A Flavorful Day at the Louisiana Derby

Louisiana Derby day was filled with good food, sunshine and betting. (Photos courtesy Geoff Worden)
I arose early and began digging through PPs and expert picks. The morning was crisp and clear, and a glorious day of racing was going to be blessed with matching weather for the Louisiana Derby. Miss Wright was in town, my daughter was with us and we were excited about the day ahead. Miss Wright built multi-race exotic bets while I focused on one at a time.
However, they stayed focused on Fair Grounds while I dabbled in Dubai, for the UAE Derby, and gauged Gulfstream, for the Florida Derby and others. But Fair Grounds was the focus.
Safari Calamari popped up on the “bet the name” radar. Beyond the obvious rhyme appeal, my daughter had been raving about calamari the night before. She ended up being most excited about Knockitdownhard for some reason. We even told some friends about this selection.
While no one cashed any big tickets, no one lost anything significant either and we had a fantastic outing, cheering, anticipating, eating and people-watching!
We arrived before the fourth race, the Crescent City Oaks, and there was no room left in the lot, except valet parking. Valeting always seems lazy to me and since we needed to leave quickly after the signature event in order to make it to a reading of a play during the Tennessee Williams Festival, we parked on Esplanade Ave and walked. It was a perfect day, after all.
Safari Calamari finished out of the money in the fourth but my daughter will not change her tune about fried calamari being a favorite appetizer. She was also distracted with excitement about Knockitdownhard in the sixth.
We started the feasting at the Cajun Corner food truck. Thin-fried catfish and fries won for the first order and everyone was pretty happy. The catfish was good, if not as thin as I expected, with a very crisp outer crust. It wasnʼt greasy at all and was served with a remoulade, which tasted a lot like it might have had some tartar sauce in it. The fries were just fine, they neither embarrassed nor distinguished themselves.
CATFISH AND FRIES

A meat pie from the same spot made my mouth happier later that day. It was served with the same sauce and I might have ordered the boudin balls as well (a pork, liver and rice mix which is then deep fried, and one of my favorite foods) but they were also served with the same sauce. I had hoped for some creole mustard. The meat pie was not quite the classic crescent shape but was filled with a delicious spicy meat mixture.
The shell was thick but not at all doughy and offered a satisfying crunch with each bite. I could have eaten lots of them.
The King Brat, from Bratz Yʼall (see an earlier article about some of their other food here) beckoned to all three of us: “smoked pork sausage stuffed with aged white sharp cheddar cheese and wrapped in applewood smoked bacon; topped with apricot chili sauce and crispy onions.” I balked once I saw the “crisp onion,” which looked like the same stuff I used to shake out of a can onto my salads as a kid. Too much of a good thing I guess. Eventually, the temptation was too strong and I asked for a taste ... Delicious. They selected an All-Star Mango Lemonade to go with it, but passed on the addition of Absolut vodka.
During the grazing, we took in most of the initial round of the hat contest which was held in a tent, complete with tables and TVs so you wouldnʼt miss any racing. I was delighted to see some children involved and amused to hear the announcer telling us a little about each person, one of them claimed it was the first time she has EVER worn a hat! I will not begin to delve into a critique nor a wide sampling (if you want to see some great shots, click here for the slideshow from Eclipse Sportswire) but I will share my favorite hat of the day and best dressed, most striking child. One of the judges of the contest sported San Francisco on her head. The youngster is well dressed but it doesnʼt look like his horse is winning.

The sixth race, the Costa Rising Stakes, brought Knockitdownhard onto the track with Miguel Mena aboard. We found our chosen spot for watching the races and just before they went into the gate my daughter looked up at me and, with a huge, wide grin and sparkling eyes, said, “Mama needs a new pair of shoes.” I am a proud father.
To my daughterʼs delight, Knockitdownhard stayed close to the lead the entire race. In the end, a 48-1 long shot edged ahead to place. Still, a show finish that paid $5.80 wasnʼt bad for her first ʻpick of the day.ʼ
Miss Wright and my young prognosticator shared a funnel cake before we enjoyed the Derby. Actually, I think my daughter ate most of it. She loves beignets and this ubiquitous carnival/festival deep-fried treat falls into a similar category. All the food and sun and excitement kept her well-energized and she enjoyed herself immensely. As did Miss Wright and I.
INTERNATIONAL STAR AND MIGUEL MENA ENTER THE WINNER'S CIRCLE

Watching International Star and Miguel Mena win another big race at Fair Grounds was the cherry on top of my day. Being fortunate enough to see the duo win LeComte, Risen Star and Louisiana Derby will have me rooting loudly in May. The end of a Fair Grounds meet is a melancholy occasion for me, but what a treat it was to be able to savor such a wonderful experience as we did Saturday.