Cybill Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy partied at last year's Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala. McCarthy will be at another event this year, and (below) the Barstable twins, Patricia Barnstable Brown and Cyb Barstable, shown with Dixie Chick Emily Robinson, may be holding the secrets to this year's biggest stars until Friday morning. Copyrighted Herald-Leader photos by David Perry.
Where's the remote, where's the remote . . . ah.
Click.
We're flipping the dial here at Copious Notes to talk Derby . . . all Derby, all the time through Saturday, when I'll be blogging live from Churchill Downs. I'll be your regular guy in a seersucker suit out there, trying to spot those bits o' culture that make Derby unique, trying to spot the race without a ticket to the good seats, trying to spot a winner and trying to spot some celebs.
Speaking of celebs, who's coming?
Usually by this time of the week Derby week, we pretty much know who to expect and we're running down rumors -- sorry kids, apparently no George Clooney this year. But we'll always have Maysville.
This year, however, Derby celeb info is coming at more of a trickle. So here's what we know:
The Grand Gala is the big party with the big list, thus far, and the guest list includes Rush Hour(s) star Chris Tucker, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, basketball and Hanes commercial star Michael Jordan, film star Gabrielle Union, and newly single talk show host and attorney Star Jones. Also on the list for the Derby night soirée are Project Runway standout Mychael Knight and stage and screen standout Jeffrey Wright -- if all you've seen of his work is Casino Royale, you haven't seen enough.
In addition to Jordan, sports fans can look forward to seeing NBA star of the past Julius Irving and present Kevin Garnett, and football stars Byron Leftwich and Michael Strahan. If you feel like mingling with these folks, or you want to "Sing a Soooooong" with party band Earth, Wind and Fire, click the link. Tickets are still available, but you have to reserve by the table.
You could also mingle with Jenny McCarthy, the marquee name at Snow Queen Vodka's first annual -- don't you love the optimism of that term? -- Derby Eve bash at the Frazier International History Museum for $400 a head.
For a bit less . . . OK, a lot less . . . foodies can revel in Bobby Flay as the grand marshall of the Pegasus Parade on Thursday.
Celebrity celebrity interviewer Billy Bush will be around town 
and at the Downs for Access Hollywood's pre-Debry show.
The biggest name thus far is Justin Timberlake, who will be a guest of Budweiser Select race day.
We say thus far, because the Barnstable twins are holding out their guest list until Derby Eve, and the Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala usually hosts some of the biggest names of year. Hmmmmm. Who could be on it?
UPDATE:
Muhammad and Lonnie Ali are having a Derby Day event with some sports luminaries such as Lennox Lewis, and if you like the politics, ex-first daughters Chelsea Clinton, supporting her mom, and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, supporting Sen. Barack Obama, will be at the race.
Don't miss the Herald-Leader Photo site's Derby celebs slide show.
DON'T FORGET PISCOPO
How did we forget mention Joe Piscopo at the Mint Jubilee? Maybe it was this scary picture of the former Saturday Night Live star that's been attached to some stories about the event. The promise that he'll do a little Sinatra makes this event appealing -- maybe we could get a taste of The Sinatra Report. The video below is reportedly Joe doing a Sinatra tribute in Sacramento.
I think that your blog header artist should draw you with your Derby tie.... What *is* that blue thing under your chin??
Posted by: PatGLex | April 30, 2008 at 06:18 PM
What's great about that Grand Gala is that if you look on the guest list, it also includes the now infamous Wesley Snipes! Wonder if they let you out of jail to go to the derby?
Posted by: Ben | April 30, 2008 at 09:31 AM