Editor Longs For Louisville On Derby Weekend

This is my first time not attending the Kentucky Derby since 2001.

I'm a little bit sad about that, as this is clearly the best sporting event anyone could ever attend.

If you don't know about the Derby, read my latest column here, then start making plans to go next year.

Weekend/Derby Recap

Left work early on Thursday and caught a flight to Cincinnati that actually left LaGuardia on time. Doesn't it always work this way? When back-end pick-up arrangements are on time, your plane is late, but on the rare occasion that your plane lands on time, your friend calls to say he's a little tardy. No sweat, though, as I traveled with my new laptop, so did a little work and even watched a movie on it.

So Tom dispatched his lovely wife Margie to pick me up. She took me to Biagio's Bistro, where I was planning to meet Anna for dinner and a drink with Biagio, an old friend, and my good bud Jim, who's a chef there.

After the chicken scallopini at Biagio's, Anna and I went to Teller's in Hyde Park, which is where we first met in January. I ran into old dude Adam Buckley, who, without trying, did a Jeff Green (Larry David's agent on "Curb") impersonation perfectly.

Then we rolled down to R.P. McMurphy's, which was a little loud, so we turned around and split, but not before spotting another old mate, Mike Nolan, who was handicapping the Derby with a buddy.

Friday morning, I dropped Anna off at school, then used her car to roll around Clifton and Cincinnati all morning. Visited Jason at the hospital, then Nasser, who first cut my hair nearly 20 years ago, at his salon. Was quite nice being around the old campus.

Here's something a little funny. I used to work at a pretty nice restaurant in Cincinnati. One of the managers there a decade ago appears to have lost his culinary touch. He was the one who served me my Classic Italian sub at Quizno's on Friday near Fountain Square. Ouch.

I picked up Anna from class and she took me to the airport to rent a car. I was off to Louisville.

And you know that they say -- What happens in Louisville . . . gets photographed and written about here.

One last note: Tom was driving down from Cincinnati to Louisville to hit the Derby with us when he stopped at a highway gas station. He said two nicely dressed gals also en route to the Derby walked in a minute after he did, asked the clerk for a straw, then headed straight to the bathroom. Nice and subtle.

Kentucky Derby 133

One thing I loved about Kentucky Derby season when I lived in Louisville was all the celebrities who stormed the town the week of the race.

At right is Sarah Jessica Parker. Or is that John Elway? Nancy Kerrigan?

In all seriousness, the Derby is the grandest event of all time. Screw the Super Bowl. I truly love the Derby. It alone is enough for me to want to live in Louisville again, though the occasion is made even better with all the great friendships I was fortunate enough to make there.

And instead of lugging cameras around all day this year, like I did the previous five or six years, I'll actually be sitting in section 117 all day with a few friends, enjoying a drink or two under the sun, watching Scat Daddy, which will probably go off at about 10-1, win me some money. And -- this I can guarantee -- that is my final pick until I change it in the next 24 or 48 hours.