Place Your Bets!
The bars are serving ’round the clock, learjets fill the skies and fresh mint is as rare and expensive as marijuana. It’s Derby time. The race is tomorrow and per family tradition we made our way to Churchill Downs at dawn to watch the horses warm up. Only this week does the track let people in ahead of the daily race schedule.
Who do I like this year? That’s a bad question. In fact I understand they’re starting the Derby a little late this year because my horse from last year is still on the track. I was going with Hoppertunity but the horse was scratched from the race this week. The smart money is on California Chrome and Wicked Strong. Lovers of clever names may prefer Danza or my personal favorite, Vicar’s in Trouble. I have no picks for Oaks, the big all-fillies race for locals that’s happening today, I guess because I’m still working on becoming a local!
Because of all the requests, I’ll pass on a quick “ultimate julep” recipe for those of you who are hosting Derby Parties tomorrow. In a high ball glass, muddle some shaved ice and a few torn mint leaves. Drizzle in an ounce of simple syrup and insert a straw into the glass, cut so it protrudes barely an inch over the lip. Now, holding the glass gently from the bottom pitch all that frilly nonsense out and fill it with bourbon. Drink!
That, my friends, is how the locals do it.
I don’t know the going rate for marijuana, but if it’s worthwhile to send some fresh mint your way, I’d be glad to help you out.
Me neither, uptight, I just thought it sounded funny. But we have a little in the yard…enough for a couple of drinks anyway. Thank you!
– Joe
I was hoping for Hoppertunity as well. Bummer! I suggest you save your mint for a more worthy cause like strawberries or a lovely fresh fruit salad and pass on the meddling muddling. 😀 Enjoy the weekend!
Eva
Well said, Eva!
– Joe
How do you have only a little mint?! Every time I’ve seen the stuff growing, it runs rampant over everything!
Good question! I have a little plant in the garden that I bought a week or so ago. It’s little more than a sprig at this point!
– Joe
Heck, I’d have thought that race track was a church if you hadn’t shown me otherwise. Makes betting on the horses seem a little less like a sin, eh? kidding…
Not sure I know about maryJwanna but if you happen to get wind of a couple hundred bottles of Pappy Van Winkle please let me know 😉
In my dreams! You of course know that most of this year’s bottling of 20-year-old was stolen, yes? http://joepastry.com/2013/the-great-kentucky-bourbon-robbery
– Joe
Yes, something like 220 bottles of the stuff – I was hoping they might be in your garage and I could talk you out of one or two 🙂
I understand it goes for $100 a shot at bars that have it.
Boy do I feel dumb! I don’t remember you telling that story back in December. I just read about it over the weekend & thought I was being clever to mention it here.
It was a national tragedy, at least here in the commonwealth. As far as I know the case has yet to be solved!
– Joe
Are you trying to get me in trouble? Ix-nay on the iskey-way!
– Joe