Phil and Donna's Derby Primer

Okay, everybody - new forumite Phil Gissen and his wife Donna are new to town and don't know from Derby. I'm sure they know it's a famous horse race and they have probably seen "the most exciting two minutes in sports" on TV at least a couple times.

What they need is our "insider info" about Derby. What Oaks is - how to dress - when to start looking for tickets and reservations - what to drink - Thunder Over Louisville....you get the picture.

I don't want to hog all the lesson-giving to myself. Who wants to start?

I'll start by saying: Phil and Donna, please memorize the following: Derby is ALWAYS the "First Saturday in May". Every year.

Who's next?

Thank you. I celebrated the Derby once my senior year in college as we looked for any excuse to drink. My friend Steve made mint juleps with fresh mint, and we wore large hats purchased at a consignment store. Since this was during a time when most college students tried other ways to mask consciousness other then alcohol, we were not a big hit.

Phil, you're going to make an excellent student. Liquor and hats together make up at least 38.56% of Derby spirit.

Since we host guests in our B&B every year, I give the same instructions every year.

First order of business: Get your tickets. It is illegal to scalp tickets in KY, so don't plan on buying tix off the street on Derby morning. PoPo set up stings every few years and they WILL haul you in court. However, you can meet a scalper on the Indiana side of the bridge, or so I've heard.

Have all dinner reservations by Feb 1, end of Feb at the latest.

There are at least 70 events, most of which are free or no more admission than a Derby Festival Pin. You can buy a pin at Kroger and most other stores for $4. Wear it all week..

Fav activities: Bed race, mini and full marathons, Run for the Rose, Balloon Glow, Balloon Race, is the Boat race happening this year?, the Rat Race at Spalding, and eating, eating, eating.

You must try a Mint Julep. You may not like it, but you must try one.

Women ALWAYS wear a hat for Derby. You get your hat first and build your outfit around it.

On Oaks and Derby Days Louisville turns into the Old South and everyone is free to use a southern drawl. Straighten up and talk right when you sober up on Sunday/Monday.

If you don't have Derby tickets, you can go to the Outfield. There's a family area that's fairly quiet, but mostly it a raucous, beer laden frat party. Even if you have tickets to the "adult, fancy" areas, you should go over to the Infield to experience it. Then go back to the adult areas.

Derby is a great weekend! But I'm in the hospitality biz and I make my whole month's budget that weekend.

Somebody take the Thunder chapter. I've got to run out for a couple hours.

I have a plethora of questions:

Where do I get tickets?

How do I prioritize what's cool?

To what event should I have Donna use pull? ( I have none - except if there is a Quasimodo festival)

Do restaurants do special menus?

What establishments are the coolest to go to?

Do bars also take reservations?

We are in New Orleans for Jazz Fest April 21st through April 26th. Are we missing important stuff?

I guess I am at a complete loss.

Where do I get tickets? Call Churchill They actually do have a few tickets to sell. And you can buy tickets online, but sell my previous caution.

How do I prioritize what's cool? Everything's cool.

To what event should I have Donna use pull? ( I have none - except if there is a Quasimodo festival) Derby, Oaks, any of the parties.

Do restaurants do special menus? Usually, yes. Prie fixe, credit card guarantee

What establishments are the coolest to go to? Proof, but you've already been there. Jack's. Or wherever you can get a reservation. All the usual suspects: 610, Equus, Corbett's, Jack Fry's, etc.

Do bars also take reservations? I don't think so.

Is driving insane? Should we plan on frequenting establishments close to home?

Also, for tickets to Oats and the Derby-what are the good seats? What should I look out for? Is it worth spending some "bucks" for these tickets? I'm willing if it is worth it.

Somebody take the Thunder chapter. I've got to run out for a couple hours.

