It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine
day. Now here's Nick Coffee, Well, not exactly Nick Coffee. I'm
Scott Fitzgerild. Welcome back our special Oaks Day coverage high a top section three
twenty two underneath the Twin Spires at beautiful Churchill Downs on this special Oaks Day.
I'm well along with you. John Alden is back in the control room
doing a yeoman's job keeping us straight, helping me through this because you never
know what's gonna happen when you take over and fill in for somebody, and
I'm hoping I'm keeping you companies. I like to say when you fill in
for people like this, I'm not them, They're not me. So you
get what you get, right. But we've had a lot of fun here.
We're gonna do it all again tomorrow. We're not done, by the
way, looking at the skies to my left over, Papa John's excuse me,
I know I was gonna do that. Llenn Stadium a little dark over
there, not sure which way that's moving as we're looking at a five point
fifty one post time for the Oaks. So as we get right for the
oaks. Obviously, everybody here drinking bourbon, and a lot of it.
I had a chance to sit down with the president, the top bourbon dog
in Kentucky. One of my favorite peeps here in Kentucky, of course,
is the president of the Kentucky Distillers Association, Eric Gregory. Here's my conversation
with Eric. Well, it is a celebration of all things Kentucky this week
and into the weekend. We're of course talking about horses and bourbon, and
one of my favorite people in the Commonwealth of Kentucky joins us now. It
is, of course, with the Kentucky Distillers Association, Eric Gregory. Dude,
I know when I see you, it's a good time because we're talking
bourbon. How are you, my man, I'm doing good. It's funny.
My sister calls me the pied Piper of bourbon. Oh my god,
that's an understatement, dude, that's a pretty good You will lead us to
the Promised Land, that's for sure. I will lead you to Kentucky Bourbon.
All right, buddy, let's talk about bourbon, and we're gonna go
back to bourbon one on one. Let's start at the beginning, Eric,
how did the Commonwealth Kentucky become the capital of Bourbon? Guess the home for
Bourbon. Well, you've probably seen Hamilton, right, Yes, the one
thing they left out of Hamilton was how Alexander Hamilton and George Washington put the
first tax on whiskey, which drove a lot of the early pioneer distillers to
the frontier. And back then the frontier was Kentucky, away from the long
arm of the federal government. And once those settlers got here and realized that
the pure limestone water, we have, the hot and cold climates, you
know, the extremes, we got a lot of corn, a lot of
fertile land. All these things made up for the greatest whiskey in the world
and they stayed, thankfully. So We've been making whiskey here for over two
hundred years and I'd like to think we pretty much perfected it. But it
seems like every year, another brand, another bottle comes along that preves me
wrong, because we're putting down some really good juice these days. Yes,
we are, Eric Gregory joining us from the Kentucky Distillers Association as we celebrate
Bourbon on this Kentucky Derby weekend, and that leads me to my next question.
Eric, new data coming out earlier this year, can you talk about
the state of the bourbon industry here in Kentucky in twenty twenty five. You
know, we're continuing the bourbon boom. Knock on wood. We now are
a nine billion dollar industry in Kentucky, responsible for over twenty three thousand good
paying jobs. The payroll for those is one point sixty three billion dollars.
We pay about three hundred and fifty million dollars in state and local taxes each
year, one point nine billion in federal taxes each year. And we're right
in the middle of a five point four billion dollar capital investments free with about
three and a half of that happening in the next couple of years. So
you know, not all are we're rolling right now, but the future looks
bright as well. It's you know, it's definitely a signature industry in the
golden age of Kentucky bourbon well, And that's you're leading me up into my
next question there, Eric, and I got to ask it. But as
Murphy's Law dictates anything that goes up, could and I say, could I
use that termin loosely come down. Could we see a bourbon bubble burst?
Is that on the mindset of those in the industry. Well, you know
we did back in the seventies and eighties, right when bourbon wasn't chic anymore.
