146th Run For The Roses On Labor Day Weekend In 2020
Published Sept. 2, 2020
The 146th “Run For The Roses” is being run not on its traditional first Saturday of May but instead on Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. It is also being contested without fans for the first time in the event’s history.
Such are things in this strange COVID-19 era.
So what will this year’s event look like and be like with just the horses, jockeys and officials, minus the 250,000 fans? A panel of experts discusses this, as well as the rich traditions of this illustrious event along with a few stories of crazy fans, such as the time when a group of guys hauled an entire keg of beer into the infield, disguised in a mound of crab legs.
The discussion is on the #MenWhoBlog Virtual Happy Hour livestream show. The panelists involved Kentucky Derby veteran and box seat holder Kentucky Colonel Jack Tingley, PubClub.com Kentucky Derby infield photographer Jack Fleming, Woodford Reserve Brand Ambassador Jeff Seymour who made a $1,000 Mint Julep, Tom Fischer of BourbonBlog.com, Virtual Happy Hour bartender Gabi Ione who made a frothy Woodford Reserve bourbon drink, and PubClubette Ashley.
It was co-hosted by myself of PubClub.com and James Hills of MenWhoBlog.com.
The show – much like the Derby itself – began with the singing of the traditional song “My Old Kentucky Home.” It was performed by Nashville recording artist and Louisville native Andrea Goodman. She later had the entire panel laughing at her hilarious original song “The More I Twang.”
For the next 90 minutes, the panel discussed all aspects of the Derby from the two-week buildup to the event to the paddleboat races down the river in Louisville on the Wednesday before the race, to the nightlife scene in downtown Louisville to the insane scene of the infield to the more refined scene of the grandstands.
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly describe it as ‘refined,’ ” Tingley said. He did mention that one year, the rock band ZZ Top was sitting behind his box “dressed up in full costume.”
On the all-important bourbon and Mint Julep side of the Derby, Seymour, Ione and Fisher discussed how to make the drink, other great cocktails involving Woodford Reserve (Seymour said his favorite drink with it is the Manhattan, a sentiment echoed by Fischer) and an ice cream drink blended by Ione.
The show aired on the PubClub and Men Who Blog Facebook and Twitter accounts and you can watch it on this link: Kentucky Derby Preview Lifestream Show
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