Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby, and this week I had the chance to speak with Louisville native and comedian Katherine Blanford.
Blanford is no stranger to the Derby, having attended horse racing's most storied event for years. In fact, she was on her way to Churchill Downs for pre-Derby events during our conversation.
One thing Blanford stressed is that no one should confuse Kentucky with the Midwest. According to her, it is definitively the South.
"I have cousins with tobacco and cow farms," she said. "They've got a pot of dip spit in the kitchen. This is southern."
As we began discussing the intricacies of the Kentucky Derby, Blanford mentioned there is plenty happening around Churchill Downs that television cameras are not picking up.
"When I was on the 'Tonight Show' I discussed participating in the tradition of running across porta-potties," she said, "I was arrested for that. They are so used to dealing with drunk people that the infield at the Derby has its own jail. I repeat, the Kentucky Derby has ITS OWN JAIL."
Blanford said the jail and party atmosphere are among the biggest differences between sitting in the stands and attending the Derby in the infield.
“It's a mix of that 'haves' and the 'have-nots,'" she said. "I sat in the stands last year, and it is nice, but I longingly looked in the infield, as everyone was playing in the mud after a rain."
No conversation about horse racing would be complete without discussing gambling, and Blanford offered a simple strategy.
"I bet a longshot, a good horse name, and a fun story," she said. "It's fun to get behind a real Seabiscuit-type of story."
The Kentucky Derby is Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
Locally, Katherine Blanford will be performing at The Comedy Vault in Batavia from May 14 to May 16.
You may listen to the full conversation with Blanford in the link above.
With a mint julep in hand, and adorned in seersucker, happy Derby Day.
I am JC.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