It was your your grandfather's drink, your dad's drink, and everybody moved
towards clear spirits. We don't see that happening as much now. But I
will tell you that Americans spent more money on tequila last year than they did
whiskey. Now. Is that because tequila's trendy again? Or is because every
celebrity in the world has their own tequila bran right right, So we're monitoring
that pretty closely. But look, Scott, you know you've got brown Form
in Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, you know all these Kentucky companies that are
spending billions of dollars to invest in Kentucky bourbon and the Commonwealth, and they
got people a lot smarter meat looking at their crystal ball with a lot of
data, and they're forecasting that you know, that's money well spent, that's
a good investment over the next ten twenty years. Because remember the bourbon this
world today isn't going to be he enjoyed, you know, until the twenty
thirties. So yes, I think that we're going to be headed, you
know, for this boom to continue. And a lot of that has to
do with the global growth of Kentucky bourbon. We send over five hundred million
dollars a year around the world and that number just keeps growing and growing and
growing. So that's something they didn't have in the seventies and eighties. Really,
that global market. I think that will take care of us for a
long long time. You're right, and the social media boom helps out as
well. And in fact, Eric, all you have to just go down
the street from us here at iHeart and you've got that beautiful angels Envy facility
there. I was just down in Bardstown and Etown, both in the same
day, and you know, you drive around there and you know, Jim
Beam looks great when you come off sixty five as you head towards Bardstown,
and it's just you're right, it's a beautiful, beautiful industry. Eric Gregory
joins us now from the Kentucky Distillers Association. Okay, Eric, if someone's
listening, albeit from out of town or maybe the thinking about bringing guests in
as I did a few years ago and we had a great time down have
In Hill and Maker's Mark. They want to go bourbon tasting, there's probably
some advice, some things they need to look into. You can't just get
in your car and go to any one of these bourbon tasting facilities, is
that right? Yeah, you probably should have booked it six months ago.
Yes, these days, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is so popular that it's become
almost like Napa Valley, and people are planning their trip months and months out,
you know. So that doesn't mean to say that you can't find a
good tasting. You know. The distilleries have have realized this that you have
people to continue just to pop in, right, and so they're doing educational
tastings and things like that. You may not get on a tour, you
know, the next few days with Derby and everything, but you can certainly
have a good time there. Most of the stilleries, especially those in downtown
Lilesville, have bars now, and you know they'll teach you to make the
world's best old fashion or the world's best mid julip. We're talking about Derby,
you know, which I kind of think is a waste of good whiskey,
but hey, it's Derby. I'm pickings. But yeah, you know,
stop in any one of our Kentucky bourbon distilleries downtown on Louisville. Like
I said, you're gonna have a good time. You're gonna learn a lot
about Kentucky bourbon, and you'll definitely get some complimentary samples and hopefully you can
buy a bottle or two to take home. Outstanding Eric Gregory talking all things
bourbon, of course, with the Kentucky Distillers Association on the legislative side of
the house, Eric, I know some I know limited self distribution is a
concerning topic. Talk about what's in play here and what you would like to
see accomplished. Yeah, we actually got that passed this year. Very thankful
to the Kentucky General Assembly for their continued partnership to help modernize our archaic alcohol
laws. And this was really a big one to help the craft distillers.
We've now got over one hundred distillers and forty two of Kentucky's counties, and
the majority of those are the new craft distillers because the bigger distillers are still
in that Amber triangle between Lexington, Louisville and Bardstown. But these craft distillers
are venturing on other places. And you know, these are small businesses,
and you know they're in Kentucky competing against the Woodford Reserves and the Angels mbs
you just mentioned and things like that, and the what doest thing for them
to do is find a distributor to get their products around. So beer and
wine already have this privileging in Kentucky where they could self distribute a limited amount
of their products. Uh, And so our craft distilder said, you know,
it's time for us to probably look for that privilege ourselves. So the
legislature was very acceptable. It flew out of both the House and the Senate,
and it'll take effect in July. But this gives them the ability to
self distribute up to five thousand gallons of their spirits each year, and not
all that's bourbon, right. I mean, I think that's one of the
things that that people don't understand. These craft distillers are cranking out everything from
you know, Kentucky made gins and vodkas and barrel aged drums and all sorts
of cool stuff, and that equivalent about you know, I don't know,
four thousand cases of their products. Uh, so they can you know,
if they're distributor that they work with, you know, uh, you know
it doesn't have their products in certain areas or something like that. Uh,
they can go to a restaurant or a bar, or a package store and
distribute that bottle themselves, being their own brand ambassador. So they're very excited
about this. I really think it's going to give a leg up to a
lot of the distillers. And again it puts Kentucky, you know, back
in competition with all these other states because a lot of states already offer this.
