The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
‘It was one party after another’
In Louisville, Ky., the Kentucky Derby is more than just a horse race. When Tony Tortorici, 69, of Canton, lived there as Kentucky Fried Chicken’s public-relations chief, the hoopla around the Derby overshadowed the race itself. He recall the parties … lots of parties.
My wife and I were born and raised in Cleveland, where a lot of entertainment at that time was done in churches or party centers. Moving to Louisville in the 1970s meant relocating to a border state, but we definitely went from Northern to Southern culture. Louisville was our introduction to home entertainment — a lot of home entertainment.
They call the Derby the fastest two minutes in sport, but it is all about build-up. More than 70 events are held now with hundreds of thousands of participants. Collectively, they call it the Kentucky Derby Festival. It has become a major industry.
When we lived there, we saw that firsthand. For the entire week before and leading up to the Derby, it was one party after another. I’m talking brunch, lunch … cocktails, dinner and evening. And don’t forget the mint juleps and Kentucky hot brown sandwiches.
On Derby day, all the races are televised. It’s a good thing, too, because by that time, we were too exhausted to go. Besides, the Derby is so popular that you had to wait for someone to die to be eligible for a decent ticket.
The parties are about people and being seen. Each party has its own attraction. The grandest private party of all is a charity event, the Barnstable Gala, hosted by one of the original Doublemint twins. They were cheerleaders at the University of Kentucky when they were selected to be the faces for the chewing-gum promotion.
When we moved from Louisville to Atlanta in the late 1970s, we hosted our own Derby parties. Friends sent us Derby paraphernalia from Louisville — jockey silks, posters, media guides, glasses and a big booking sheet for bets.
I leave the betting to my wife. She has a system that’s practically foolproof: Never bet on a gray horse.
It wasn’t until we moved away from Louisville that I went to my first Kentucky Derby. I was vice president of public relations for Coca-cola USA, and we had a customer event there. It was worth the wait.
Today, no matter where we are on the first Saturday of May, we always take time to watch the Run for the Roses.