Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association, Inc.
Thoroughbred Racing Fan Association, Inc.
MEMORIES OF THE DERBY
6/4/2023
Maybe it should be called the “Kentucky Surprise Derby.” The last three Derbies left most handicappers scratching their heads and wondering “How did that happen”? In 2021 Mandaloun won after the disqualification of Medina Spirit. In 2022 Rich Strike astounded most with a rocketing close at unbelievable odds. This year Javier Castellano pushed Mage to victory at 15-1. Yet watching Derby Day in-person or on television the crowd was surprised but not depressed by the outcome. It was one race of a full card of 14 races that entertained the 150,000 in attendance and millions who watched it on television.
I was one of those handicappers that invested but came up short---not close, at all. Although one of ThoroFan Handicappers predicted Mage would win. My picks finished 6th, 5th, 10th, and 12th. Although my betting bankroll was depleted my fun for the day of racing exploded. What a day to be a Thoroughbred racing fan, even one who watched from home with an ADW in hand.
As the television coverage panned the crowd, I smiled remembering the first and only Kentucky Derby I attended. Good thing for long term memory because that day was 30 years ago when Sea Hero won the race and just another pick that I didn’t have. But I remembered vividly that Saturday and the days surrounding it. The circumstances for getting there and checking off an item on my Bucket List were unusual, to say the least.
My wife who passed away two years later was a Wall Street Bond analyst, Vice-President of Municipal Bond Research. Her firm was one of the largest on the street. One of their biggest customers was a woman who was the chief buyer for one of the largest investment firms in the country, if not the world. She was also a horse lover with the aspiration of someday going to the Kentucky Derby. So, my wife and the sales representative handling her account pitched management to let them take her to the Derby. However, the obvious pitch was not that easy. Convincing them that a boondoggle led by two women for a women client was monumental, although similar efforts for other sporting events were routine for the male sales force. After much negotiating the approval, albeit modified, was given and they were headed to the 1993 Kentucky Derby.
Coordination like reserved seating, accommodations, travel, and meals were all set in place, like crossing items off Alexis’s shopping list. A box on the stretch was secured at a four-figure cost, huge for that year. A weekend house on a horse farm in Goshen, Kentucky was rented. Transportation booked. All managed without STUB HUD, VRBO or UBER. The last thing to do was arrange for an escort and bag handler. I raised my hand to volunteer and got the job. I was going to my first Kentucky Derby on a corporate expense account. Wow.
My wife and I were the only in the group that professed any knowledge of handicapping. Although truth be told we were rookies usually appreciating the day of racing as much as the size of bankroll at the end of the day. While she worked with the client, I assembled the programs and the Racing Forms for the day of racing. After dinner on Friday, we settled in to handicap and prepared for the Derby. The weather was forecasted to be gorgeous with lots of sun and temperature in the mid-seventies. The track was perfect. Early on Saturday we got to the track and found local parking a short walk to the track and our front row seats on the stretch for the “best two minutes in sport.”
Churchill Downs surprised with its expanse and run-down-conditions. The images portrayed on television didn’t show the underbelly of this famous racing oval. Crowds in the stands approximated life as a sardine. The infield known as “InFieldFest” looked the same with an abundance of alcohol added. The track announced the attendance would exceed 136,000 people. Betting windows and concessions confirmed that prediction. The first half of the card was spent people watching hoping to see Hollywood stars like kids at Disney Land. The pageantry of the day was richer than what television offered. As post time approached and horses came onto the track the air thickened with excitement. The Derby field appeared each looking like the winner, regardless of the odds. Our picks were substantiated by favorite colors, lucky numbers, familiar names, and not so good handicapping which became apparent as the last horse crossed the finish line. Our hearts pumped beyond their capacity and pari-mutuel tickets were sorted for a potential winner. None found.
To get the lead on the exiting crowed we packed up and headed for our car and an evening of celebrating our wonderful day. Post Derby parties at old Kentucky mansions consumed our evening and arriving home like teenagers past our curfews. A late wake-up call and southern breakfast proceeded our trip to the airport. The trip home focused on the fun we had and fortunately not on the money we lost, the way going to the Derby should be. Although it would have been nice if I had picked Sea Hero and not Prairie Bayou who finished second and two weeks later won the Preakness Stakes. But I didn’t.
Monday, May 3rd, we were all back at work. Here is where the story gets even better. As the hosts of the trip were back at work recounting their fun and excitement, they were interrupted by the guest of the boondoggle who dropped by to do business and create some shame. She was there to purchase bonds in the amount of eight figures and to punish the company’s management for their reluctance to embrace the trip in the first place. Hopefully, the lesson had an impact.
From my perspective the 1993 Kentucky Derby marked my first and maybe last Derby seen in person, but not the last I will try to handicap and cash a winning ticket. It also marked the real winner of the trip, the company that allowed the “girls” to go and make the sale. Go figure!