Yeah, and so we want to, you know, continue to offer
good things for craft distillers to located in Kentucky. Eric Gregory joining us with
the Kentucky Distillers Association. Fantastic conversation every time with Eric, because we're talking
bourbon. The signature industry here in Kentucky's certainly being celebrated this week and into
the weekend with the Kentucky Derby the Bourbon Industry. Eric also continuing to give
back to the community. Makers Mark in the University of Kentucky teamed up for
an Earth Day event what'd they do there? Yeah, they planned more white
oak nic which is fantastic. I think they've got ten thousand saplings down there
now. They planned about two thousand a couple of weeks ago. And this
is all part of makers Mark's sustainability niches, which every distillery of these days
has got sustainability issues because you know, we were last so heavily on the
wid or in the wood and the grains and the soil and the environment.
We've got to be good stewards of all that in order to be sustainable.
It can continue this bourbon legacy, you know, decades hopefullier centuries in the
future. So Maker's Market in the University Kentucky's James B. Ban Institute has
done a fantastic job through their white Oak initiative of really trying to you know,
create more white oak trees, learn the genome of white oak trees so
they can build, you know, a white oak tree that's that's not susceptible
to pests or disease or things like that. Because it takes eighty years to
grow a state tree. Eighty yeohw that is a long time. We're really
looking down the road, you know, to make sure that there's enough white
oak for all these barrels that we're using, and it's something that every distillery
is interested in. But you know, hats off, you know, raise
a glass to makers Mark for doing such a tremendous job to keep that white
oak initiative alive. Those initiatives state wide also giving back to the community in
Louisville. That is how Hill they run of course, the Bernheim Distillery near
West Louisville's neighborhood of California, they're giving back to the community as well.
House So you know, that distillery has been been with Heaven Hill since nineteen
ninety nine and they've always done a really good job of being a good neighbor.
And again that's not just Heaven Hill, that's all of our distilleries,
but they have really worked hard with the California neighborhood to kind of rebuild that
neighborhood. And it's all part of an eight hundred thousand dollars initiative, everything
with the new community garden that they planted a couple of weeks ago, to
helping nonprofits in the area, and you know, the descendants of the California
Neighborhood again just a fantastic example of how Heaven Hill is working in that neighborhood
and the west end of Louisville to really bring it back to life and to
make sure that the neighbors and the distillery are good part. Eric Gregory joining
us with of course the Kentucky Distillers' Association, always always a great conversation.
Now, Eric, I want to ask you who your favorite kid is.
But if you have a favorite way to partake responsibly of your burnman this Derby's
season, how do you like it? Whatever way you like, enjoying bourbon
is the right way, right, you know, some people like it neat.
Some people myself included, like it with a couple of rocks, just
as the frost hits the glass. I'm really a fan of bourbon at cocktails,
especially the old fashion. I'm coming old fashioned snob. I like to
go to restaurants these days and check out to see. You know who's got
the best old fashioned? You and my daughter, that's for sure. Yeah.
But to me, and again, you know, this is just my
palette. I love a good bourbon, couple of rocks in it. Let
that frost hit the glass, sit back and sip it and savor it,
and that's Kentucky to me. But again, it all depends on what I'm
doing that day, how cold it is outside. If it's the summer,
I may mix an old fashion or I may mix a little bourbon and lemonade,
which Jimmy Russell taught me to do. That's really good. You know.
If it's winter, I'm going for a high proof bourbon like Elijah Craiger
Prove for Bookers or something like that to sip on. So there's no wrong
way to enjoy Kentucky bourbon, except you've got to enjoy it responsibility, like
you said, that's exactly right, and get that bourbon hug when the weather
is right. Much talked about Eric Gregory with us with the Kentucky Distillers Association,
getting ready to wrap things up here. Appreciate your time here, Eric,
kind of busy, busy week and a weekend as we celebrate bourbon and
horses here in the Commonwealth. So Eric Gregory again with the Kentucky Distillers Association,
who is your Derby pick for the Kentucky Derby one. Well, you
know, we've been so busy lately. I've really hadn't had much time to
check out a form I do like see ear leone win Are the Bluegrass the
under Bluegrass Stakes. That horse came from behind in that race and it really
showed me a lot. I live in Woodford County and Midway and we've got
tons of great horse farms there, but win Stars. Catching Freedom is going
to be my pick for the Derby this year. Twenty horses. Man,
it's hard to you look at the belm on the Prefie, you know,
it's all kind of winnowed down to like eight horses those And what's the weather
going to be? Like? Yes, is it going to run on sanity?
