Kentucky Derby Day Report
As Reported By Both Southgate Staffers
Maya Reports:
Saturday was my very first Kentucky Derby Day at Southgate Coins! Everybody at the store had been talking about the event since I started working here, and I hadn’t really realized what all the hype was about until I experienced it for myself.
First and foremost, Rusty gives all the employees a "free" $2 bet on whichever horse each employee chooses. Needless to say, my horse didn’t win. But it was sure fun trying anyway! Go figure; since I have absolutely no history of horse racing knowledge, I just went with what name was most fitting since on May 4th it was storming at Churchill Downs, maybe my little one-eyed grey horse named Storm in May could pull through. But, my logic was a little off since my Storm in May ended in sixteenth place.
When I walked in that morning, I was immediately drawn to the lovely hats that Amy and Marie were wearing. I also had a big hat on, and all day long the three of us were darting questions that spawned from our customers: "What’s with the hats?" "Are you having some kind of party?" And they were right! We were having a party, and, of course, seeing as it was Cinco de Mayo on the same day as the Kentucky Derby, we were sure to celebrate the horse race with some Spanish style taquitos, tacos, and chips with salsa. Yummy!
I definitely cannot wait until next year in early May... I will certainly be prepared with an over-the-top hat and better sense of betting. It was very exciting and I hope that every holiday here at Southgate Coins has that same kind of flair.
–Maya
Amy Reports:
Saturday was my second Kentucky Derby Day at Southgate Coins! Okay, okay, okay, I guess I shouldn’t copy Maya’s above thoughts word-for-word, but it is true! Last year for the Derby I decided to get all dressed up and wore a beautiful, big, girly, colorful hat and this year I wanted to mix it up a bit and not go for "cute" but for "different." And different is definitely what my Derby hat was this year! I decided to go for a completely black colored hat and underneath I wore a metallic blue mullet wig! Woohoo!Mission accomplished I think...
But of course there is more to the Kentucky Derby than just the hats. And this year was a very special Derby for lots of reasons. For example, did you know that the Queen of England herself attended the Derby this year? Or, did you know that after Street Sense (the winning horse) crossed the finish line his jockey Calvin Borel cried his eyes out in pure joy? You can’t make this stuff up people! The Kentucky Derby is a thing of miracles that’s for sure.
And speaking of miracles, we had ourselves a little miracle as well here at the store. As Maya was saying earlier, Rusty gives everyone a "free" $2 bet and one of us actually won this year! But I am sure you couldn’t imagine who by the pictures that I put up (hint, hint, wink, wink, look at Rusty’s grin). And unlike Maya, I like choosing my horse by its name! It has proven to never pay, but hey, I like my method darn it! This year I chose the horse that was named Cowtown Cat. I figured that any horse that had to live with being called two other animals other than its own deserved my attention. And he must have been so upset by his name that he decided to finish last place in the race!! Come on now! Oh well... next year, another horse to bet on. But hey, I figure that I even out the playing field. Rusty’s horse Street Sense won this year and mine fell in last place. We covered both ends I would say.
Well as it always turns out, another year, another Derby. I always look forward to Kentucky Derby Day. There is nothing like eating to your hearts content, hearing horse racing sounds over the store speakers all day long, getting to dress in big hats, and rooting for your favorite horses. And of course there is no better place to celebrate it then right here at the store. And who knows, maybe next year I will go back to wearing a "girly" hat. But, I guess you will just have to wait a year to figure that one out.