Cunningham Downs

It's was a fine day to celebrate the 137th Running of the Roses: the Kentucky Derby yesterday at "Cunningham Downs."  We had a beautiful day and with family and friends, we watched the ponies race with mile and half for the greatest two minutes in sports.

 

 Guests were greeted with jockey silks and horseshoes for good luck.  

 

They placed bets on our Tote Board, with all the information anyone ever really needs when betting on horses: what color are the silks, the name, the trainer, the jockey, and the current odds.

Not being hooked into the off-track betting from Churchill Downs, we created our own odds.  The favorite: Pants on Fire-- lots of people wanting to have the woman jockey be the first to win the Derby.  Second favorite at Cunningham Downs: Midnight Interlude and Dailed In.  Will bet on Shackleford and I had my $2 on Soldat.  At first we were quite excited about our choice of bets, as Shackleford was leading for a majority of the race, with Soldat running a close third.  Quickly, we realized that it would look like we *knew* who was going to win should those horses win and were a little bit relieved that we didn't have to face charges from our guests of knowing the outcome.

I had my tables set with Derby Pies, Pecan Pies (someone doesn't like Bourbon or chocolate mixed with their pecans), Kentucky sugar cookies, and Mammy's Pound Cake.  The main table was set with KFC-- what else could be served for the Kentucky Derby??-- cole slaw, green beans, sweet corn, bread, cheese, fruit and Quinoa salad.  We determined that it was the first and probably the only time that Kentucky fried chicken was on the same table as quinoa.

We also had a the bar fully stocked and open, ready to serve the pre-made Mint Juleps and Pimms Cups-- we have to serve Pimms, with Will being British and all.  Pimms is what he would drink at the races, or at cricket, or Wimbledon, or with the Queen.   Since the Queen drinks it, so should we!

The garden was in fine form, roses and irises in full bloom.  Newly taken grass seed rearing its head.  The sunny beating down on us but with a slight breeze-- even a chill once the sun set.  In other words, a perfect Derby Day.

Guests enjoyed the food, the drinks, the decorations, and betting.  Two guests split the $78 pot-- not bad odds!  And a third guest took another $28 in the "Guess The Official Time of the Race" pool with a dead-on bet of 2.02.04.  The winner, Allison (also known as Bartleby's mom), answered when asked why that time: I like numbers that add up to each other.  Hey-- whatever system gets you the money!

In the end, the horses ran their best race, the guests ate the best meal, and then we all trotted off into the night.  As you can tell, we were pretty worn out after a marvelous day at the races at Cunningham Down.