You're gonna look at the muddy track or something like that. So that'll
change everything. But I'm gonna go with Catching Freedom. That's going to be
my pick for the Derby. Outstanding and Eric before we let you go.
If someone's listening from out of town, they don't have time to write everything
down, but they want a good stepping off point when they go back home
and tell everybody about the Derby. What's the website for the Distillers Association?
Thank you, Scott's Kybourbon dot com And if you want to look at the
Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It's Kwybourbontrail dot com. Here's a teaser for you,
Scott. We're celebrating the twenty fifth anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail this year
and a month or so, we're going to come out with a whole new
look and feel for the Bourbon Trail and a new website. It's going to
make it easier than ever for you to plan your Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Trail.
It was pretty easy when I brought my buddies in from high school.
I don't know if you can make it much more easier than that. Eric,
you're the best, my friend, one of my favorite people in the
entire state. Appreciate you, Buddy. Cheer Scott, Happy Derby, Happy
Derby. Oh, mister Toby Keith. They're speaking my language now, brother,
Beer for my horses. All though. I gotta admit to you,
John, I just had my first ever Oaks Lily. Did you know?
I have never had one before? Really, I've never been to the Oaks
and so I just now had my first one. More in partan, I
texted my daughter so I could get the lily's glass, and sure enough,
as I was telling you last segment how they'd never changed the logo on the
glass. These have the special logo and and so I got one of them,
and my daughter's like, can you get me a second one? But
they're full now, Daniel BLI is along with us John, who's in our
engineer here on site. Daniel, you were telling me something about the glasses
we have here. Yes, what's so special about these? Oh, they're
fogged rather than the regular transparent ones. And I believe these are for the
millinery road like these are the frosty glasses. Yes, wow, So we
got some special glasses here, John. And I gotta say, just from
my perspective as somebody who is not currently with you at the grand stand,
I can tell a big difference in crowd. It's not just on the ambient
noise from yeah, from now compared to right before the top of the app
it's a big difference, right right jokes. That's very observant of you,
John, because right in front of us they are wheeling the starting gate in
ahead of the oaks. Five fifty one is your post time. The excitement
is building. We I think we just had a shower roll through here.
They're out working on the track behind the gate. Daniel's acknowledging that it did
get a little it's it's cooled down a little bit. It has they steal
the truck. I had noticed a moment ago. Yeah, and because I
was telling John Alden before we were going to a break that how it had
got really hot here for a while. Then that shower moved through it was
getting steaming. Yeah, and now it's kind of cooled off. But John,
that is a great observative observation by you, because fans are getting excited.
The media around us is now starting to get excited as we get ready
to enter the eleventh three stile. We do have two more races after this,
by the way, so a chance for me to win some of your
money back if you lose it. But it looks like in the Kentucky Terifa
is the favorite. Everybody's looking at Tarifa then just fyi who Jody Demmling said
he liked, and of course ways and means, so you're looking at the
eighth, the thirteen, and the eleven your long shot torpedo Anna and into
Champagne and into Champagne. We talked about this morning with Tony Cruz that has
strong mount Washington connections their ownership. Yeah, hails from Mount Washington. There's
a lot of folks in there, and they're just you know, they're wanting
to see her finish. And it's a great storyline for it's who I'm pulling
for. I'd like to see him pull this thing off again, just for
the good, good folks in Mount Washington. So we'll see what happens.
But Daniels, we're moving on. First of all, John and I were
giving you some love earlier talking about what a great job you've done out here
setting this up. Oh thank you now only I mean, this is crazy,
this setup you have here. And when I first came up, I
always said, Daniel always acknowledges people in and around, and I got the
hand from Daniel goes chill, dude. Stuff to work on a little stressful
there to start out right, Just a little stressful. Yeah, I can't
get the audio levels right, and I kept getting back feeds and right right.
