On our list of must see places was Churchill Downs - home of the Kentucky Derby. I had no idea the place was so monstrous, and for some reason, didn't expect there to be live racing. Duh. We had intended to go to the Kentucky Derby Museum, but found ourselves sidetracked by the live racing! However, after paying to park, we realized we didn't have enough cash for the entry fees. As we opened our wallets and counted change, a precious grandmotherly woman working the season pass ticket booth waved us over and pressed two season pass tickets into our hands. We were so touched we both almost cried. I might have hugged her. We had great seats plus we were just 20 minutes pre-post time! We even got to see the horses parade into the paddock where they're saddled up and the jockeys hop on. Despite the blazing sun, we were thrilled to be so close to racing greatness. There was even a race with a horse entered named Ashley M. She was the favorite, and of course, just like Big Brown, did NOT perform as expected. I should have bet on the long shot.

But that's ok, I bet on a horse at Churchill Downs. While AT the park itself. Cool.