Copious Notes

WUKY airing call-in show regarding Eight Belles

From 11 a.m. to noon May 7, WUKY-91.3 FM will air an hour-long call-in show dealing with the death of Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby and controversies regarding thoroughbred racing. The show is On Point, a call-in show from Boston-based WBUR. Among the guests will be Versailles-based breeder Jim Squires.

Mixed emotions

Eight Belles, above, shown in an April 27 workout (Herald-Leader photo by Mark Cornelison) and, below, shown striding toward her second place Derby finish (photo by Rich Copley).

What a swing from our perch in the Jockey Club, watching Big Brown's big win, to entering the press room to hear that Eight Belles had been euthanized. Do people streaming out of the Downs even realize what has happened? You think you just saw a victory by a promising champion, maybe a successor to the excitement of Barbaro. But then, almost immediately, we are hit with the same emotions of the other side of the Barbaro story -- the tragedy of seeing a horse fatally injured when the whole world is watching. Wow.

Note: Originally, we were going to end this thread with accounts of the departure from the Downs: everything from the street preachers to the Mardi Gras bead hawkers to the women falling off their high heels, the bizarre aftermath of Derby Day. But after what happened to Eight Belles, the Herald-Leader staff was retained in the media room to make sure we had the story covered and I don't really think diving into drunken revelry would have been terribly appropriate. Though the sun came out and temperatures warmed up, in a way, today feels as gray as it started.

My brother, my bookie

So now we get to the real nitty gritty of this day: the bets. Like I a lot of people, I get sent to the Downs each year with a fistful of Derby bets to place. That sounds easy, until you get into the slew of numbers a 20-horse field presents you and the complications  of win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfreakingfecta, etcectra.

After all, if your mom's co-worker wanted to make a win bet on Court Vision and he comes through, but you just dropped two-bills on show for that 20-1 shot, you're going to need to cough up the difference. And then you need to keep all of these tickets straight.

It's like being back in math class.

Anyway, those bets are all in. Now it's time to work on mine.

One nation, in the tunnel

Saxophonist Marshall Chambers has a good payday playing in the Infield Tunnel on Derby Day. Photos by Rich Copley.

I heard the diverse voices of our great country come together to sing our national anthem, in the tunnel between the main concourse and the infield. It's one thing to hear an orchestrated rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. It's another to hear people spontaneously lift the song in unison, as they did while saxophonist Marshall Chambers of Indianapolis wailed the tune on his horn, utilizing the tunnel's resident echo.

Chambers said he has been coming to the Derby for 10 years and makes a figure in tips he declined to state for the record, because it might tempt other buskers to compete with him. He also hits other major events and festivals, noting he'll be back home in a few weeks at the Indianapolis 500.

Needless to say, he's happy with the response he gets, in dollars and in song.

Stay with the Seersucker

Above: Peter Biava sizes up the field in his seersucker. Below, descending: George Pappas and Ashley Blackburn looking very springy at the Paddock. Taj Grills in his favorite fabric. Photos by Rich Copley.

I am now officially ashamed of myself for abandoning my seersucker suit.

When the day started, it was overcast, it had just stopped raining and there was a chilly breeze in the air. It just didn't feel like seersucker weather.

But clearly, that was not a unanimous decision.

Every corner I turned, there were men in their seersucker, looking cool as the temperature rose.

"It's a perfect fit with the Derby," said George Pappas of San Francisco. "It compliments a spectacular event and the beautiful lady on your arm," he added, his beautiful lady being Louisvillian Ashley Blackburn, who will graduate from UK tomorrow.

"I don't feel dressed up," Taj Grills, who lives outside Avon Lake, Ohio, said. His affection for seersucker extends to shorts and casual shirts, and he apparently has several suits in his closet, saying he might break out a red one next year.
Notre Dame Student Peter Biava grew up going to the track with his dad and says, "I never wear anything but a suit to the track, and at the Kentucky Derby, you've gotta wear seersucker and a bow tie."

Point taken. Next time, I'll wear seersucker, even if it's snowing.