And this isn't like a job where like if you have an office job,
you show up ten minutes late for work, you just sit down and
do your job. Oh no, not at all. It's when you get
three hours early and then you hope that you're here enough time early before set
up, and you've got to go in the air to set time, like
you can't delay going on the air. We got to be on the air.
You hit to be on the air at that time. And I have
one downstairs too, and other comras, Oh my goodness, they're everywhere.
So how long did it take you to do a setup like this? I
got here around nine o'clock this morning, and then I got to the the
grand stands around ten o'clock, anduse I didn't get anything set up until around
one o'clock this afternoon. And and and when we're done here, when the
Oaks goes off, Yeah, my fat, dumb and happy. But you
know it is going home, h you gotta break all this down. Yeah,
I'm not going home right away. I be tearing all this down.
And then I have to walk back to the backside and take an ey comras
back there for tomorrow morning. And then you got to be back here tomorrow
and that guy bring the comics back to the backside, and then another remote.
My goodness, now, but you've got to come back to my morning
and set all this up. Yeah, I think i'd be out here I
think at nine am until eight pm. Oh my goodness, a fun day.
Well, you know, we all appreciate you. We all appreciate the
hard work you do. And yeah, you should see this lay out there,
John Alden. It's incredible to watch the master do his work and get
everything set. So, John, I know you didn't keep up a whole
lot with the Oaks like you and I talked about today. That is,
you're more of a sports betting guy when it comes to the basketball, football,
etc. That's true, But have you had a chance to look at
some of these old sources I tell you. I like how you mentioned Into
Champagne is a Mount Washington or has a connection to Mount Washington. That's where
I currently live. So I do think I am going to jump on the
bandwagon with you and be pulling for Into Champagne. But I'm also a guy
who and I know there's a lot of people out there like this. They
like to look at the names, especially when you're not as familiar with the
trainers and that kind of thing. How you know the bloodlines, that kind
of stuff, and so a couple of names I like in this race of
your betting, specifically on on that alone, Lemon muffin thirty to one odds.
Fiona's Magic also with thirty to one Oddsona's Magic. What does that mean?
You know, I have no idea. It could be anything from Fiona
from Shrek. It could be Fiona. Honestly, this is in vein of
nick. I mean, it could be a porn star's name. That's somebody
that you may see on the pole at your local strip club. Right.
Well, I'm with you, bro, I mean you got If you're going
on names, you've got some things to work on. I know my wife
at home. I've been texting her back and forth. She's a big mimosa
lady. Okay, so I think she will go it in through champagne.
You got a horse called Power Squeeze. It's a good one, especially we
already had my main Squeeze win a couple of races ago. Right, and
you know the way some of these horses are sort of related. Yes,
when it comes to names. Uh Everlyn Everlynd has another one there. His
trainer is from Owensboro. That is Eric Fall. He's an Owensboro guy.
So if you're a fan of Owainnsboro. Lance McGarvey voice of lu City,
Looking at you. He's a big Owensboro guylumes you could go with that.
You've got candied and of course are Pretty Woman. Now our Pretty Woman,
from a technical standpoint, is a horse you want to watch. Having a
conversation with Tony and I've already closed out my laptop. I've had some notes
on this. When I found out this was going to be an off track,
being that it's sloppy, I took a look at all the horses that
have done well on sloppy tracks that don't necessarily do well. This race is
loaded with those type of horses. Are Pretty Woman is one of those horses,
and she's done very well on a sloppy track. So those are some
things to look at as well. You have regulatory risk as we mentioned Thorpedo
Andy, now excuse me, Thorpedo Anna. Now Thorpedo Anna is also their
jockey is Brian Hernandez and who Paul Miles are compadre working alongside us over whas
This Evening did a great story on that. We're gonna feature that again tomorrow.
He's trying to become the Oaks Derby double winner. So and I can't
give you the stats on how all that went down, but he's certainly going
to try that as well. As you mentioned John in the break Tabbitt,
Jena Lee has been scratched. That made the way for of course the number
fifteen are pretty woman. So a lot of storylines unfolding in this elks there
John, And as I look across now, I'm looking off to my right.
This would be away from lenn Stadium, past the big board. I'm
trying to get my directions turned around sometimes here at Churchill, but I'm looking
off to my right. There are some dark clouds over there, and I
think stuff generally moves from Lenn Stadium over this way, so I think that's
beyond us. It looks like we'll probably get the Oaks off without some rain.
