It's Spring and the Horses are Running
When spring returns to Kentucky, so do the Thoroughbreds (I’m talking horses). Native Kentuckians say that Kentucky is the home of beautiful horses and fast women and great Bourbon. Anyone who has ever lived in Kentucky knows that spring is Kentucky’s best time of the year. The forsythias, azaleas and dog woods are in bloom, the temperature is perfect and the grass that gives the Blue Grass State its name will soon be going to seed. It is at this time, that the blue of the grass is most apparent to the eye. Given all of the above, the biggest event of spring in Kentucky is the opening of the racing season which starts with Keeneland’s Spring Meet (Lexington, Kentucky) in mid April followed by the running of the Kentucky Derby (Louisville, Kentucky) on the first weekend of May. I particularly love going to Keeneland not only to watch the races but to see the ladies of Lexington dressed in their finest, wearing hats that would make the Queen of England weep for joy. If you are lucky enough to be in Lexington during the spring meet at Keeneland, you should plan to get up early in the morning when the dew is still on the grass and go to the track. Admission at this time of the day is free and you will be allowed to visit the horse stalls to see the Thoroughbreds who will be running in the races and will possibly get a chance to talk to the owners, the trainers or even the jockeys. You will be able to observe and time the early morning work outs of the horses. Finally, you will be able to go the cafeteria to eat along side the men and woman who make racing the Sport of Kings. The atmosphere in the restaurant is warm (a nice change after walking around the field in the cool of the morning) and cozy (or crowded, depending on your definition). The breakfast menu is a complete working man’s meal in the true cafeteria tradition: greasy and tasty and the conversation (if you care to listen in to the surrounding buzz) can be salty, informative and hilarious (and perhaps you‘ll pick up a hot tip for the race). And the check for all this is CHEAP. On the other hand, if you are in Kentucky for the running of the Derby and do not have tickets to the Grandstand at Churchill Downs, I would advise you to visit this historic track on a day when there are no races or when the races are not of great import. During Derby day, the track is as crowded and as crazy as Times Square (NYC) on New Year’s Eve. You will not be able to see any significant part of the race. You will not be able to find a bathroom quickly and when you do find one you will wait and wait and wait for the opportunity to relieve yourself in private (a particular problem for women). You will not find a place to eat although there are vendors on the outside of the track where you may purchase a hot dog (the heart burn that sets in later is part of the charge). However, if you are in the mood to mingle with drunken frat boys and their girls, (the campus of the University of Louisville is a short walk away) the in-field may be your cup of tea. Otherwise, you can see the race on TV or you can get yourself invited to the ubiquitous parties that are held by native Kentuckian’s all over the Commonwealth. Don’t worry about finding an invitation to one of these since you can just start a casual conversation with any native and you’ll probably find yourself invited to one. No matter where you see the Derby, don’t forget to catch the singing of “My Ole Kentucky Home” at the end of the race (guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye of any listener, especially if you‘ve been drinking Mint Juleps. Mint Juleps are a particular tradition on Derby Day in Kentucky). When you are in Lexington, I would advise you of the following: go to desha’s (a restaurant in downtown Lexington) and get a piece of their Cornbread with Honey Butter (recipe to follow); and make sure you go to Roger’s Restaurant (a bit out of downtown on Harrodsburg Road) for their Wilted Lettuce Salad (recipe to follow). Roger’s is an old Lexington landmark and a favorite with old Lexingtonians and some in the race horse industry. I am really not recommending the food in general, although I’ve had worse…but I really like that salad. While in Louisville, treat yourself to a meal at the Brown Hotel. This is an old Louisvillian landmark and a fabulous Hotel with a good restaurant. It is also the creator of the Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich (recipe to follow). I’ve never seen the Hot Brown served outside of Kentucky, but it is a great sandwich which can be had in just about any restaurant in Kentucky. And finally, while I am sharing recipes I will offer one for the Mint Julep (see below). This particular recipe comes from an old Kentucky family’s private recipe file and as this drink goes this is a pretty good recipe (although to be truthful, I don’t really like this drink), but, as I said, it is a Kentucky Derby tradition and as they say: “When in Rome, do as the Roman’s do” or as they do in Lexington and/or Louisville, Kentucky. RECIPES desha’s Cornbread 3 cups self rising corn meal
1/3 cup sugar
6 eggs
1½ cup vegetable oil
3 cups sour cream
2 and 2/3 cups cream style corn
1¼ cups softened butter
½ cup butter Combine first 6 ingredients in the order listed and mix well. Pour into greased 9 by 13 inch greased pan and place in preheat oven (350 degrees F.) and bake for 30 about minutes. Makes 12 good sized squares. Honey Butter Mix equal amount of softened butter and honey together. Serve with warm cornbread. Wilted Lettuce Salad 6 generous handfuls (about 12 cups) fresh leaf lettuce
2 green onions, sliced thinly
