9:45 a.m.
Ground Delivery

There's always plenty of hay around the backstretch of any track, so it was a little surprising when we saw a bale arriving special delivery. It's no surprise though, that this bale was being delivered to Big Brown by UPS, aka "Big Brown." Louisville is the North American hub for UPS, so he'll have plenty of local support on Saturday. One fan is the delivery man, Pat Murphy, who has worked for UPS for 22 years.

Oddly enough, it is his first delivery to Churchill Downs. -E.H.

Pat Murphy has never bailed on a delivery

 9:35 a.m.
Toes

Jennifer Brown shows us Toes, the six-toed cat.

Toes used to belong to trainer Mitch Shiroda. Mitch still stops by to deliver some food, but he’s in a different barn now. Toes is a about a year and a half old.

“He got hit by a car last year and we actually thought we were going to have to put him down,” Brown says. “They thought he broke his back. He started getting better and Mitch put him on a leash so he couldn’t run around. It was cute.”

That was one of Toes’ nine lives.

Now he’s back like nothing happened. He’s quite the media star today as several photographers have come to shoot him.

Toes is what is known as a polydactyl cat, or “Hemingway Cat,” named for the author, Ernest Hemingway, who had a six-toed Maine Coon cat at his home in Key West, Fla. –E.H.

Toes 'takes six' on the backstretch at Churchill Downs

8:45 a.m.
Taking Aim

Big Brown has made his entrance, and his exit, from the track this morning. Over at Barn 33, Aimee Dollase gives a leg up to an exercise rider. She’s the daughter of trainer Wally Dollase.

She’s also a great handicapper. She’s seen most of the Derby horses so we know her insight will be of interest.

“Colonel John looks phenomenal,” she says. “He looks like he’s really improved since the Santa Anita Derby. Flesh-wise, it looks like he’s put on a lot of weight and is strong. He’ll be in a really good tactical position because there is a lot of speed in the race.

“Big Brown just worked awesome,” she tells us. “He looks like he’s really something special, and I think with their post (20), they’re just trying to stay out of trouble as much as they can. There is the possibility they might lose some ground, but I think (jockey) Kent (Desormeaux) knows what he has.”

OK, Aimee, you’ve given us the top two choices. How about an outsider?

“Visionaire, I think is going to be a big surprise because the way the race might set up. If they go too quick early and get a little wobbly-legged, he’s going to be flying. He’s consistent horse and an honest horse. I think he’ll run a big one.”

She should know, in the barn is his half-sister, Scarlet Love. –E.H.

8:15 a.m.
Give the Guy a Go

Paulo Lobo stands outside of Barn 33, reading a copy of the Lexington Herald-Leader - an article by sports columnist John Clay, to be exact. The story is headlined "Give this guy a go," and reviews Lobo's chances at winning the Kentucky Derby with Arkansas Derby (gr. II) winner Gayego.

As Lobo is reading, Gary Drake from New Phoenix Racing steps up with a copy of The Blood-Horse opened to an ad featuring Gayego. No, Drake doesn't want the trainer's autograph. He points to an inset photo of a yearling, by Sarava out of Devils Lake. It is Gayego's half-brother.

"We'd like you to take a look at him," Drake says. "We might want to send him to California."

Later, once phone numbers have been exchanged, Lobo talks of breaking from post 19 in the 20-horse Derby field.

"He has very good tactical speed, so if he's going to avoid traffic on Saturday I'd rather have him on the outside. It's not a perfect draw, but it's better than the one hole, down inside."

Gayego walked the shedrow today, has not schooled at all since arriving at Churchill.

"I've never done that with him," Lobo says. "He's a very calm horse to be around. There were a lot of people at Oaklawn Park (for the Arkansas Derby) and he never batted an eye."

There'll be a lot more at Churchill on Saturday. -C.N.


7:10 a.m.
Bag Lady

Down by the rail, a familiar figure catches the eye. It's Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day, who rode Lil E Tee to victory in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. Day, of course, has since retired - but he hasn't slowed down.He stays active with the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America and Mom's Closet Center, the latter being a non-profit operated by his wife, Sheila Day.

This morning, Day plays escort to a group of guests who watch the works with great interest. Among them is Susan Handley, president and founder of Bijou Bags, the sponsor of yesterday's Winner's Purse luncheon fundraiser for Mom's Closet Center. The Los Angeles resident flew in to attend the event, which was held on behalf of single women in the Louisville area.

"I loved it," she says. "When I found out about the mission statement I knew it was right up our alley, because I started my company five years ago as a single mom and it wasn't easy. I spend as much time as possible inspiring other women with my story, and the opportunity to do so here was a great fit."

And, of course, it's nice to be at the Derby.

"I told my husband, we'll probably get on the plane next week and say 'What just happened to us?'" she says. "The hospitality in this city is just amazing; the whole experience has been so exciting."