A lot of folks, actually, the ponchos are all off in the
grand stands across from us here. A lot of folks put tarps up over
Remember the old days when you would sit along the fence in the infield and
folks would put tarps up there. So it looks like the Oaks is gonna
go off without the rain. That would be nice, not real picturesque for
TV, however, it's nice when the sun is out and the pink really
pops. But just a what an amazing day John, As I mentioned,
it was a day that started at one thirty this morning. For me again,
when you can wake up in the morning at one thirty and you get
out of bed and you're excited, You're not tired. You get out of
bed, You're like, Okay, let's go do this. You're you just
want to go with the day. I'll do the same thing tomorrow. I
do it every Derby And you know I mentioned this on the air with Tony
when I used to produce Saturday Mornings with Roann and mil One. Thing I
always remember about Derby Morning, whether the weather was gonna be good or whether
it was gonna be bad. Waking up on Derby Morning to come into news
radio eight forty whs. Always there was a special feel to it. The
birds sounded different, the air smelled different because you knew it was Derby Morning.
And when you look back on the history that that station has with this
institution that is Churchill Downs, it is absolutely incredible. And I was explaining
to you earlier how there's been some kind of mix up with my credentials on
the red Carpet and we got the LK so Grandes here at Churchill Downs involved
the big cheeses, and they immediately said news Radio eight forty whs needs to
be on the red carpet. That's how much they recognize our partnership with Churchill
Downs. I mean, you go back to the days of Kayo Lefford and
the work he did here and to some point when I first started at iHeart
some twenty five years ago, then Clear Channel Communications they had just become Clear
Channel from Jacore. The Great Paul Rogers would be sort of our mafia go
our mob. I don't want to call him a mob boss, but I
use that term loosely. He was the godfather out here. And Paul would
sit up in his cubicle and I went up there a couple of mornings and
and Paul would be going over practicing the race call as the sun was coming
up over to the east, and we would call the race ourselves. And
now this has become a network event, which I think NBC just does a
fantastic job with And that's why we don't broadcast past five o'clock. No one
can because it's exclusive network rights. But we used to broadcast the race produce
the race. And you know, you sit in this grand stand, you
think of the secretariats who have run by here, the Seattle Slews to some
degree, the Aristides, the first ever Kentucky Derby champion. You're just so
blessed every year to be here. And I'll think about that on my way
home, and I'll go to bed tonight. It's gonna be hard to go
to bed tonight, to be honest with you, this is the weekend where
you don't sleep if you're a Louisvillion, and especially if you're in the media
as a Louis Villent. No, no, not at all. I'll go
home tonight, I will stay up. I will watch the media parties.
But more I'm going to be excited about the work we do tomorrow and just
being around the people that I love to work with and in my family here
at iHeartMedia and there's certainly special group and there's no doubt. As we get
ready to wind down our Oaks coverage, John, on that note, we've
got fourteen minutes until the Oaks post. We will have the race in its
entirety. The starting gate is in front of us, All the starting gate
maintainers are just lounging around. Now. Everybody's kind of just waiting for the
excitement. As we catch up with the network people in the paddock area.
You can see the jockeys leaning up against the railpost there. Everybody in a
waiting game as the anticipation begins. So let's take our quick break, get
that out of the way, and we'll bring you back for the pageantry and
emotion of what is the Oaks twenty twenty four. I'm Scott Fitzgerald live out
here at Churchill Downs. We're back after this on Sports Talk seven ninety and
welcome back. Boy, is this a treat. We're coming right back.
Seven minutes to post. I'm Scott Fitzgerald here at section three twenty two under
the historic Twin Spires as the Oaks horses are passing directly in front of us.
John, What a beautiful sight this. It's about that time, it
is John, seven minutes to go. The excitement is building. I wish
the weather was a little bit better. However, if you've been around this
sport long enough, you know that you know these things happen, and these
races happen, and boy, these these creatures look so beautiful. It is
you know, and they look like all the other horses that ran today,
but they're Oaks horses and and that's what makes them special. And on a
very special day, as they come by, and fans are all lined up
against the rail as they watch them go on by, everybody is decked out
and and it's so funn because you can almost pick out the people who are
here for the first time, and and you know they're just so excited to
see them. They're so excited. And now we have families that are that
are all gathering to take photos along the rail when they're coming by. And
you know, you wonder if this is a great vantage spot, John,
because you look down and you wonder how many stories are being told go now
and and memories. And I'm sure if you can see it on TV.