Thunder over Louisville...its raised some interesting discussion here on the forum in the past. Note that I am a non-native and therefore my input is questionable at best. Thunder is the kick off for the whole Derby "season". It comes about two weeks before the race and consists of a day long airshow followed by the countries largest annual fireworks display. While the airshow appeals to many,the fireworks are the highlight of the day. The show is done by the Zambelli family(the first family of fireworks) and is a truly spectacular, utilizing the entire second street bride and a flotilla of barges on either side.It seems that alot of people avoid it here as it is somewhat of a traffic mess. Coming from Chicago I never thought that the traffic jam was really that bad. You should go at least once, TV does not it justice.

Well, a few responses to things on here:

The one piece of advice I know on places to avoid on Derby night would be anything in the downtown area going towards the West End. "Derby Cruising" was a tradition for what seemed forever, in which hundreds of cars would cruise up and down Broadway and making the entire stretch a stand still. It's been banned for a couple of years technically but traffic is still a nightmare. Even ambulances can't get through too easily! Also anything close to the Downs itself will be locked up for hours after it's over. Other than that the ladies and gents can't steer you wrong!

The Great Steamboat Race is on April 29th (thing of note for reference, a few of Derby events are based off the calender for that first Saturday in May, such as the Steamboat Race occuring the Weds of that week, the Parade Thursday). Sadly the Delta Queen does look like she is gone this year though I hope by some miracle that changes in the future, it's really not the Great Steamboat Race without her! This year it will be the Belle of Louisville and the Belle of Cincinnati.

Well events that you would miss Apr 21st-26th would be the Taste of Derby Festival on the 21st (it's at Slugger Field, for $75 spectators can sample wares from dozens of local restaurants and there is a silent auction), some of the Million Dollar Hole in One contest events (if golf is an interest), The Mini Marathon, the Great Balloon Glow and Race, and the Texas Hold'em Tournament.

I'm sure these guys can't steer you wrong for the best spots to grab at the actual Derby but one major thing is that unless you are one of the younger crowd looking for one of the most insane parties to ever be found avoid the Infield at all costs. The ambulance service I work for covers all the first aid for the track and that is consdered the War Zone. Those who volunteer to man that area are very brave souls indeed. Just to give a prime example, yes we had to rush not one, but TWO people who after drinking most of the day thought it would be fun to swan dive off the top of a port-a-potty.

As for when tickets will be available, with the exception of the very high end seats according to the website they will not be available until March 2nd. Here is the official Derby website for ticket purchasing though: http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2009/tickets/buy Ifyou have not done any track betting before, that is a whole new learning experience. Even how you place the bets at the window has to be done a specific way. For a practice run you may want to attend an earlier race day, live racing comes back to the track on April 25th and there will be racing each day leading up to Derby. The folks at the windows are very nice and certainly helped me through my first fumbles at trying to bet!

The official Kentucky Derby website has information on all the events: http://www.kdf.org/

In regards to Thunder, if you live here it's one of those events you just have to see at least once. I'm sure there will be a thread on places to go watch (I know there's already one on where the best photo options are) but I think it is more a factor of where you need to go afterwards and how much hassle you care to put up with getting out. It's worth it but I know my friends and I were packed up and ready to run the second it was over last year to try to avoid as much of the jam as possible. About a half million people typically depending on the weather crowd the two sides of the river. For many areas people camp out before dawn to get prime spots. If you want a more comfortable, crowd controlled enviroment with REAL restrooms instead of "Thunderpots" you may want to consider buying tickets to be at one of the places along the river such as Rocky's, Buckhead's, even Hooters in Jeffersonville does reserved seating. The Belle of Louisville also sells tickets. Main things of advice for going would be to dress comfortably, resonably pack anything you would need with you as no matter where you are it's going to be a LONG walk back to your car, and try to get to your viewing place reasonably early. This year's theme on April 18th will be "Thunder Road." An excerpt from the press release details this theme:

The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce the theme of the 2009 Thunder Over Louisville show on April 18: "Thunder Road" - a tribute to the excitement of taking a road trip and exploring new destinations. The Thunder theme dovetails with the Derby Festival's overall 2009 theme, "Road to Fun!" The Thunder Over Louisville music soundtrack, which will be aired exclusively on WHAS TV and Lite 106.9 WVEZ, will features songs celebrating cars, travel and the adventures of life on the road.