Imported parimutuels

Here's one to file under, I've been here 10 years, but who knew: At the entrance I ran into Carrie Glenn and Terry Voight who usually work as parimutuel tellers at Manor Downs outside of Austin, Texas.

"You've never heard of it," Voight says, indicating that's OK.

But every year, they and a lot of other tellers take a tour of the big races, including all of the Triple Crowns.

"The Kentucky Derby is the best," Glenn says. "All of the people are nice and its such a huge event."

Asked what they really like about the Derby atmosphere, Voight said, "The hats and the clothes. Everybody says that, but it's true."

The Hennegans are here

John Hennegan and Skip Koepnick share a laugh about The First Saturday in May. Photo by Rich Copley.

Equine auteurs John and Brad Hennegan are at the main entrance to Churchill Downs hawking the DVD of their documentary, The First Saturday in May, which opened two weeks ago at the Kentucky Theatre.

"Documentaries don't have a long theatrical life," John Hennegan said. "So getting the DVD out is a way to pay back investors and get the word out."

He said they felt good about the opening weekend for the movie, two weeks ago, as it's per-screen average gross doubled that of Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden, which was much more widely released and advertised.
The Hennegans were doing brisk business, selling DVDs by the handful at some points and even meeting some notable characters.

Skip Koepnick, "the hat man," had a notable moment in the film that's also in the trailer -- it's the sex line -- and John Hennegan asked to have his picture taken with him, like just about everyone else in the Downs.

"I spend the whole day having my picture taken with people," said Koepnick, of Wyoming, Mich., whose battery-powered horse features two horses running in a circle.

Live: The Derby experience

Proud Spell sloshing her way to victory in Friday's Kentucky Oaks. Let's hope things dry out today. Copyrighted Herald-Leader photo by Mark Cornelison.

Ten years ago the first Saturday in May, I arrived at Churchill Downs for the first time to attend the Kentucky Derby. My assignment was to write the "Derby virgin" story, chronicling first encounters with uniquely Derby experiences such as the mint julep, placing a bet and the infield.

Since then, I've covered nine of these things -- if you're counting, I took last year off in favor of covering LBB in the Legally Blonde opening in New York -- and experienced a lot. I've watched the race from the roof of Churchill Downs, I've hung with Scooby Doo in the infield and I trailed Lee Cruse and his antics around the Downs.

Back then, blog might be a way to pronounce log if you had too many mint juleps, and we filed our stories via dialup. This year, I will be your Derby blogger, your Kentucky Culture Vulture trying to bring you a bit of the experience, what makes Derby distinct.

Barnstable Brown redux

Above: One of the unique aspects of the Barnstable Brown Gala is seeing stars such as the Supremes Mary Wilson give impromptu performances. By Angela Baldridge. Below: Party regular Bo Derek, looking a very classy 10 at 51. By David Perry. The photos are copyrighted by the Lexington Herald-Leader.

You do have to hope that the Barnstable Brown Gala is not becoming something like the Ichthus Festival.

Ichthus, for those not in that loop, is a Christian music festival in Wilmore that for years was plagued by rain and worse. For the second year in a row, the Barnstable Derby Eve party had to contend with the elements -- an added glitter was lights reflecting off wet pavement.

Among Derby Eve events, it is uniquely vulnerable to the weather because it is mostly held outdoors, albeit mostly under a massive tent. When it's a beautiful 60-something degree night, it can be magical.

When thunderstorms surround, you wish they'd magically disappear.

For most of the 2008 edition, the storms did just surround, lifting enough for the stars to make their grand entrances and walks up the Barnstable driveway to the awaiting party.

Patricia Barnstable Brown and her twin sister Cyb Barnstable were making their ways down that long, winding driveway and ran into celebrity chef Bobby Flay and his wife, actress Stephanie March.

"It's a fabulous party, and you made the rain stop," Flay said, beaming.

Brown replied, "This is what happens every year. It rains, and then, just in time for the party, it stops."

And then the stars come out.

This party has been happening for 20 years at 1700 Spring Street in Louisville.