Just off to my left it is jam packed. That of course is just
behind the start line. And then you look down to the lounge sitting and
of course it is the final countdown playing by Europe. Oh yeah, I
can hear that. Yeah, you can hear that. That's how big they
excit. You have your United States Navy man in the rails down by the
finish line, which is a tradition. Here at Churchill Downs, the cigar
smoke is thick and in the air. People are standing. I don't see
anyone sitting amongst us now, as the anticipation builds for the one hundred and
fiftieth running of the Kentucky Oaks one hundred and fifty years, John, it's
hard to believe when you think about, you know, a continual event like
this and what it's become that you just can't imagine with the folks here at
Churchill Downs, and and to think it's getting bigger. Yeah, I believe
this along with the Indianapolis five hundred, which is coming up here in a
couple of weeks, two of the longest running events in the United States,
you know, right. And it's so funny because you have these events that,
like you said, the Indy five hundred, I've been to Indy Races
where there are a handful of people there. I've been out here to Churchill
Downs where there's been a handful of people here. But yet it's the same
sport, the same venue, and yet it's packed now and I'm sure we'll
get an official count. Now. You have folks in the infield that have
made their way in between the different barns, and they're watching on the rail.
The folks in the grand stand right across from us. You can see
them. They are all standing now and all eyes at least where I'm at,
are looking to their left as the horses continue to circle around down by
the central avenue wall there and do their march on into the gate. And
as you know, the jockeys, obviously a lot of them have been here
before. They've had Derby rides, They've had Oaks rides, Belmont's Priaknesses,
you name it. But it's these owners. Like we mentioned the Intwo Champagne
group from Mount Washington, they own that horse. I mean, this is
I remember my first Derby. I remember my first time getting up close in
personal with a Derby horse. In fact, one of the first times I
was able to walk through the paddic when my credentials said I had access,
I went up by mistake. I didn't mean to go. I was trying
to get a photo of a horse. I can't remember which one it was,
but I walked and I realized that was in the paddic and I wait,
wait a minute, am I supposed to be here? And they had
waved me through because my credentials said I should be here. So you're hearing
people starting to chant now, oh yeah, And I can only imagine what
a first time ownership, family, group you name it, are feeling right
now, the anticipation that builds, And anybody who's watched horse racing knows that
that is a feeling like no other. And I'm sure there's knots and stomachs,
there's queasy stomachs, there are plenty of sleepless nights, and god forbid,
if your horse is that one that's coming around that you know, that
third or fourth turn and you're making a run and that excitement starts to build.
Did we talked about rich Strike earlier? I mean, could we see
a Sinerella story like that here in a couple of minutes. Absolutely? Yeah,
You're exactly right, John, And to your point tomorrow, is there
a horse sitting in the barns directly across from me, off to my right.
Is there a horse that is sitting in that barn right now? That
is the next history making horse. I mean, you look at Willie interviewed
Rich strikesonder the night before Derby. I mean, it was just an average
run of the middle interview. He didn't even think that they were gonna do
anything. And next thing you know, you wake up a Kentucky Derby champion.
Now here come the horses. They are coming down the front stretch.
Here as they're making their final approach, you see the assist riders all decked
out in pink, and fans are now getting their cameras out. As they're
starting to point them off to their left. You're gonna start to hear a
rise in the crowd on this beauty. And it looks like John the skies
are breaking. It looks like yeah. And they're showing a video on the
board for the celebration of the Oaks and everything down from the silver Trophy to
the Survivor's walk to the lilies, and I mean, just everybody just enjoying
themselves. And I go back to twenty twenty, that Saturday we were sitting
in the studio and the friday before and the COVID year, and it was
a picture perfect weekend for both races, and Willie and I were talking about
how where we'd be and what we do and I don't think anybody ever wants
to go back to that moment again. And you have to live for these
moments. And I know when I put my head on my pillow tomorrow night,
I will be so content with no one. I've been able to experience
something like the one hundred and fiftieth running of not only the Kentucky Oaks,
but the Kentucky Derby. Here come the horses. Now, as the first
horses are making their way up to the paddock area, We've got We've got
it looks like I'm trying to read the numbers. There number twelve. We've
got the number twelve horse that is Power Squeeze getting ready to load in.
