The Journey Begins - Day 1

So it's 4:00 am and my human host is groaning about the early hour. Get with it lady, this is my favorite time of the day. Let's go workout before we catch the flight. Although the carrot juice was in plain sight on the counter my human host chose a vile concoction called a "latte" as we waited next to the gate to depart. Ah yes, the old gate. Made the memories of the track come alive and I was antsy to get going. Apparently things never go according to plan when you're a human traveler though. Everything was delayed and then I heard it made mention that we would have to "race" over to the next terminal if we were to catch the connection upon arrival. Race. Well now there's something I know a little bit about. The entire flight over I was consumed with planning my race strategy from one terminal to another. As we deplaned I positioned myself in such a manner so that I could charge out of the gate at top speed. I saw many people and looked for appropriate holes to maneuver through without bumping anyone or losing my momentum. Wow--I was finally able to play the role of jockey and suddenly had a new appreciation for their talents. I tried to urge my human host on in all possible ways. Go lady go!!!! You definitely need a few more rounds on the training track. Where's your closing kick and where's my whip???? We made it but I don't think we'll be posing in the Winner's Circle after that performance.

Lexington, Kentucky

Well, we finally arrived and I say did we ever arrive. A sign welcomed us that said "Lexington, Horse Capital of the World." Everything here is about the horse, of course. Politicians use pictures of me in their campaigns, the barn we are staying in is filled with statues and paintings paying homage to me. It's all about me me me and I love it. We passed street signs named in honor of my famous forbears and many human feeding stations seemed to bear some sort of connection to me. The Crowne Plaza is a very nice barn and though I prefer to stand my human host raved about the pillow comfort bed and promptly fell asleep.

Touring the Horse Farms - Day 2
Gainesborough Farm
Lane's End
Marqaux Farm

The next day we drove into the lush farm land and into the town of Versailles. Besides paying homage to me the French get a lot of press here having helped in the American Revolution. I was glad to see that the human memory is almost as good and long as mine. Ah that Kentucky Bluegrass. It's not really blue except when allowed to bloom and is known as "poa pretensis." There are more than 50 varieties to be found and 7 are native to Kentucky. There is nothing more I wanted to do but stop and graze for at least 16 hours but my host wouldn't hear of it. Just as my ears started to flatten backwards I was distracted by a group of comely mares frolicking in a spacious paddock. We had arrived at Gainesborough Farm owned by a very fancy sheikh named Mohammed bin Rasid al Maktoun from the United Arab Emigrates. He had flown in for the Derby to watch his horse Jazil race and we passed his 727 parked at the Lexington Bluegrass Airport. Impressive. The farm manager Wayne paraded out a couple of well-known stallions that reside there. "Elusive Quality" sire to "Smarty Jones" and "Quiet American" sire to Kentucky Derby winner "Real Quiet" met us. Next we saw a foal that had just been born a few hours earlier out of "Storm Cat" and worth $500,000. The facility and barns were like nothing I had ever seen with stained glass windows, fancy wood trim, spacious quarters and fountains outside. It was the sort of opulence that only oil rich money can buy and totally overwhelmed me, especially since I was accustomed to less than satisfying and somewhat rickety accommodations.

We continued driving through the countryside and stopped at the village of Midway for lunch at Midway College. Finally I had some grazing time while my human host went into the very nice college cafeteria. Next we drove to Lane's End and on our way we passed several famous and outstanding farms including Jess Jackson's Stonestreet and Calmuet Farms with their white fences. We stopped at Lane's End and all the racing greats I've known about, some of whom have produced progeny I have raced against were there. Paraded before us were "Pleasantly Perfect" - a huge specimen and soon to be daddy to the foal our very own "Aclevershadeofjade" is carrying. He has lots of excess energy and gets very excited around people. Later on we saw him back in his stall and he was wildly running about in circles. Of course, the farm manager said that he knew he was going to do some stud duty that day. Stud duty. I was suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of jealousy and thought about tracking down the guy who had gelded me. This could have been a great job for Miller. A stud at a famous farm. What a life that would be for Miller! We also saw "Landfuhr" and "Mineshaft" and my human host had her picture taken with Breeder's Cup Champion and Horse of the Year, "Saint Liam. " In their spacious and beautiful stalls we saw all the great ones, "AP Indy", "Lemon Drop Kid" (sire to surprise Oaks winner, "Lemons Forever"), "Rock Hard Ten", "Stephen Got Even", "Kingmambo", "Smart Strike", "Dixieland Band", "Dixie Union" and "Gulch."

Last stop was at "Margaux Farms", a smaller facility home to stallions "Devil His Due", "Evil Minister" and "Kela." Our tour guide had several mares there as did other people on the tour and they were very excited to see their newly born foals. The farm personnel and others were all abuzz about the recent success of "Record" out of "Devil His Due."

After we returned to the comfort of our barn I was dragged to a cocktail party featuring "mint juleps." I'd say one is more than enough but my human host doesn't have much horse sense so we both endured the pain suffered afterwards. At least the commemorative Derby glass we received was quite nice.

