Derby 137

Derby 137 has come and gone. Brian takes us to the Backside every year and we set up camp and spend the day. Some of us go as early as 5 AM and we all stay until the horses are put to bed! It's dark when we get there and dark when we get home. It is like a big family picnic except that about 10 feet from the fence we have in front of our area the thoroughbred horses are running! We are really up close and personal with the horses, jockeys, out-riders, ponies, track maintenance trucks, starting gates, owners, trainers and a multitude of others, including the ambulanace that follows after the horses. We look across the track and see the Twin Spires and the hundred and sixty five thousand people that paid big money to be there and know that none of them can join us. You can't buy your way in.

This year we had quite a group, usually there are about ten or twelve of us but this year there were twenty six or seven of us. Big group!

Our spot is located right across from the press building and it has betting windows, restrooms and tv monitors. We make our bets there but you do have to stand in line to get to the windows. The crowd is usually very jovial and chatty as they move slowly through the lines. There are no food venues Backside so every one has to bring their own food. Some people bring their grills and cook burgers, steaks, hot dogs etc. while others bring KFC or Popeyes, or various sandwiches. Snacks, dips, vegie treys, and barby-Que are evident all around. Coolers filled with soft drinks and an ocassional beer, maybe even a small box of wine find their way in, too.

The crowd is very well behaved, there are lots of laughs, lots of funny chatter and horse talk. The racing programs are ubiquitous and after each race there is joy for the winners and teeth gnashing for the losers. I do believe we had a few more losers than winners though. Linda may have been the only member of our group that had "Animal Kingdom" across the board but some of us had others in other races . If there were any big winners among us they kept it to themselves!

We all joined in on singing "My Old Kentucky Home" and the people that do not know the words were urged to learn the words during the coming year so that they, too, can consider themselves one of us! If they can eke out a tear or two during the chorus,"Weep no more, my Lady..." all the better!

Thanks, again Brian. You are a great host! I won't name all of the group with us but suffice it to say that Mike, Karen, Linda, Gregg and of course Brian were all in attendance and Keith called to tell us he did have "Animal Kingdom" at the Dog Track, where he bets in Sarasota, so he ,also,was a big winner. Derby 138 maybe, he will get to come.


Until next year, may the 'horse 'be with you! Ciao