well it was a tough call this year but we decided to head to vegas for the kentucky derby this year instead of our traditional visit to churchill downs. we were frustrated with the absurd cost of hotel rooms and when we realized we could fly out to vegas and stay at caesars for the cost of three nights (minimum) at caesars in louisville we thought we%26#39;d give it a shot...
this we%26#39;ll be the first time we have missed a derby in a loooonnng time and we want to know where we can find a derby party or which sportsbook people prefer to watch the ponies run (do any casinos do anything special for the derby... mint juleps offered anywhere?). will it be possible to get an official program anywhere out there? what time do the sportsbooks start filling up (or do they?). what kind of environment do we see in the sportsbook (wife wants to know if anyone get dressed up with derby hats, etc.? not that it matters she%26#39;ll be wearing hers anyway).
we want to make the most out of our trip out west but i%26#39;m worried we will find ourselves feeling regret. i guess if you%26#39;re not going to be at churchill downs then vegas is the next best thing.
Derby Fever!!!
Well, clearly you will want to pay a visit to the MGM casino and spend some time playing the only remaining Sigma Derby mechanical horse race game left on the Strip.
Derby Fever!!!
I%26#39;ve gone to Vegas many times to watch the Derby, but nothing is better than being in Louisville for both the Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday.
Surprisingly, the local%26#39;s casinos often have the best promos for the Derby (any of the Station casinos, Green Valley Ranch is good too).
Bellagio has really comfortable seats in the Sports Book, but the bar there didn%26#39;t offer any specials (though they do make the Mint Juleps the old fashioned way). Paris always has a special event for the derby and the bar there had all kinds of bourbon drink specials (but their Julep was a mix). MGM%26#39;s Centrifuge bar behind the sports book is always a lively place and they have a ton of T.V.s (I would go down to Zuri, another bar in MGM, to get their peach infused Woodford Reserve Bourbon first though).
Otherwise, call the sports book of the hotel/casino you are interested in and ask if they are doing anything special.
Also, if you are going to watch the races in the Sports Book and are wagering, don%26#39;t forget to ask for drink coupons from the teller (policies vary by casino). Otherwise, the cocktail waitresses may try to charge you for drinks.
thankx jonathongo. i am already regretting missing the derby but you have to mix things up once in a while (i guess). we are staying at caesars and i did call and they didn%26#39;t mention anything special going unless you%26#39;re a VIP. kind of lame but we%26#39;ll figure something out.
Received an offer a couple of weeks ago from the Imperial Palace for two nights accomodation and Tickets to their Derby Party on Saturday May 3rd. Will not be taking them up on it but you may want to call Casino Services at the Imperial Palace at 1-866-643-2215 and find out what the party is all about.
So glad you posted this! The wife and I are going to be in Vegas for a business trip this year during Derby. I have looked around but have not found much in the way of Derby parties.
A buddy of mine suggested NOT watching the race in a sports book but instead to place our bets and find a cool lounge to kick back and watch the races. The whole race card is on ESPN.
Not sure about the official program.
I have a suggestion; don%26#39;t call the hotel, call the racebook direct. There is a good chance if you want to even watch the race you will need to reserve a spot.
We were there for Breeder%26#39;s Cup, and all the spots in the major racebooks were reserved in advance. By dropping by 3 weeks in advance, I was able to get a couple of desks at MGM (where we were staying). We ended up at Wynn, but they could not guarantee us spots until that Thursday.
So I would contact Caesar%26#39;s ASAP.
when i called caesars i was actually told there was no direct line the sportsbook area! hmmmm... maybe i%26#39;ll try again.
The Las Vegas Hilton hosted a Derby party last year and they are currently promoting their own 2008 Kentucky Derby Future Book Challenge, so they may be doing something for the Derby again this year.
I%26#39;ve never been to their Race Book but everything I%26#39;ve read about it seems positive!
One Race Book I really like is at the Sante Fe Station and there was no need for drink tickets. Very large area, good service. Not sure if they do anything special for the Kentucky Derby.
The Race Book ar Caesars I was not crazy about.
I%26#39;m very interested in how your experience turns out.
I will be in Vegas the last week of April and I had looked into staying for the Derby but flights back afterwards were just too expensive.
I just came across a blog by Dan Shipiro at Kentucky Derby.com. Dan now lives in Las Vegas so you may want to try and contact him and see if he has any suggestions.
My Aunt and her husband will be attending the Kentucky Derby this year for the first time. They are in their 50%26#39;s and my aunt has no desire to be in the infield. She was telling me they plan to watch the race from the Paddock area. Any suggestions for them?
They may know this already, but they can%26#39;t see the race from the paddock. They will have to watch it on big screens they have set up in the paddock area. Also, the paddock (like every place else) is very crowded and I don%26#39;t believe there will be any place to sit, at least I have never seen a place to sit before. Wear comfy shoes.
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