Drinking Your Way To The Finish Line

Saturday marks the 133rd running of The Kentucky Derby, and if you're like me, then you don't have all that much interest in watching a short man ride Mr. Ed around a track beating him with a stick. However, this year a few things have come together in our favor that make this Derby a bit more interesting. And by "more interesting" I mean that they could involve alcohol.

Number one, this is the first Derby since the beloved Barbaro died. No, we shouldn't be happy that he died, but we should celebrate the happiness he brought others while on this planet. You could "pour out a lil' liquor", though I would much prefer to ingest it. I think that a shot of tequila would be appropriate.

I guess now is the best time to address the topic of what alcohol you should be utilizing for this special occasion. Of course the mint julep is the "official" drink of the Derby, but a drink with "julep" in the name sounds like it should have an umbrella in it. Besides, a mint julep is basically bourbon and mint leaves so why not just take a few shots of Jim Beam and chase it with a piece of Winterfresh gum? However, one of the other "interesting things" is that this year's Derby falls on Cinco de Mayo. Hence my suggestion of partying with your favorite tequila.

Numero dos, like I mentioned above Saturday is Cinco de Mayo. Combining your celebration of the Battle of Puebla with the Kentucky Derby is a perfect way to spend the day. Margaritas and tequila shots are more than adequate rivals to mint juleps and beers.

Number three, this year's field has two jockeys that are originally from Mexico. Instantly, you have two riders to cheer for because seeing them win on one of their national holidays would be awesome. The two jockeys are Juan Leyva, who's riding "Storm In May", and David Flores, who's riding "Liquidity". If either of those guys wins you should feel the urge to pound some tequila straight from the bottle.

So there you have it. Now you have some ways to make watching the Kentucky Derby a little more "enjoyable", and I've even provided you with two horses to root for. One other thing to keep an eye on is how the horse "Hard Spun" does. He's leaving from shoot #8, the same spot Barbaro had last year. If he somehow comes from behind and ends up blowing the rest of the field away like Barbaro did last year, you will definitely want to start drinking from the bottle because "The Horse" himself may be on his way down.