rmiracle

Author: rmiracle

Dawn at the Downs and the Derby Museum

Posted on May 7, 2017May 7, 2017 by rmiracle

[caption id="attachment_951" align="alignnone" width="768"] Abel Tasman works out at Dawn at the Downs. She would go on to win the 2017 Kentucky Oaks.[/caption] Dawn at the Downs is a chance to get up close to the Derby contenders and watch them work out. Churchill Downs hosts this event the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before the Kentucky Derby as a free...Read More

The Great Steamboat Race – a time for friends

Posted on May 5, 2017May 5, 2017 by rmiracle

We've covered what the Great Steamboat Race is about in the past. A couple of paddle-wheel boats ramble up and down the Ohio. Lots of cheating. Coal-fired steam vs. diesel engine. But what isn't talked about enough is the friendships made on the boat. What starts as total strangers and a force of habit come together to create lasting friendships....Read More

The 2017 Great Bed Races crowns winners

Posted on May 2, 2017May 5, 2017 by rmiracle

One of the more interesting things raced during the Kentucky Derby Festival is beds. That's right beds. Well sort of. These are more custom-made, four wheel carts with a push bar and optional steering that happens to hold a regular sized bed mattress. A team of five: a driver (frequently just a passenger) and four pushers race the bed around...Read More

Churchill Downs opens its 2017 Spring racing session

Posted on April 30, 2017May 5, 2017 by rmiracle

It's called "Downs after Dark" and it's one of a hand full of night-racing sessions at Churchill Downs. This event kicks off the racing season and helps get the kinks out before hundreds of thousands of people descend on the track for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. Eleven races pack the schedule between 6pm and 11pm. It's also a...Read More

Back to My Old Kentucky Home

Posted on April 29, 2017May 5, 2017 by rmiracle

As I sat at my computer this morning, planning out the day and getting our tickets for tonight's opening session at Churchill Downs, I came across an email from the track and one of the articles in the newsletter was about My Old Kentucky Home and the tradition it's played in the history of the Kentucky Derby. While no one...Read More

And their off… Balloons that is.

Posted on April 28, 2017May 2, 2017 by rmiracle

One of the fun challenges this time of year in Kentuckiana is the weather. It's pretty unpredictable. Temperatures can run from 40's or lower one day and easily slip into the 90's a day later. You can get hours of rain or scattered thunderstorms that last for few minutes. This makes running a hot-air balloon event challenging. In the early...Read More

Balloon Glimmer over the Ohio River

Posted on April 27, 2017May 2, 2017 by rmiracle

In the early days of the Kentucky Derby Festival, there was just the Great Balloon Race. Then it expanded to add the Great Balloon Glow. Today, we have the Great Balloon Fest, a three-day hot-air balloon event consisting of three morning "races" and two evening light shows. Thursday morning starts with the Great Balloon Charity Race from Bowman Field but...Read More

Thunderstruck! The 2017 edition of Thunder Over Louisville

Posted on April 23, 2017May 5, 2017 by rmiracle

The 2017 edition of Thunder Over Louisville's musical program kicked off with the AD/DC song Thunderstruck which was quite appropriate right after a cannon wake-up call echoed from the 2nd Street bridge. It was a prelude to a sight and sound extravaganza blasting into the night sky from the middle of the Ohio River. Two sets of four-barge convoys were...Read More

Thunder over Louisville is a mere eight days away

Posted on April 14, 2017May 2, 2017 by rmiracle

When attending many racing events, be it power-boat races, NASCAR or even the Kentucky Derby, you always feel the thunder as they race around the course. What a better way to kick off the two week party that is the Kentucky Derby Festival than with more thunder. In this case, its Thunder over Louisville... a party on the banks of...Read More

Time to focus on the Kentucky Derby Festival

Posted on March 29, 2017May 2, 2017 by rmiracle

[caption id="attachment_790" align="alignnone" width="768"] The horses round the first turn during the 142nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday May 7, 2016.[/caption] With the University of Kentucky's men's basketball team making an early exit from the Big Dance, it's time to turn attention to Louisville and the rapidly approaching Kentucky Derby and it's two week festival....Read More