This year's guest list included regulars such as singer Michael McDonald, photographer turned celebrity dad Larry Birkhead, Olympic skier Bode Miller and newcomers such as talk show host Carson Daly and Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who brought his reality show The Girls Next Door to the party.

Murray native Molly Sims marveled at the throng of photographers quietly snapping her picture.

"You all are so polite," the former Las Vegas star said. "This is the nicest paparazzi I've ever seen."

Daly invoked Hefner in his opinion of Louisville and the party: "People at home think this is the Playboy Mansion of Louisville. But it's not. It's a real home in a real, lovely neighborhood."

We could go on, but the things that tell the story best are David Perry and Angela Baldridge's photos and David Stephenson's video of the evening at the Herald-Leader photo site.

Check back here later today for Copious Notes' live Derby blog. I'm looking out the window trying to decide whether I need to ditch the seersucker for today.

The Barnstable Brown celebs

Michael McDonald, shown here at last year's Barnstable Brown Gala, will be back to party and entertain tonight. Copyrighted Herald-Leader photo by David Perry.

UPDATED, BELOW

The Barnstable Brown Gala clocks in as the last of the big Derby bashes to announce its guest list, releasing it less than 24 hours before the first attendees arrive.

Tricia Barnstable Brown and Priscilla Barnstable put together a list, as reported by Louisville's Courier-Journal, that includes music, film, TV and sports stars.

Edward Norton, soon to be in a theater near you as The Incredible Hulk, leads the list of screen stars on this, the opening day of summer blockbuster season -- I can't get this Black Sabbath tune out of my head for some reason.

We've also got a Kentuckian coming home in Murray-native Molly Sims of NBC's Las Vegas fame. Also on their ways are Jerry O'Connell and the 10, Bo Derek.

"Reality" TV has been a bigger and bigger deal at Derby events in recent years, and Hugh Hefner will be the marquee attraction this year bringing his Girls Next Door series to the gala. Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt of MTV's The Hills will also be in the house. Also from TV land are chef Bobby Flay and FOX News' Bill O'Reilly.

Joey Fatone of 'N Sync and Dancing with the Stars fame will be there. Will he sing, dance, or both?

One of the big questions is always who will be playing with the band and there are, of course, some old friends in the lineup, including Michael McDonald, Taylor Dayne, Smokey Robinson and Travis Tritt. They can show some newcomers, including Anastasia Brown, Lee Ann Womack, and Darryl McDaniels (the D.M.C. in Run-D.M.C.) how it's done in Louisville. 

Rounding out the musical guest list are Supremes singer Frances Mary Wilson, Nick and Drew Lachey, Eddie Money, and his daughter Jesse Money.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has become a regular, and he'll be there along with fellow Patriots such as Randy Moss and Teddy Bruschi. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens, who makes more headlines than corduroy pillows, will also be at the bash. If you like golf, you have Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger and ski fans can look forward to Bode Miller.

The twins, former University of Kentucky cheerleaders, will also show some love to their alma mater, bringing in the University of Kentucky Dance Team to perform. The party benefits Barnstable Brown Diabetes Research Labs at UK and the University of Louisville.

Of course, last year's marquee star was Louisville's Larry Birkhead, fresh from winning the custody battle for Dannielynn, his and the late Anna Nicole Smith's daughter. Birkhead and Smith met at the 2004 Barnstable Brown Gala, re-emphasizing the point that you never know what will happen on Spring Street on Derby Eve. 

UPDATE:

Those crazy Hills kids, Heidi and Spencer, don't seem to be too interested in sleep while they're in L'ville. Post race, they're hosting an invite only soirée sponsored by Puglisi Racing at the Raw Sushi Lounge on South Fourth Street. Their guest list will include Kid Rock, Tara Conner, Kevin Federline, Jenny McCarthy, Birkhead and others.

Picking my pony

The Copleys are for Colonel John, the man and the Horse. The Horse is listed at 4-1 in Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Here, exercise rider Karine Lhuillier takes him out at Churchill Downs on Wednesday morning. Copyrighted Herald-Leader photo by David Stephenson.

It starts with the name.

