LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For 15 consecutive years, Grant Paulson has flown from San Francisco to Louisville to celebrate the Kentucky Derby.
He buys all the required Derby souvenirs: mint julep glass, program, souvenir poster, etc.. He wanders the stuffed grandstand, making friends, people watching, sharing betting tips.
He gets out of his ride and walks the final five blocks to the track.
“I love to talk to people who live there, buy a $2 beer from them and hear their great stories about the history of the Derby,” Paulson said.
Derby crazies do stuff like that. They said 2020 was not a year to be a Derby crazy. Paulson did not listen.
The novel coronavirus was supposed to eliminate celebrations like Paulson’s. So were the concerns about protests over social justice expected around the track Friday and Saturday. So was Churchill Downs’ decision to eliminate spectators except for a small number of horse owners, trainers and essential personnel.
Paulson owns horses in the San Francisco area. He arranged for tickets for Friday and Saturday from owners with horses racing this weekend.
Grant Paulson, a horse racing fan from San Francisco, flew to Louisville to watch his 16th straight Kentucky Derby.
On Friday afternoon, Paulson enjoyed a beverage and exotic bets from his seat in the front row of Box 317, directly in line with the finish line at Churchill Downs: the best seat in the house.
He was there, hollering with the remainder of the crowd when Shedaresthedevil scored a king-sized upset of Gamine and Swiss Skydiver to win the Oaks, paying $32.20.
Before the race some people argued that Gamine was so talented that trainer Bob Baffert should have entered her in the Kentucky Derby. She led for more than a three-quarters of a mile but could not outrun Shedaresthedevil.
“It’s the spirit of the Kentucky Derby,” Paulson said. “That’s alive. That’s always going to be alive.
“I mean, it’s strange out here. I didn’t walk the last four blocks this year. So it was totally strange.”
How strange?
With the race postponed 18 weeks from its usual spot during the first weekend of May, the place was essentially empty. By mid-afternoon, I counted fewer than 300 people at the 300-level grandstand, the festive area where NFL quarterback Tom Brady and his crew generally rule.
The first animal I encountered on my way at the track was not a horse, it was Opey, a 6-year-old yellow Labrador who works with Louisville Metro Police uncovering substances that are not supposed to be at the track. No disturbances were reported but questions remain about how Derby Day will unfold considering the discussion about protests.
Opey, a 6-year-old yellow Labrador, worked the grounds at Churchill Downs for Metro Police.
You could hear the jockeys barking warnings at each other as they maneuvered their horses through the stretch. Persistent crackling left no doubt that riders still used their sticks to encourage their horses. Cheers from winning betters echoed in the ears of people nearby who held losing tickets.
“It’s definitely different,” said Vinny Tatum, the former personal assistant to Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, who sat several boxes from Paulson. “Just so much quieter.”
Tatum works with Starlight Racing, which has an ownership share in Authentic, the colt likely to be the third choice in Derby 146.
In March, not long after he attended the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, Tatum suffered with the flu-like symptoms associated with COVID-19. A month later, he said he tested positive for the virus antibodies. His wife, Sarah, testified positive for the virus last month.
Coming to Churchill Downs this weekend was never in doubt for the Tatums. They love the vibe of the Derby, even the diminished vibe of 2020.
Make no mistake: The vibe was more like the third Tuesday in October than Oaks Friday. Central Avenue, which protects the north end of the Churchill complex, was closed to traffic and spectators.
Hat tip to security and traffic planners. I made the drive from Seventh and Muhammad Ali to my parking space at the track in 14 minutes and 21 seconds. Most years, the trip required triple that time.
Everybody entered through Longfield Avenue. Two lanes were opened for traffic. Vehicles had to navigate around metal barriers, a left turn followed by a right turn, followed by a tent that served as a security checkpoint.
“Welcome to Churchill Downs. Do you have any weapons in your car?”
Weapons?
“Yes,” the guard said.
I did not have a weapon. I did appreciate the thoroughness of the security check. Everybody was required to have their drivers’ license scanned.
If you passed that check, you were waved into the proper parking area. The mammoth Churchill lot looked less than 20% full.
Prime Churchill Downs parking lots were empty Friday during the Kentucky Oaks.
The walk inside the grounds featured the usual requirements of the COVID-19, post 9/11 world. Temperature check. Metal detectors. Pretend that you were in line trying to get to your gate at the airport.
That’s what it was like entering the track — with considerably shorter lines.
No lines at the betting windows. No lines for the restrooms. No lines at concessions stand — with the bonus gift of $10 mint juleps, a $5 price cut from 2019.
The Oaks was a spectacular race. Gamine surged the the lead in the opening quarter and maintained her advantage down the backstretch. Brad Cox trains Shedaresthedevil. He said he was concerned that the pace was not swift enough to tax the favored frontrunner.
Cox was never more excited to be wrong.
"We put some pressure on her and it worked out extremely well," said Cox, whose stable is based at Churchill Downs. "This is what you get up in the morning to do, to compete at this high level and win a Grade I."
On Derby morning at his downtown hotel, Paulson typically orders a bottle of champagne. He toasts the race with the rest of his party. On Friday, he was at Churchill Downs alone.
Will he toast Derby 146 on Saturday morning?
“No,” Paulson said.
He paused.
“Yeah, probably.”
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