…is the favorite moment every Kentucky Derby for millions of people.  And it pretty well sums up Derby Day 2015 for Rosecrest Farm and Paris, KY!

The day started at 12:05 AM when Bola de Cristal (IRE) decided it was time to foal.  Actually, I think her foal decided, “It’s time for me to get outta here.”  Because once she started, baby was here in like 15 minutes, he was trying to get up within 10 minutes and he was standing (and wouldn’t lay back down, thank you very much) within a half hour.

He’s a pistol, and he’s by Mineshaft, so he is from that AP Indy sireline you heard so much about on Derby Day.  [For those of you who read this blog late Thursday night, I was mistaken when I remembered him as being by Pioneerof the Nile…. providing further evidence for my hubby and others who keep telling me I’m trying to do too much 🙁 !]

Our Mineshaft colt born early Derby Morning, with his mama Bola de Cristal.

His mother Bola de Cristal is a half-sister to G2 (Grade 2) SW (stakes winner) GRANDE MELODY and her “aunts” are G1 SW (best “grade” there is) CRYSTAL MUSIC and G3 SWs STATE CRYSTAL and SOLAR CRYSTAL  and her “uncles” are G3 SW DUBAI SUCCESS and the sire Tchaikovsky.  With all that music in the family, and his Derby Day arrival, wouldn’t it be fun if he could be named Myoldkentuckyhome!

Thoroughbred names can have only 18 characters and spaces, so that’s why I ran that together, but they must also be approved by the Jockey Club to make sure there’s not already a horse named that, and that there aren’t any copyright issues with the name.  It’s not easy coming up with a good one, believe me.

But back to Derby Day.  Everyone said it was one of the most beautiful Derby Days in years, and I agree.  It was one of those sunny, warm (but not hot) gorgeous days that you want to bottle up and enjoy again and again.  I knew Bobby Shiflet (our neighbor at Frames on Main, across the street from Lil’s Coffee House) and Murray West (Paris MD-writer-equine photographer) had Derby press credentials thanks to Becca Lawyer and The Bourbon County Citizen.

American Pharoah on the front page of this week’s “The Bourbon County Citizen.”

I wondered from time to time what they were capturing with their cameras — because you can tell I like photography, too.

First let me tell you that The Bourbon County Citizen is a huge asset to Paris and Bourbon County, and I don’t know how they do it.  The Brannon Family puts out a paper that is at least 20 pages full of local coverage every week and right now they have a special price of just $14 for an annual subscription.  (Click here for details.)  Second, it’s not easy to get press credentials, so kudos to Becca and the paper.

Dramatic Kentucky Derby 2015 photo (copyright by Bobby Shiflet) with first three finishers’ all four aloft. Now proudly hanging at Lil’s Coffee House!

I didn’t have to wait long to see the photographic treasures!  Monday morning Bobby proudly shared a couple with us, and we have three hanging at Lil’s Coffee House already.  One captures a family’s emotional response to the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home”, another is a dramatic shot of the first three horses crossing the Derby finish line — each with all four feet in the air, and the third is a beautiful post race shot of LOVELY MARIA.

A family at Churchill Downs reacts to the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home.” (Copyright photo by Bobby Shiflet.)

Wednesday morning, The Bourbon County Citizen arrived and there on the front page was Murray West’s gorgeous photo of AMERICAN PHAROAH, an account of the race including how the three Bourbon County-foaled Kentucky Derby horses fared in the race (Carpe Diem, Ocho Ocho Ocho and Frosted), and the Bobby Shiflet photo of the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home” (at left).

Lovely Maria after winning the Kentucky Oaks (copyright by Bobby Shiflet).

On the back page of our “little paper” were more color photos, including the Oaks winner Lovely Maria (and an account of her race) and Bourbon County-bred and raised DIVISIDERO.  He was bred and raised by Tom and Henry Hinkle at Hinkle Farms (off North Middletown and Cane Ridge Roads in Bourbon County) and he won the Grade 2 American Turf S. on Derby Day.   I’ll bet you that we had more coverage about Bourbon County’s Derby connections than any other Kentucky community (large or small) can claim!!!!

There’s a neat Back Story to be told about how Murray got the beautiful shot of American Pharoah, but we’ll leave that to Murray.  He will be posting that along with the photo on his blog, The Two Minute Lick, if you’d like to visit his blog and sign up for notice.

So, that’s what it’s like in Paris, KY on Kentucky Derby Day….cheering on the Bourbon County horses, taking pleasure in our neighbors’ accomplishments, and generally counting my blessings to live in such a great place with great friends!

Bobby Shiflet photo of Murray West photographing Kentucky Oaks winner Lovely Maria.