Derby Day!

Sunday was the Kentucky Derby and there was a lot going on here in Vegas. The day started down at Binion's where we had breakfast. It's been a long time since I ate at Binion's coffee shop, but nothing much has changed. It's still pretty good even though Binion's itself is no longer one of my favorite hangouts.

From there we took a walk over to what I expected to be the seedy El Cortez, but it turned out to be not nearly as trashy as I always thought it was. This was the first time I ever step foot in the place, and we were drawn there by the promise of a free glass with any wager of $20 or more on the Derby. I've bet on the race online in years past but this was the first time I've ever wagered in an actual casino. After getting some help from the friendly book maker I placed $20 on..... gee, I can't even remember what horse I bet on, but I bet it to show meaning it only had to come in 3rd place or better, it didn't actually have to win. This kind of bet pays out less than if you bet the horse to win outright, but you have a better chance of winning. Cherise bet on some other horse I can't remember, but needless to say neither of those bets ended up paying off. We did get our glasses though!

We headed back to Binions and Cherise signed up for a Club Binions card. They promised her a free t-shirt if she earned 100 points (carrot on a stick approach) and like a true sucker (haha) she headed to the video slots to try to rack up those points for the free t-shirt. I'm not sure how much she ended up spending but in the end she did get that free t-shirt. I have to say I was a little jealous...

Next it was off to the South Point where an official Kentucky Derby party was being held. We made our way upstairs to one of the ballrooms and it was packed with several hundred racing aficionados, or perhaps people like us who just wanted to be part of the whole scene. I placed two more bets, both on horses to show, for $20 each, and I got a free hat, free beer, and a free hot dog coupon! Woo hoo! We got our beers (we both passed on the food) and found an empty table to sit down and watch the race at. Some guy sat down next to me and asked me if my hat belonged to me, because somebody stole his. I told him not to touch my hat or I would call security and have him escorted out of the building. Then I stared him down and made a gesture of a knife across the throat. Shortly after that he got up and found another table to sit at.

Finally, after much anticipation, the race began. It's funny that the biggest racing event of the year only lasts a couple of minutes, but those two minutes really are exciting while they last, especially when you have money on the race. When all was said and done the favorite, Big Brown, finished in 1st place. They always say never bet on the favorite, but in this case it would have been a good idea. As for me, one of my two bets was on Eight Belles to show, and she ended up finishing in 2nd which gave me a payout of about $60.00 on my $20 bet. Overall that $40 profit ended up canceling out the two losing $20 bets I made, so all in all the day was a wash for me. Can't complain about that.

In a tragic note, my horse, Eight Belles ended up breaking both of its front ankles at the end of the race and had to be euthanized on the track. I've never understood why horses are usually put down whenever they break legs or ankles. If a dog breaks its leg it can recover. Why can't horses recover from broken legs? I'm not a vet, so I have no idea. I'm sure there's a good reason though. The tragedy of Eight Belles put a somber note on the whole event, but I guess that's a risk involved with the sport. Just like a boxer can be killed in the ring, or a football player can suffer a deadly injury on the field, horses are also at risk.

My winning ticket...

That's all for tonight. Happy Cinco de Mayo.