My dad, Kevin Brothers, has been to every Kentucky Derby since 1971. He grew up just a couple of blocks from Churchill Downs. Some of his earliest memories are Derby related.
He’s not a big horse racing fan generally; he rarely, if ever, goes to the track other than on the first Saturday in May. He’s not a gambling man. It’s all about the day. Obviously, I could think of no finer example of Derby allegiance; no better source for stories. I had to interview him.
When I asked how the Derby became such a big deal for him, he asked how you could have grown up two blocks from the madness and not have it running through your blood. Fair enough.
You haven’t missed a single Derby since ‘71. But something happened in 1980, and you were scheduled to work.
It was pretty commonly known at work, if you lived in the South End, you weren’t scheduled to work that day. The manager had lived in the south end at some time, and knew it was pretty impossible to get out. But I had recently moved to Germantown, so I was scheduled to work.
You hadn’t even considered that you would be asked to work that day?
No, I didn’t think so.
But you were going to go to The Derby.
I was set on going. So I called in sick.
This is not like my father. Our household growing up was one where playing hooky was inconceivable. To this day I struggle with guilt for calling in sick when I am sick. But serious times apparently call for serious measures.
And what was your excuse?
That I was hung-over from the night before. I had partied too hard and I was too sick to come in.
Were you?
No! But I had my storyline together. I was only scheduled to work until 10 a.m., and if anything came of it, I would say I felt better in the afternoon and decided to go over to the track.
Genuine Risk, the filly, won that year. I had bet her across the board. I had worked my way down towards the Winner’s Circle with some friends. I was jumping up and down, excited.
How did you get down to the Winner’s Circle?
One of my friends used to always say, “Don’t act like a fool. Just blend in.”
So after the race, we went to our neighborhood bar. As soon as we walked in, the bartender said, “Hey! You were all over the TV! At one time, it was just your face, jumping all over the place!”
When I got home and called your mom, she told me everyone at work, including the manager, saw me on TV.
Dad went back to work on Monday and was suspended for three days.
Were you sure to ask off the next year?
Well, mom and I got married the next year, in 1981, remember?
Well, you got married on April 25th.
(Smiles) Right. Exactly one week before Derby.
But… how did Mom feel about that?
We were getting married! She didn’t care when it happened. She was just excited.
But…
We were already engaged. We knew we were getting married. I said, “Look. You know [Manager] is not going to let me off on Derby Day. I will be there for eight hours, come hell or high water. He has not forgotten.”
We got married the Saturday before Derby. Headed off on our honeymoon, and we were back in town on Thursday night.
–Stephanie Brothers
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