Monarchos worked well for me in 2001. The initial attraction was the similarity of his name to the mascot of my alma mater: The Old Dominion University Monarchs.

Then there were little extras, like he was sired at Pin Oak Stud, owned by Josephine Abercrombie, an area arts supporter I had enjoyed meeting a few months prior to the race. And the breeder was former newspaperman Jim Squires, who I enjoyed reading. It only made sense to put a few bills on him, and enjoy a subsequent payday, as I did.

A similar thing happened in 2005 when 50-1 longshot Giacomo finished the day draped in Roses. The initial attraction was that I'm an opera guy, and Giacomo is the first name of one of opera's greatest composers: Giacomo Puccini. And that was actually part of the story behind the horse's name. The other part was that his namesake was actually the son of Sting, one of my favorite pop musicians, and Sting had named him after Puccini. How cool.

So whenever the Derby field starts coming together, I look for a name to jump out at me. This year, one jumped out to me, my mom and my sister: Colonel John. My Uncle John was a Colonel in the United States Air Force. What's more, Uncle John lives in Los Angeles, and Colonel John is a California Horse -- usually, I like going with Kentucky Horses, but sometimes you get derailed. It is fun to hear the day-after stories about all the people celebrating at a farm around here when their horse wins. Then, I read that Colonel John's trainer, Eoin Harty, is apparently a Yankees fan. My team -- we are NOT discussing this season, yet. I may have to wear my Yankees cap Saturday.

Anyway, obviously I will put a few bills on the Colonel, and my sister is even betting for the first time. Like a lot of people, I usually go to the track carrying the wagers of several family and friends.

I'm also going to have to put some scratch on Z Fortune (copyrighted photo, right, by David Stephenson), because our fabulous development writer Beverly Fortune and I have covered so many Barnstable parties and similar functions together. George Zack also signs his notes Z, and since this is such a big year for him, there could be something cool about a Z horse coming in. And then, I just read this piece that makes a good case for Z Fortune coming up big Saturday.

Or it seems to make a good case. I get in trouble if I actually start to analyze the race, actually start looking for clues in the Daily Racing Form's tables and things like that. I mean, people who know what they're doing get it completely wrong, so it's kind of silly to think I could look into all of that agate type and pick a winner. Still, it is fun to read through things such as Art Lander's analysis of the field and see if some clue jumps out.

I do just as well every few years going by the name. And it's more fun that way. And it is all fun. I am not betting the kids' college savings on the race, and even if put all my betting money on the longshot to win, and he did, it wouldn't pay for a class at UK. I bet on one horse race a year, and it's entertainment.

And forging those little mental connections gives me a rooting interest and makes those occasional wins more enjoyable because there was more to it than, "No. 7 looked good."

So that's my system. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. What's yours? Comment below.

What can Brown do for charity?

These sorts of bets are usually reserved for competing municipalities, you know where, say, Atlanta and Chicago are playing and if Atlanta wins, the mayor gets a big ol' Chicago pizza, and if Chicago wins the mayor of gets a big ol' basket of peaches.

Anyway, UPS CEO Scott Davis and Kentucky Fried Chicken president Gregg Dedrick have looked at the Kentucky Derby field and seen they have something to place a friendly wager on. Davis' interest is of course in Big Brown, who is actually named after the delivery service. And you do not have to look far into the field to discern who KFC is backing: The Colonel, Colonel John, that is.

If the Colonel wins, both companies will donate $10,000 to The Colonel's Scholars, which provides college scholarships to deserving students. If Brown wins, they donate $10K each to Metro United Way. If you haven't been following the field, both are considered strong contenders, with Big Brown the current favorite. UPS is actually sponsoring Big Brown.

Speaking of picking the ponies, we'll have a bit on that tomorrow, and I'd love to know how you pick your Derby horse. Feel free to comment, below.

Gearing up for Barnstable Brown

Tomorrow night, like the last 10 Derby Eves, I will be spending the evening covering the Barnstable Brown Gala in Louisville. Thinking about that, I thought I'd give you a link to this post after last year's bash about the "glamour" of covering celebs at the Derby. Enjoy.