Also, for tickets to Oats and the Derby-what are the good seats? What should I look out for? Is it worth spending some "bucks" for these tickets? I'm willing if it is worth it.

Whether it's worth the money is a relative question, Phil....I'm a Formula One and Indy "500" fan, and what I have spent on tickets for those events would make some people scratch their head in disbelief....I've been to a few Derbys (and on a couple occasions had what would be regarded as VERY good seats), but I'm not a huge horse racing fan, so when I see people spending a couple hundred dollars or more (often MUCH more) for a seat at Churchill Downs on Derby or Oaks Day, I scratch MY head in disbelief.....nevertheless, it is the greatest thoroughbred race in the world, and worth seeing up close and personal at least once.

As far as "good" seats....personally, I regard anything along the main stretch, or into Turn One as prime seating....you can obtain seats through on-line ticket brokers, but they charge a premium, and you just have to decide if it's worth forking over the extra bucks....but if it's your first Derby, it might be just to enjoy the day-long experience from a good vantage point.....I've always wanted to try and angle some passes to the backside, near the stables, on Derby Day...though not as much of a "fashion show" as the Grandstands, you can see the horses and the racing from a much different perspective.

Thank you for all your advice. My guess is, at this point, the "Thunder Over Louisville" sounds real fun. We have attended the International Fireworks Competition in Montreal, and had a blast. Thus, I will try to find some way to get tickets to a venue that allows us to watch this event with some degree of comfort. I will also speak to the restaurants that have come to know us about reservations for Derby week. Thank you again!

First, you know the Kentucky Derby is the first race of the "Triple Crown", the other two consisting of the Preakness & the Belmont. I've lived here for 26 years now, and one could never get tickets to that (I'm talking tickets with a view of the race!).

The day before is always the "big" race for fillies, the Kentucky Oaks, the first race of what some call the triple crown for fillies (they're trying to get people to say the "Triple Tiara", but I hate that), the other two of which are the Black Eyed Susan (at Pimlico, the day before the Preakness) and the Acorn Stakes (at Belmont, which immediately preceeds the Belmont Stakes). Until recently, the filly race was not all that popular, meaning natives could go to the track that day and buy decent seats for the Oaks, which experience was called "Louisville's day at the track". Since the Oaks is the main race, it's called "Oaks Day".

Today, good luck getting tickets for either! True, you can sometimes find tix at the track, but you'll be spending several hundred per seat and need a telescope to see the finish line. Your best bet is to buy from scalpers (in Indiana), or ask your bank/accountant/lawyer if they can get you tickets (assuming you do enough business with them to respond) or - if you have a store/restaurant - ask wherever you place your advertising (eg: if you advertise on channel 11, call them and ask your salesman for tickets). It's almost too late, but one never knows. What most people I know do (who aren't working that day - and schools are closed here for Oaks day!) is to watch the Oaks on TV and either attend or host a Derby party.

One other thing to do that hasn't been mentioned: the evening after the Oaks (Friday evening) the Barnstable twins (of Doublemint fame) host a huge charity gathering at the Louisville twin's home. This has major "stars" attending (all eras, ranging from Pam Anderson, Kid Rock, and recording Grammy winners, Oscar winning actors, Emmy winning tv stars, and some older names you'll recognize), most (but not all) of whom will work the crowd massed in front of the house on their way up the drive. I know a favorite in the past was to talk to a smashed John Goodman who always spent so much time with the crowds that people from the house had to come out & drag him in! Today, there are around 2,000 people outside, but it still can be fun (and if it isn't sold out you can buy tickets to attend - this party actually has the "names" in the same area as the paying guests, and also really does give a lot of money to charity).

For Thunder, a few yrs ago we got a table at the Galt House in a restaurant. Our table was totally hidden, but we didn't care, as (1) it gave us parking (2) it was an airconditioned area (and that year it was in the 80's for Thunder), (3) it had bathrooms. The buffet was pretty bad, but with the benes we could walk out on the Galt House balcony area, have an absolutely perfect view, and walk among the throngs whenever we wanted while watching the planes.