April 14
I had a blast last Friday as the keynote speaker at the kickoff of the Kentucky Derby festival.

Talk about great coordination -- the Derby Festival will feature 75 events prior to the race! Hours and hours of preparation and celebration leading up to the greatest horse race anywhere. Talk about a big-time party leading up to the greatest two minutes in sports, baby! It's all about two minutes of outstanding horse racing.

I hope to come back to the Kentucky Derby a year from now -- as part-owner of a contender to win the race!

The luncheon was something special. Mike Berry and Dodie Holderman did a terrific job putting on the event. About 2,000 people were in attendance, and everything was first-class. Every award given was special, and I had the time of my life, sharing stories about sports.

My buddy Rick Pitino, the Louisville basketball coach, was supposed to be there but couldn't make it. He told me, "Sorry Dickie V, I love you man, but can't run, jump or shoot. I'm out recruiting in New York to get players to beat [Kentucky coach] Tubby Smith and everybody else."

By the way, the state of Kentucky is lucky to have two great coaches like Pitino and Smith! Louisville fans and Kentucky fans were at the festival kickoff in force on Friday. But the bottom line was that they were all horse racing fans that day. I love people from Kentucky because they have a passion and love for everything they do. I shared that in my speech -- whether it's horse racing or basketball, they get behind everything they're involved with.

I certainly appreciated the warm response, and I was grateful for the standing ovation. They really loved the story of how I hope to come back to the Kentucky Derby a year from now -- as part-owner of a contender to win the race!

That's right, I would love to sit in the owner's box next year with my buddy Pitino. We have recently become partners with two of his buddies on the purchase of a 2-year-old grey colt named: It's Awesome Baby. The colt is training in Ocala, Fla. It has some impressive bloodlines with Danzig, one of the outstanding studs in Lexington. It also has bloodlines connected to Secretariat and Alydar!

Who knows ... you can never tell. He will train under the direction of Cam Gambolati, who saddled up Spend A Buck to the 1985 Kentucky Derby championship. It will be Fun City, and anything Pitino is part of, I want to be part of. He has the magic touch in the horse-racing world after being part-owner of AP Valentine in the 2001 Derby.

It's all part of living a life that exceeded any of my dreams. I can't wait to see It's Awesome Baby running at Saratoga and Churchill Downs next year.