Talk Derby to Me

It's the best two minutes in sports and that is not just a cliche. This past weekend I got to cover my first Oaks and Derby and it was wonderful. We've been doing Derby coverage for 10 years now, so a lot of the old timers at the station aren't so happy about spending the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, but I think I could cover every year until the end of time and be happy.

This year I was lucky enough to go to Oaks and Derby. Oaks day was beautiful. There was a bit of a damper on the day because it was the same day a Lexington police officer was killed by a hit and run driver. That meant finding hard angles about weather, but I still found a way to enjoy myself.

The weather rolled in Saturday morning. It looked like it was going to be a mess when I got up at 5 a.m. for my 7 a.m. crew call. A huge line of some pretty nasty storms were rolling in and it started pouring the minute I left the house. But we lucked out. Rain is all it did. Off and on, until Derby time, when the sun came out. I ran over to our set on the first turn to see the horses come around and was there when Calvin Borel came back after his win. And my win too. I only bet three dollars to win, and his odds were only 9 to 1, but I was happy with that. Greg knew well enough to bet 10 to win. Borel has promised Super Saver will win the Triple Crown. That would be awesome.

Whether I'm working it or enjoying it, the Kentucky Derby was just another reason to fall in love with Kentucky.