6 slices thick-sliced smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Wash and dry the lettuce thoroughly. Place the lettuce and onions in a serving bowl. Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and let it drain on paper towels, leaving the bacon drippings warm in the skillet over low heat. Add the vinegar and sugar to the bacon drippings, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and cook the mixture until it is very hot, but not smoking. Pour the hot dressing over the lettuce and onions, tossing to coat and wilt the greens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately after pouring the hot dressing over the lettuce and onions because once you do this step, the salad won‘t keep. Makes 4 servings. Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich 6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, room temperature and beaten
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup prepared whipped cream
8 slices toasted white bread, crust trimmed off
1 pound cooked turkey breast, thinly sliced
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping
1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained (optional, I don’t like pimientos)
8 bacon slices, fried crisp In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Gradually add flour, stirring constantly, until smooth and free from lumps. Gradually stir in milk until sauce comes to a gentle boil, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and well blended. In a small bowl, beat egg. Gradually add 1 cup of hot sauce, 1/3 cup at a time, to the egg, stirring constantly. Gradually add egg mixture to remaining sauce, stirring constantly until well blended; add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in whipped cream. For each Hot Brown sandwich, place two slices of toasted bread on a metal (or flameproof) dish. Cover the toast with a liberal amount of turkey. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the turkey. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until the sauce is speckled brown and bubbly. Remove from broiler, sprinkle with diced pimientos (optional, as I said, I don’t like pimientos), and cross two pieces of bacon over the top of the sandwich, and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings of two open-faced sandwiches each. Mint Julep (special thanks to k.a.s., of Oldham County, Ky.) 2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water (branch water is best)
Fresh Mint (this grows like a weed in Kentucky gardens)
Crushed Ice
Kentucky Bourbon (2 ounces per serving) (Note: I like Jim Beam, but any good--and they’re all good--Kentucky Bourbon will do). Make a simple mint syrup by boiling sugar and water together for 5 minutes; cool. Place in a covered container with 6 or 8 bruised mint sprigs. Refrigerate overnight. This makes enough syrup for about 44 juleps. To “bruise” mint: Put some leaves or sprigs in a cup and press the leaves lightly, a time or two, with the bowl part of the spoon. This releases the minty fragrant of the leaves). Make a julep by filling a julep cup or glass with crushed ice (NEVER ICE CUBES), and then add 1 tablespoon of your mint syrup and 2 ounces of bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost outside of cup or glass. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig. Mint Julep Tips: 1. Always use premium Kentucky bourbon (I can’t stress this enough) 2. Use crushed or shaved ice and pack in cup (Never, never Ice Cubes which would be Barbaric). 3. Add a straw, cut to protrude just above the rim of the cup, and serve. You should be able to get a faint smell of the mint sprig when you're sipping. 4. Keep the covered syrup in the refrigerator (after removing the mint leaves) if you don't plan on drinking all the servings. Maureen R. Sinclair is an American (via N.Y.C. and Lexington, KY). who currently resides in Nova Scotia, Canada. Educated as a Registered Nurse, she holds an M.S. in Psychology. Ms. Sinclair has traveled widely and has many interests. She is an accomplished artist and writer currently writing for onlinecooking.net. She may be reached at mrs3371@hotmail.com or msinclair@onlinecooking.net. |
Other Horse Racing Tips Articles
An Education In Pinhooking I get this email last September from our off-track trainer wanting to know if I would be interested in going in partners with her. The idea is to buy a Thoroughbred yearling at the Barretts Preferred Yearling sale coming up next month then sell it at their May, Two-Year-Olds In Training sale. She would provide the training up to the sale and I w ...The American Quarter Horse It is thought, by some, that the foundation American Quarter Horse stock has at its roots Arabian, Turk, and Barb breeds. Others believe that the breed began with the acquisition of Chickasaw horses which were likely of Spanish extraction. Their history seems to begin around 1690, when horses exported from England were bred with native horses ...Horses - War Admiral Sometimes the sons of the fathers surpass the accomplishments of the father. Such was the case with one of the greatest races horses of all time, the son of Man O' War, War Admiral, who went on to become racing's 4th triple crown winner.War Admiral almost wasn't the 4th triple crown winner. He was almost the 5th. Owner Samuel Riddle, o ...Use Reliable Speed Figure Handicapping Software This is what reliable speed figure horse racing software should do for You:Convert running times into realistic speed ratings;Give You the ability to detect the true speed of horses shipping in from out-of-town tracks; ...Create Your Own Horse Racing System: In Nine Simple Steps Most people think that you need to be an