Defending the mint julep

Sipping mint juleps, out on the porch
For you my darling, I'll always hold a torch
-- Television, In World

According to Churchill Downs, more than 80,000 mint juleps are served at the track on Kentucky Derby and Oaks days. That's a lot of bourbon and syrup, though at the same time, the official Derby drink gets about as much love as a Red Sox fan in Yankee Stadium.

It's been called a, "mouth wash cocktail" and less complimentary names. A friend who penned a piece about reasonably priced bourbon in Nougat magazine (scroll down to p. 23) quoted Liquor Barn employee Morgan Wright saying, "Everyone should try a mint julep at least once," -- indicating that might be enough.

The julep. It's a drink many people love to hate, especially around the first Saturday in May. But you won't hear that here.

Despite growing up in Virginia and starting my career in Georgia, the first time this distinctly Southern drink touched  my lips was the morning of the 1998 Kentucky Derby. It was one of the experiences I engaged as part of a "Derby virgin" story I wrote that year -- and a rare chance to drink on the clock.

It was interesting and well worth a second try -- after I was off the clock, of course. Over the years, I looked forward to the coming of Derby season and Celeste Susany's colorful julep bottles for Early Times.

On a few occasions, I even became adventurous, whipping up some julep on my own. Somehow, the first few times I worked with really complicated recipes that involved things such as mashing mint leaves and wringing them into bourbon. One of those occasions was a visit by my mother, so I figured I should serve up this signature Kentucky beverage. That had to be the strongest drink my poor mom had in 50 years.

Maybe I should just go with that ET pre-mixed cocktail, I thought.

But I was feeling a little bold earlier this week. Sharon Thompson ran a julep recipe in Sunday's A La Carte section -- it's the same recipe Churchill Downs prescribes -- and I gave it a shot. It was really simple, boiling up a syrup of sugar and water, putting mint sprigs in it and refrigerating it overnight. The next day, it was just a matter of pouring the right combo over crushed ice. I now really appreciate my new refrigerator which dispenses ice crushed.

The home-made julep was wonderful. I like Early Times' brew, but this formula backed off the syrup just a bit so it complimented, not overpowered, the bourbon. It was Four Roses bourbon, by the way, which is somewhat appropriate because:

• The rose is, of course, the Derby flower
• Earliest accounts of a julep- or julab-type drinks utilized rose petals

Several accounts, including Joe Nickell's book The Kentucky Mint Julep, actually point to the first mentions of a mint julep being in Virginia, so maybe this was more of a natural to this native of the Old Dominion. And there are nice stories about mint being a herb of hospitality and welcoming. Mint julep equals Southern Hospitality. We have a lot of visitors this week. I get it.

And I like it. So, love to hate it all you want. In this corner, we'll always carry a torch for the mint julep.

Virgin juleps:

Moms and dads know that at Derby parties, kids see you with this cool-looking drink with the mint sprig in it, and they want one too. Here's some help for them and you, if you want the signature Derby drink but shouldn't have or don't want the alcohol.:

• Disneyland's non-alcoholic julep recipe
• Another non-alcoholic idea

At the Copley residence, we did the same recipe as the Downs idea, but substituted Ale-8-One for the bourbon. I don't know if that qualifies as a julep, but my daughter liked it, and keeps the main ingredient in the Bluegrass State.

Do you have a favorite mint julep recipe or story? Comment, below.

Attack of the 6-ft. julep

This sounds like something out of the Duff Beer factory tour on The Simpsons: This weekend, Churchill Downs will boast a 6 ft.-tall, 206 gallon mint julep. The Early Times concoction, located at the Paddock area near Gate 17, will come complete with a mint sprig and straw. It will be a fully-functional dispenser, capable of serving more than 5,000 juleps. On Derby and Oaks days, it will be the main filling station for julep vendors -- the guys who yell, "MINT JUUUUU-LEP!"

Keep Barney and Homer away from the fountain, and check back here tomorrow for more on the much maligned julep.

Soccer?!