Where's the other one? All right? And all right? Well, on
that note, I'm gonna leave it with you as they love the horses in
the gate. We'll be back to recap the race after this on a special
Oaks day on Sports Talks Tavin nineties. Big video boards are eliminating a lot
of light as well as these horses load, and they load too at a
time, A double load here at Churchill Down so gets everyone in fast expected
pacesetter, and here the seven Fiona's magic long shot. The hope of the
trainer is that no one will respect her and they'll leave her alone. To
set a slow fase. It should be interested. She stopped last time,
but she came back with a lung infection, so expect her to hang on
longer than most. The first Kentucky Oaks was run two days after the first
Kentucky Derby. That's why even though the Oaks is the day before the Derby,
now it is the Derby. That's the longest continuously held sporting event in
the US. Not the Oaks, but this is right behind it, and
this Friday with over one hundred thousand and everything on the line here, it's
the importance of this. So as the last a couple of horses load set
for the Kentucky Oaks and with the call here's Larry Collins, thank you,
Mike it we're just about set frol stars. They are all in line and
we are ready for the first. They're off and the Kentucky Oaks, and
in between horses it will be ever Land. It shows the early speed.
But here on the inside comes Thorp Pedo n out right outside of Fionda's magic
wings and means as close to that Leslie's Rose, followed by into Champagne.
As they race into the turn, our pretty woman goes wide into that turn,
and right behind them is Just Fyi, the two year old Philly Champion,
is only five lengths off the lead, break of another two lengths more
Beck to regulatory risk, and then it's ever Land to the outside in behind
them, Terifa, where's my Ring? Lemon muffin power squeeze in behind that
group, ching Gin is last of them all as the field continues up the
backstretch with just over five furlongs to go, in pursuit of Thorpedo Anna who
runs by this hat bole in forty six point seventy nine seconds. The pace
is honest enough field is match at a second, We and Means is purchaed
just to the outside of them, running in third as they reached for the
far turn. Then Just Fyi on the outside into Champagne saving all the ground
just two months off the lead, then regulatory risk, Leslie's roses back pedaling
on the turn. Where's my ring is starting the gate a bit of ground,
But meanwhile thor pino Enna is still there, and Wings and Means is
right alongside, and Just Fyi is making her round, and the three of
them will come to the top of this wretch three quarters one eleven point seven
five and the regulas wrecks and thirty Peno Lenna tries to take him all the
way. Just Fyi has boomed up on the outside ways and means is starting
to get away. Regulatory Risk is running big one that is down the center
of the track. Third Pino Lenna still going strong at the sixteenth pole.
Oh she's got body left and prying off her dad does And thirteen Oleanna dominates
thought run one hundred and fiftyeth Kentucky Oaks and that us Jeff not going on
Wow, Wow, what a race. Brian Hernandez wins the Kentucky Derby.
All right, excuse me, win's the Kentucky Oaks. What an amazing run.
Don't quote me on that one. Thorfedo and could Brian Hernandez pull off
the Oaks Derby double coming up tomorrow? What an amazing run, John,
you had Fiona's magic. It was hanging around, but it was hanging around.
Well, that is going to ramp up our day here. What an
amazing, an amazing Kentucky Oaks. We're gonna go home and get some rest
and then we're gonna come back and we're gonna try to do it all again
tomorrow, Ken Brian Hernandez get the Oaks Derby double. That will be decided.
He's got a lot to think about tonight. Boy, this has been
fun. John Alden, thank you so much, my man. As you're
working. Oh, it has been a real treat. Thanks to Gus Allen,
our programming director. Back at iHeartMedia, Louisville. Thank you to Daniel
Blind for all your hard work. We're gonna get out of here. We
are back on the air in twelve hours time. I'll be on the air
with Joe Jackovino as we get our all day Derby coverage. Joe Elliott,
We'll get you going at seven o'clock tonight, a very special Secretariat presentation.
Thank you to all. Have a good night. We'll talk to you in
twelve hours at six o'clock on News Radio eight forty whas