Touring Horse Farms and Keeneland Race Course - Day 3
Gainesway
Three Chimneys

Although the idea of being a stud for life seemed quite appealing yesterday, today I got a different perspective on the whole issue and also found there is a fate worse than being gelded and that is to earn your keep as a "teaser." We drove over to Gainesway where various famous stallions are housed including "Afleet Alex" and "Mr. Greeley." We were immediately ushered into the breeding barn to witness this first hand. First off, the mare is led into the barn and her nose is tied by a twitch. Then if she is rowdy one of her legs is tied up as well. This particular mare named "Loaded" was quite calm as her boyfriend strolled in. And who should it be but Triple Crown spoiler "Birdstone." The breeding process is not very romantic or glamourous and I found the entire process takes all of five minutes. First the teaser gets the mare "in the mood" although I could detect no emotion on her part. Just as he is really in the mood he is yanked away and taken out of the shed. Five men are involved and make sure all goes according to plan. It's all very clinical but the stallions seem to know what to do. As for the "teaser" I think the poor guy could use a lot of psychological counseling after the breeding season is completed. The second stallion into the breeding barn was none other than my all time ultimate hero, the magnificent "Afleet Alex" being bred that day to "Island Rhythm." He is a very cool customer and quite professional and the teaser was not even needed as he was led in to perform his duty.

Next off to Three Chimneys home of "War Chant", the retired "Capote", "Point Given" and its most famous resident of all "Smarty Jones." Smarty does not look like a racehorse. He is small and scrawny and has knobby legs-now I know why they kept making "Seabiscuit" comparisons. He is very laid back though and tolerates all the attention he gets and there's a lot to go around. Three Chimneys is another gorgeous farm and the final resting place of Triple Crown winner "Seattle Slew" who lived there for 17 years after his retirement.

Well, since it was Oaks Day and the fillies were racing for their lillies we all had to get over to Keeneland for the action. Keeneland is a historic race course founded in 1936 and looks like Oxford University with beautiful ivy covered stone walls. There was quite a crowd on hand but I was to discover it was nothing like what we would experience at the Derby the next day. More of those mint juleps were consumed and a lot of betting went on that didn't amount to anything but everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. I spent the afternoon grazing on more Kentucky blue grass while the human kind sat at tables with white umbrellas studying the racing form and betting without even getting up.

The Kentucky Derby - Day 4
Frankfort and Louisville

An early start for us on a glorious day to head off to the Frankfort, Kentucky's capital. Everything is very clean here and the capital was no exception. Flowers were abound, there were parks with expansive and well kept lawns, hot air balloons and vendors for all to enjoy. The clock tower is the centerpiece of the main park and is actually a clock made up of colorful flowers. Governor and First Lady Fletcher hosted the traditional southern style Derby breakfast held next door to the historic Governor's mansion and made a point of greeting everyone and even shaking their hand personally and posing for photos. There were beautiful outfits with matching hats to be seen everywhere.

Too soon we headed in the Louisville direction for Churchill Downs to join what would become a massive crowd of almost 160,000 people. I would have reared up and plowed them all down and was very nervous indeed but my human host said to take a deep breath and relax. There was no pushing or shoving and even though the lines at the mutuel windows, bathrooms and concessions were immense it was all very civilized. More mint juleps were to be had and unlike any Californian event they were actually served in real glasses. I yearned for the track or the stables but was excited to finally see what a real Derby was all about. The day was very long and very warm and there was an hour between each race which was necessary with all the standing in lines. Our seats were near the starting gate for several races including the Derby. We all cheered madly for local "Tricky Trevor" as he won his race and again for "Pussycat Doll." Finally it was time for the BIG RACE. A hush went over the crowd and then everyone sang "My Old Kentucky Home." By now all the thousands of Derby-goers that had been standing in various lines and milling about inside the facility came surging out for the Derby race. Since I couldn't see a thing I decided to fight my way back out into the facility and watch the final preparations on the monitor. Of course, all day long I had been trying in vain to convince my human host to bet on Barbaro but to no avail. She had bet on a number of other Derby horses but then at the last minute I finally got through to her and with no one in line and 1 minute to post she finally placed an across the board bet on the horse I knew would win. Of course, she thought it was all her idea, telling people later that when she saw him one last time he just looked like such a winner. Snort. Snort. Well, at least we didn't lose our shirts that day. When the race started we stood on a stairway and between some very large hats watched the Derby contenders streak by and then went back to the monitor to enjoy the rest of a very spectacular race. Leaving Churchill Downs was another adventure but eventually we made our way out of there and back to beautiful Lexington. It's interesting that Churchill Downs has no public parking and that people living around the track hawk their front and back yards and anywhere else a car might fit for parking or grazing.