I'm sitting here at 5:19 p.m. waiting to watch the 5 p.m. Derby draw, and they're playing soccer post-game analysis on ESPN2. WTH?! Better check in with Alicia.

Derby celebs: What we know, what we don't know

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.

Lexington boosts Derby film

Filmmakers (L-R) John and Brad Hennegan.

Lexington had the second-highest grosses in the nation for The First Saturday in May, brothers John and Brad Hennegan’s documentary about the road to the Kentucky Derby. Only New York City had higher grosses, according to a spokesman for the Kentucky Theatre, where it's playing here in the Horse Capital of the World.

Overall, the movie made $54,553 playing on 20 screens across the nation, including the Kentucky Theatre, according to Box Office Mojo. That gave it a $2,727 per screen average, better than half of the films in the Top 10, though those films did play on several thousand more screens.
First Saturday, which follows six trainers in their quest to take a horse to the 2006 Kentucky Derby, checked in at No. 53 on the weekend box office charts. It is still playing at the Kentucky Theatre at least through May 1.

Even if you are not a horse racing fan, First Saturday is an intriguing, irreverent ride. And if you are, it'll still probably tell you a lot of things you don't know. Click here to read our review and here for our feature on the Hennegan Brothers.

Derby gets the red-carpet treatment

Former 'N Sync member and "reality" TV star Joey Fatone has become a regular at the Kentucky Derby. If he shows up this year, chances are you'll see him on NBC's Derby red carpet show, Access at the Kentucky Derby. Copyrighted Herald-Leader photo by Charles Bertram.

Red carpet shows used to just be the province of award shows and premiers. But as coverage of the Super Bowl earlier this year showed, sports events are getting a piece of the celebrity-walk action also. This year, the Kentucky Derby is getting in on the game.

NBC produced Access Hollywood will present an hour-long red carpet show, Access at the Kentucky Derby. Host Billy Bush (photo, right, courtesy NBC-Universal) will be on the ground in Louisville, bringing celebrity sightings from Churchill Downs on Derby Day as well as a look at all the parties preceding the Run for the Roses. The network coverage starts at 4 p.m., following a day-long sprint by the WLEX news crew.

In a press release, Bush boasted, "Nobody looks better wearing an ascot and holding a mint julep than me." I'm sure there are some Kentucky gentlemen who may beg to differ.

It's Allegro by a mile

Secretariat should have run as well as Allegro did in my bow tie poll, and Obama or Clinton would love to get the percentage of the vote (62 percent) that my winning cravat earned. Being a music guy, it is a fairly appropriate winner, allegro being a brisk, lively tempo. So, now I am going to order my tie, and then start the search for a brisk, lively horse to put a few bills on next weekend. Thanks to everyone who voted, and I really enjoyed some of the commentary, like bright colors vs. a more conservative take. For the record, Ravenna and Derby Line tied for second and Shelburne never got out of the gate.

Pick my Derby tie

I'm a bow tie guy. Check out Camille Weber's illustration at the top of this blog. That butterfly is there for a reason. And most years, I use Derby as an excuse to add to my collection. Some years, it's been a modest tie like 2006, when picked up a nice little lime green and royal blue stripe number at Logan's. A couple of years earlier I went with a flowery number dubbed, "The Mystery Machine tie."

So, this year, I'm going to be your Derby culture blogger, and since I always have a hard time making up my mind about what tie to get, I'm asking you to help me. In consultation with Harriet Hendren, the author of our fabulous Fash Food blog, I picked four finalists from my favorite bow tie e-tailers, Beau Ties Ltd. and Bow Tie Club.

1. Derby Line - It has it's obvious selling points for the first Saturday in May, including a fashionable color. My fear is it's listed as a top seller at Beau Ties, and I don't want to show up wearing Derby Line and my seersucker suit and run into a dozen other guys wearing Derby Line and seersucker suits.

2. Allegro - Being a music guy, I like the name of this tie -- yes, these folks name their designs. I also like the swirly pattern and the colors would go well with seersucker or khaki, which is what I'll wear if Derby Day is less than sunny and warm.

