Dear Derby Diary,

I arrived in Louisville on Friday because there is so much going on in this city for more than a week!

It is all part of a nine-day Derby party that runs through Derby Eve. And let me tell you this town really knows how to party!!

I didn’t participate in the Derby Festival Marathon/mini-Marathon yesterday which is just as well because I could have only finished if I had been RIDING a horse. I will leave that to the true athletes! There are hot air balloon races, fireworks, a big Texas Hold ‘em Tournament, and a Derby Festival $1 Million Hole-In-One contest as well. This year there is even a Soap Box Derby Race which was really cool. Not quite NASCAR but those babies moved faster than I thought!

There are races with beds and steamboats and even employees that race against one another’s companies this week. There is also a big “A” List Kentucky Derby Sim Gathering at El Nopal in Louisville on Friday night at six. That is a huge, invitation only blowout that all of the celebs are trying to find a way into. I know that a lot of the trainers and owners of some of the Derby’s and Oaks top horses will be there along with plenty that are still wishing they had an entry into the races. I plan to take it all in and let you know about some of it this week leading up to Saturday.

Oh, by the way, did I mention that we are going to have a couple of huge horse races here this week as well. Something called the Bluegrass Derby and Bluegrass Oaks. There are a few owners and trainers this week that will be having lots of sleepless nights and it won’t be just because of all of the partying going on! Some of those will be hoping that they can squeeze into the race with an entry that is still on the edge of quailifying. What could be tougher than waiting that out?!?

We will take a look at the race and the horses and owners themselves this incredible week and try to give you a little flavor of the “goings ons” as well. I’ve already bumped into a couple of the trainers in my spare time between parties and it looks like we are going to have some great insight into this fantastic weekend.

Good luck to all runners!