The Kentucky Horse Park - Day 5

The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington is my kind of park. To be able to live there must be like heaven on earth for us horse folk. The park is surrounded by beautiful white fences and at the entrance there is a memorial to the greatest of all greats, "Man of War" and it also serves as his burial ground. The entire facility is dedicated to every aspect of the horse, of course. Almost every breed imaginable is housed there. The famous Cigar and John Henry are living out their lives for the enjoyment of their adoring public and parade out twice a day. The Kentucky Horse Park is a working and training facility as well, featuring dressage and jumping and soon will be home of a jockey school. There are carriage rides, exhibits, art galleries and an entire museum dedicated to just me. Even though I should know everything about myself I learned many new facts through the interactive learning tools provided. Many horses work in shows and most are turned out for the majority of the day able to graze in spacious green paddocks. The weather that had been so picture perfect all week turned cold and wet and it felt good to stand around in the warm farrier's building listening to a lecture on shoes. With all the travel and walking and such my feet suddenly hurt and I was hoping for a trim, shoe change and foot massage but alas I was dragged out again far too soon and made to go back to Keeneland yet another day - but luckily just to get the racing form since our comfortable barn had TVG in the room. Before leaving though we peeked into the luxuriously renovated Sales Pavilion and I dreamed of standing there while being fawned over with increasingly higher amounts being bid on me. Oh well, a guy can still have some dreams after all. Kentucky's slogan is "Unbridled Spirit" and I felt plenty of that by this time.

Historic Lexington
Hidden Brook Farm, Paris - Day 6

Downtown Lexington is quite nice with shops and restaurants in historic old buildings. There are fountains and parks and in Thoroughbred Park statues of horses racing with their jockeys astride. We took a side tour and visited the restored Mary Todd Lincoln house and then drove out to Paris on small country roads flanked on either side by low stone walls to see some of my old girlfriends. All three gals are pregnant and exhibiting typical mare behavior. That is, they were not thrilled to see us at all and couldn't wait to dash back into the various paddocks they share with their friends. Hidden Brook is a newer but lovely farm covering almost 600 acres and housing approximately 300 horses. One of the owners, Sergio from Sao Paulo, Brazil gave us a personal tour. Hidden Brook is where "Discreet Cat" was foaled and they are very proud of that. First Sergio had handler Chris bring out "Southern Meeting" who looked absolutely gorgeous and is in foal with "Skip Away." However, when released back into the paddock one would have thought she was running in the Oaks. I have never seen a filly high tail it so fast to get back to her herd. Next we drove over to visit with "Kim's Grace" and a "Aclevershadeofjade". Kim and Jade are best of friends and nearly inseparable. Sergio says it's because they arrived at the same time and bonded. "Kim's Grace" is in foal to "Chapel Royale" and we all know "Aclevershadeofjade" has been bred to "Pleasantly Perfect." Jade is still quite rangy and is adjusting to a life away from the track but very quickly these mares prefer the company of the herd to people as they are turned out 24-7. Jade was not even interested in carrots and kept gazing longingly at her paddock. She didn't want to talk much and told me she was worried they were going to take her somewhere else when she liked it so very much where she was. I tried to reassure her but my presence was even more disconcerting to her than the human kind. Apparently I'm only good for one thing and then need to make myself scarce and since I'm not even good for that anymore....well. I just occupied myself with enjoying the most beautiful scenery I had seen the entire trip and made more use of that Kentucky blue grass. Once again, when released back into the paddock these mares went flying down the hill to their herd at incredible speeds. Last of all, Chris took us to a stall to see a newly born foal. She was just 6 hours old and still damp and wobbly on her legs. To my surprise Chris allowed me into the stall as well. I was very nervous as I am not comfortable around babies and usually not allowed but my human host was in seventh heaven. The foal wobbled over to us and then pressed it's little body against us. Holding that foal for a few minutes was surely one of the most special moments of a very special trip. Even old Miller had a tear in his eye after that one.

The Thoroughbred Center
Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Home
Woodford Reserve - Day 7

Before heading off on an early evening flight we toured The Thoroughbred Center, a private facility that trains over 600 horses. I was familiar with most of the goings on there and felt like taking some exercise on the track but I remembered I was told to "take it easy" for now so restrained myself from bolting onto the track. Instead just watching my compatriots go roaring by was satisfying enough.

One of the last things we did was visit some very old and very happy thoroughbreds at their retirement home. These guys just love the attention lavished upon them and stand around patiently just hoping someone will drive up with a treat. Most were saved from some very bad situations and many old race horses, even after giving their all to the sport do not have a happy ending. It has been reassuring to me that my carrot feeder insists I will be provided for. If you would like to read the stories of these old champions or make a donation the website is www.oldfriendsequine.org.

To end our journey we just had to visit a distillery and since Woodford Reserve is probably the finest small bourbon producer around that's were we went. The tour was interesting and so were the samples of bourbon candies and my human host just had to get the commemorative bottle of the 132nd Derby with my head on it even though her luggage was already overflowing.

Journey's End

Every journey, no matter how wonderful, must come to an end. My human host said she had to get back to work and I know I'll be heading off to the training track soon myself. These experiences have given me a new found love and appreciation for what I do and I am so charged up about everything I have seen and been privileged enough to experience that I know I will return to beautiful Kentucky again someday and perhaps even live there. I wouldn't mind being a resident of the old retirement home if it came to that and neither would my human host. Everyone who loves horses and the game should visit Kentucky and the Derby at least once..................we highly recommend it.