3. Shelburne - The is a bit more calm than the other prints I'm looking at, but I love the colors and design. The Mystery Machine tie told me you can get a bit too wild.

4. Ravenna - Is this too wild? When I get a Derby tie, I'm also trying to fill in holes in my collection. I don't have a paisley bow tie, and I like paisley.
Is this the one?

OK, so, help. Comment (below) or send me an e-mail by noon Monday and tell me which one you think is right for me for Derby day. I can't offer fabulous prizes, but I do value your opinion.

And keep checking back here for off-the-track Derby updates. We're starting to hear stuff about events, celebs, etc., and we'll try to keep you in the loop.

Derby film coming to the Kentucky Theatre

The First Saturday in May has been making the film festival rounds and getting rave reviews around the country. April 18, the documentary following the run-up to the 2006 Kentucky Derby will open at -- appropriately -- the Kentucky Theatre.

Brothers John and Brad Hennegan spent 16 months traveling around the world to document the major races leading up to the Derby. The film reportedly includes footage of a young Barbaro, before his thrilling victory in the 2006 race and untimely death after breaking down in the Preakness Stakes. (After playing the trailer, above, you'll get a menu of clips from the movie in that window, including serveral Barbaro scenes.) Lexington will be among a select group of cities, including New York and Los Angeles, seeing the movie, which opens in limited release on the 18th.

First Saturday won Best Documentary at the Savannah Film Festival and reviews have included raves like this, from the Washington Post's Joe Heim:

"Indeed, the journey is nothing short of riveting. The Hennegans, sons of a horse racing official, used their vast knowledge of the sport and incredible access to paint vivid portraits of colorful characters. For fans who see this movie, the Derby will never again be just another excuse for a party."

How we cover the Barnstable Party

Jamie Gumbrecht, left, Angela Baldridge, and I try to piece together our canopy before the Barnstable Party. Copyrighted photo by David Perry.

Whenever I go shopping to get prepared for the Barnstable Brown Party, I always find myself in the camping section. That's sort of what covering the party for the Herald-Leader is like: camping, in formal wear.

We have some unique challenges covering Derby Eve's  biggest celebrity magnet. We have no home office in Louisville, but unlike most of the other print media there, we are on deadline. Photos, copy, and now video have to be flowing to Lexington. So, we have to have an office. Hence, I've turned in receipts over the years for things like a canopy tent, lanterns and fold-up chairs. Oh, and a tuxedo.

Some years, we've just set up a table and a few chairs for a work station under the stars. This year, we needed every bit of the hardware and then some. That's why I was in Wal Mart buying tarps -- I'll be sending you the bill, Uncle Herald -- for last night's soiree. And that paid off when an aggressive and extended storm blew into L'ville at about 6:30 last night.

We had a five person crew last night: Photographers David Perry and Angela Baldridge, videographer David Stephenson and writers Jamie Gumbrecht and myself. Angela gets an MVP award for figuring out how our canopy should be assembled, despite the fact the instructions were somewhere in my garage, where they weren't doing us a lot of good. If it hadn't been for Angela's ingenuity, we may have been standing there with an unfinished frame when the rains came.

The canopy still had a nice coat of dust on it from last year's Ichthus Festival. Yes, the gear does come in handy for an event that is more like camping camping. Since my first Barnstable party, things have changed quite a bit technologically. Where we used to have to get the phone company to set up a line outside the Barnstables for us to send stories and images, now we're all on  mobile wireless cards, and the information flows a lot faster. 

And we keep it flowing. Usually, while one reporter and photographer are up front talking to the stars and snapping photos, the other is in the back filing images or quotes with the newsroom in Lexington. Then we hand off, sending the other scribe or shooter back to file.

The Barnstable Party also used to be a little local media get together, but now, we have to elbow for room along with places like Access Hollywood and People Magazine. Click here for more on that.

Sometimes, when we are trying to squeeze our ways through the party to get from the front to our work station out back or trying to piece together a tent frame, we have to remind ourselves this is a "glamorous" gig. But really, I keep asking for the Barnstable assignment because it's the only place to be Derby Eve.

And I keep visiting the camping section.