expert to produce a successful and profitable horse racing system which produces winner after winner.However creating your own winning system is not difficult if you follow these 9 simple steps.Let’s consider a hypothetical horse called ‘Old Nag’ and see if conforms to these 9 steps!A ...The Belmont Stakes – The Third Jewel in Horse Racing's Triple Crown With both Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and Preakness winner Bernardini out of the race, the 138th Belmont Stakes, horse racing’s final leg of the Triple Crown, appears to be up for grabs.This year’s best prospect for the Triple Crown, Barbaro, is recovering from a life threating injury sustained in the Preakness. In 131 years of horse r ...Horse Racing Betting, The Risk Free Way You may or may not of heard of all this talk about been a change to horse racing betting where you can bet on horse races risk free.Yes that’s right, Risk Free!Now this isn’t some bogus system that gives you one horse that is guaranteed to win, it isn’t even like normal gambling. It’s more like trading as you are betting on more th ...Make Money Tearing Up Old Books and Magazines and Selling Them on eBay Vintage books and magazines were packed with prints and advertisements and other paper items which are not only interesting, but very collectable, and profitable, too. So many things derived from these old publications are hot sellers on eBay including: prints, advertisements, knitting and other craftwork patterns, recipes, how to articles, his ...Horses - Seattle Slew In the short list of triple crown winners, this horse had to be one of the biggest bargains in racing history. We're referring to the puzzle of a wonder, Seattle Slew.The story of this horse is just another reminder of how weird the sport of horse racing can be and how unpredictable it can also be. All over the racing industry millionai ...The Dish: 'Sheed Defends Predictions Detroit Piston power forward Rasheed Wallace, fresh off his team's 74-72 loss in Cleveland Monday night, defended his record of prognostication. Despite the fact that 'Sheed ruffled a few feathers by guaranteeing a Detroit win in Game 4---a prediction that fell flat, as did Wallace, who sprained his ankle in the second quarter and was ineffectiv ...Golden Rules of Horse Racing Betting Forget old wives' tales, home-spun wisdom and the advice of cabbies, says Tony Paley. If you really want to know how to punt on horses, you should engrave these 37 Commandments on tablets of stone and carry them with you wherever you go. Not literally, of course - that would be impractical.Rules. Mavericks and misfits might not like to ad ...Barrel Racing Tack and Equipment Selection To compete in any event and win, you need to have the right equipment. Barrel racing is no different, but something you don’t need to do it to run out and buy everything at the tack shop that says “Barrel Racing” on it, and you don’t need to go buy the most expensive saddles or other equipment. I will break down the specific things you need to b ...Rope Halters Does a rope halter make a great gift? It might for someone who uses them exclusively. For someone whose preference in halters is nylon or leather the gift of a rope halter might rank right up there with the gift of a bad necktie.But if you offer a 20' length of rope and a set of instructions on how to fashion a halter from that piece o ...Stag Weekend in Budapest - the Thrill of Horse Racing Budapest, with its perfect blend of eastern and western cultures, is the best locale for a stag weekend. Referred to as the “Paris of the East”, this stag weekend venue will provide you with all that you can ask for - beautiful landscapes and undulating hills on one side, and shops, restaurants, markets and exciting nightlife on the other. The P ...About Tijuana Tijuana is many things: a sprawling city approaching two million in population, a vibrant and prosperous business center with many foreign-owned factories, the main entry to the entire Baja California peninsula, and much more.Only 18 miles from San Diego, Tijuana is a shopper's paradise. It's in a duty-free zone, so you can buy not only M ...Discount Motorcycle Helmets Motorcycle helmets are a must. Many helmets are available today in different price ranges. And for our convenience, companies provide helmets at a discount.Different companies make DOT-approved helmets in different sizes, colors and types. Some brands which are particularly popular among motorcyclists include HJC Helmets, Shoei Motorcycle ...Award Trophies Trophies are souvenirs of victories. When they are given as awards they are called award trophies. Awards are often given to commemorate a certain level of excellence achieved by a person.Award trophies include those given for cultural events, sporting events, corporate achievements, or heroic achievements, like those done by police and f ...2006-07 NFL Fantasy Quarterback Ratings The NY Sports Headquarters will be offering a full-week feature of Fantasy Football rankings. We will be going over the top quarterbacks, running-backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, and defenses, featuring a different section on each day of the week. We will also be including our “sleeper”, “busts” , “break-out”, and our “best overall ...Isles Strike Gold with Nolan; Hire New GM as Well The New York Islanders have effectively ended the long and tedious search for a new GM and Head Coach, when they officially announced the signing of Neil Smith as their new GM, and Ted Nolan as the Head Coach. I’ll start by saying that I think the move to sign Ted Nolan as coach was an excellent move, but the signing of Neil Smith is a bit iffy; ...
|