Derby picks?

"When I'm standing here, I love them all," she says. "But I've heard Big Brown is the horse to beat." -C.N.

  

7:00 a.m.
Once in a Lifetime

Outside of Barn 19, Susan Casner talks horses with WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden and her husband, Bill. They're waiting for Bill Mott to escort the Derby contenders to the track - WinStar owns Court Vision in partnership with IEAH, while Zayat Stables' Z Humor is also in the trainer's barn.

Asked which Derby contender she wants to win, Casner smiles.

"Well, I love Court Vision, but Colonel John is my baby," she says. "I picked the mare - or, actually, the mare picked me, so I've been connected to him since before he was born."

As Casner tells it, Colonel John's mare - Sweet Damsel - was at a Keeneland sale when a WinStar horse was about to go through the ring.

"She came through and I said, 'Bill, look at that mare!'" Casner recounts. "She was big and black and just very impressive - talk about presence. When she went through I said, 'Bill, did you get her for me?' And he said, 'Who, what?' You know how men are. I said, 'That mare I mentioned!' So he went running back to the sales office and she hadn't sold. He went out to look at her and bought her the next day."

Sweet Damsel is often turned out in the pasture in front of the Casner home on WinStar Farm, where her owners can watch her graze with her foals.

"She has beautiful babies, and I've always had a connection with her," Casner says. "Bill keeps asking me, 'Do you want to go to the sales and pick out another mare?' But I think it's a once in a lifetime experience." -C.N.

6:55 a.m.
HRH

Eight Belles may be the belle of this year’s Kentucky Derby, but Penny Chenery is the Queen of the Triple Crown. Her Royal Highness was on hand on the backstretch this morning donning a bright red sweatshirt with a rather large “BIG RED” logo.

Big Red, of course, is Secretariat, winner of the 1973 Triple Crown. His Derby win is still the fastest on record and his 2:24 clocking in the Belmont will likely never be shaded. Oh yeah, by the way, Chenery also won the 1972 Derby with Riva Ridge.

On this morning, Chenery was picked up at 4:45 a.m. to make her way to the Downs. You can’t take the racetrack out of the girl.

She’s made the rounds on most of the local television morning programs that are broadcasting from the backstretch this week. She’s also signing bottles of Woodford Reserve Bourbon as fundraiser.

Woodford your brand of choice?

“Tiznow,” she says. –E.H.

6:45 a.m.
Friendly Pick

Michael Blowen is working grassy area in front of the media center on the backside at Churchill Downs. Wearing his signature green jacket with the gold “Old Friends” logo, Blowen is always on the lookout for old friends. He runs the retirement home for Thoroughbreds in Scott County near Lexington.

“We’re handing out invitations to our Sunday party,” he says. “It’s to welcome home Danthebluegrassman. It’s a welcome home party.”

“We got him for 7,500 bucks up at Penn National; a bargain,” he says.

Danthebluegrassman won the Northern Dancer Stakes at Churchill Downs when he was a 3-year-old. His Derby claim to fame was when he was entered in the Run for the Roses, then scratched. The move kept the Steve Asmussen-trained Windward Passage from making the field of 20.

How about a pick for this year?

“Z Fortune. He’s a grandson of Fortunate Prospect, one of our horses,” he says. “I hit with Giacomo because the Mosses gave us Ruhlmann and Kudos.”

The Mosses’ Giacomo won the 2005 Derby at 52-1.

Old Friends keeps pretty good company. –E.H.

Wednesday Evening
And Then There Were 20

The draw for post positions has been held at Fourth Street Live! for three years now…and this year’s edition was clearly the most interesting.

First off, the staged event in downtown Louisville was indeed live, while it didn’t play live on ESPN2. A soccer match on the Deuce ran long, so the folks at ESPN called an audible: hold the event, then run it on the air on a half-hour tape delay. Not that it mattered, but the majority of folks on sight never this was going on.

Second of all, the sound on site was been spotty at best, but this year, it was abysmal. There was some sort of University of Louisville pep band playing that was amplified a little too much. When it came to the key moment of drama in the show, where Big Brown was going to be slotted, there was no sound. Few heard the morning line favorite for the race was going to break from post 20 until they saw it on the monitor No wonder a hush fell over the crowd…they didn’t know it was going on.

Then, filling out the trifecta, Mother Nature stepped in with a gust of wind to blow the placards off the board with five more entrants to choose from. I would imagine that next year’s draw will include Velcro.

Following some lively discussion and a swank buffet line inside the bar “Felt” for the connections, most headed out for dinner. Another crowd, larger-and younger-that what was on hand for the draw was building at Fourth Street Live! as a concert was getting ready to go on.

We didn’t stick around, but we doubt the band could touch the Leningrad Cowboys. –E.H.

The "In Crowd" at Fourth Street Live!

Wednesday Evening
The Other Colonel in Kentucky This Week