
Nice photos — what is that foodstuff you are eating at The Brown?
The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.
“G-strings and chicken wings.”
Now that sounds “sloppy.”
It is turning out to be a photo week, with TGW folks turning their lenses to some diverse locals!
That food looks like cheese, bacon and tomato. Can’t go wrong with that.
Look at all those birds, posing for your camera.
And check out your ride!
And you brought your own hip flask. You really did your homework.
And your costumes could have come right off the set of a wise guy movie.
The fashion all around looks to be more interesting than the horses.
Yes, photo week! Bring it Friday!
The hot brown is everything Rogan mentioned placed on top of toast and a smoked turkey breast and convered in a mornay sauce. Sadly that photo of the menu with description is too small to read. And “your ride.” Ah, cameras can make anything come true. FTR, no one got behind the wheel after the race.
What’s OTB?
OTB: Off Track Betting. These were city sanctioned storefronts throughout NYC where you could place your bets and watch the races.
I love the different costumes — the soft-bellied frat boys in their cargo shorts and polo shirts, the hipster retro dress-up (saw a fair amount of this in Park Slope on Saturday afternoon), and then the real aristocratic shit.
Liked it. Thanks for posting.
Farrell: I’ve always had a few questions about the derby and would be so grateful for answers, if not too much trouble:
1. The race itself is over in a flash, but the hoopla of race day lasts how long?…(I assume it’s like tailgating in a midwestern college town, cubed.)
2. Can anyone actually see anything over all those crazy-big hats the women wear? Aren’t they just ANNOYING?
3. How much do they charge for mint juleps at the actual event?
4. If you are lucky enough to win money, what’s the procedure for claiming your loot? Are we talking hours of standing in lines, again?
5. How raunchy does one feel after completing a “hot brown”? Does one immediately need a nap?
Many thanks for the insider’s perspective! Looks like quite a spectacle.
did you really see Paris Hilton? Was she having a Hot Brown?
did you really see Paris Hilton? Was she having a Hot Brown?
BTW I love your blog!
Aren’t the OTBs still open? I thought they got saved somehow last year.
While the Hot Brown looks yummy, Need I point out that the name is, shall we say, unappetizing?
Also, why does dressing up for the Kentucky Derby look like “80s day” at Senior Prom?
That’s just what I was thinking…
15 to 13.
Yeah, that’s the real Paris. And oh boy do I wish i had a photo of Paris bent over a hot brown. Yes, the name of that dish is quite unappetizing. Paris looked great. But so did several thousand other ladies.
To ks:
1) The Derby is an all day event with like 8-10 races before the big one. The party begins TWO weeks before the derby with Louisville hosting a two week Festival with parades and all kinds of hoopla. A week before the event, there’s some street gathering with, i’m serious, like 700,000 people showing up for boozy mayhem. A gallery owner downtown shook his head and said “I just close the doors for two days.”
2) The hats don’t make it hard to see. You’re not that packed together, and besides, it’s not like your watching a tango. It’s 20 horses thundering by. Also, the hats are AWESOME. Not only are they a platform for endless creativity, the extended brims create these opportunities to shoot very coy glances.
3) Juleps were only $8 and were delicious and served icy and packed with beautiful crushed mint. They come in an actual glass with the names of all the previous winners printed on the backside. I thought they were under-priced.
4.) I did not get to witness the “collect your winnings” procedure. I imagine that line was MUCH smaller. The wagering windows moved much quicker than the photo shows. 4 or 5 minutes.
5.) The hot brown was very satisfying. Seriously. Probably exactly what you need if your only caloric intake for the next 8 hours is booze.
No one noticed a woman emerging from the men’s restroom? For such a dressy event, it was startling how many times ladies jumped into the men’s room to avoid the long wait.
“for such a dressy event”
IN KENTUCKY!
Wow, thanks for the lengthy responses to my questions, FF. I agree, $8 seems underpriced. I was guessing at least $10…and maybe close to double that. I mean, they charged freakin’ $7.75 (last year) for all crappy 12 oz. bottled Budweiser products at Cardinals games. *including Busch lite, which costs less for a 12-pack at the grocery store*
I have to diss the hats because I simply could not take the pressure of trying to properly measure up. If I ever go to the derby, I’ll probably have to dress in drag. (shorter men’s bathroom lines being a strong incentive)
I’ve been to conferences in Louisville a few times…the most “local culture” I could muster was to have grits for breakfast and to say I was in “Lulvull”, which becomes the default pronunciation if you drink enough bourbon! (That has to be the reason for it, no?)
Better luck next time with being able to report on the winners’ line!
I’m a little concerned about that string quintet. They don’t look filled with the joy of music, even though they’ve managed to rope a couple of high school girls into slow-dancing together.
yay, farrell!
so glad you ventured out to experience this.
the only thing that would have made it better would have been if you came home with a big wad of cash.
hopefully not dripping in the hot brown.
“Yes, photo week! Bring it Friday!”
uh oh!!
pressure – and I don’t photgraph well – and yes I mean that in all ways.
I have been to Churchill Downs though not at the Derby – and I have to say, the juleps were so lovely. And the Chocolate Bourbon Balls (hee hee)
No hats though off season though.
Great photos Farrell.
Sorry I’m coming in late to this discussion. I love your blog normally, but I have to tell you that I find it offensive that you’re referring to Paris Hilton’s bodyguard as a “hot brown.”
anyone know this song Roscoe” by Midlake.
it’s about Roscoe Goose the most winning jockey in derby history.
i think waterman put it on a mix once. it’s a great song