Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome into hour number two of Sunday Morning Sports Talk,
the best of Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Bo Robinson,
six point thirty WLAP. This hour, we wanted to replace
some of the interviews we have done throughout the year,
and we will start May fourth, twenty twenty five, celebrating
Kentucky Derby one fifty one.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Bo, you did several pretty interesting interviews in conjunction with
the Derby. Won't you tell us about one of those
and maybe go ahead and play one for us?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Okay, so let me set this up. My whole goal
going into the cluz get some interviews with some of
the horse racing personalities. Now that doesn't mean right out
of the gate, I'm going to go after Bob Bafford.
I can't do that. Even though I was six feet
away from him yesterday and somewhere around the ninth race,
(00:49):
and I had a microphone in my hand, and I
was like, should I Should I do it?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
He's right there?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
No, No, I just took it for what it was,
because again, he was the big personality surrounding the Kentucky Derby.
So I just took it all in and think, Okay,
Bob Effort's right in front of me. Just be cool.
Just watch how he conducts himself around around the stalls
and around the paddock. That was kind of a cool experience.
But back to the interviews, I wanted to get some
(01:18):
really good content and maybe go no pun intended off
the track and get some of the horse racing personalities,
especially some of the journalists, and really do a deep
dive on the Kentucky Derby. So that was my whole
approach going into the Derby, going into first Saturday of May,
(01:40):
and I think I nailed it. I really did.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
So.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I got some great interviews that we're going to play.
I wanted to do at least one jockey interview because
of the line that I wanted to wrap up the interview.
I was able to do that, even though it didn't
air on WHAS. So I'm happy with my work. I
enjoyed doing this. I was able to get at one
of the owners yesterday morning at eight o'clock. So we're
(02:04):
going to play that back to So how about we
start with Excuse me, I'm still trying to pull things together.
How about we start with the first interview that I
wanted to do and ursul Ellis, who has been at
this for over seventy five years. He's a legendary thoroughbred
racing journalist. He's an owner. When he was an owner,
(02:25):
he was a trainer. He still does his radio show
Horsetails on Saturday mornings on one of our other stations,
ninety seven point seven WTF, and I've produced that for
a while for him. He is so good and he
has an amazing and racing plus. The unique thing is
(02:46):
he grew up with Man of War.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, His dad was the farm manager at Dixiana and
where Man of War was at was not too far,
so Ursul would go down and visit with Man of
War while he was growing up. And so I started
off that interview with him and just wanted to get
his memory's rolling up with Man of War. And I
will cue that up right now for us and we
(03:12):
will go into that. So enjoy Ursul Ellis remembering Men
of War and some of his favorite derby moments. A
fixture and horse racing, not only as an owner and
a trainer, but as a journalist for over seventy years,
is Ursul Ellis, who hosts his weekly radio show out
of Lexington. I know you like to tell everybody that
(03:33):
you are so old that you remember when Aristides won
the first Kentucky Derby in eighteen seventy five. But you're
looking good after all these years.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Well, the poolat looks good. Yeah, I've seen some. I've
seen some Dervision and a few of them down through
the years. Remember a lot of them, Yeah, of course,
a bit host Okay.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
What do you remember about Meno War.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
I first saw him my dad when when he was
because he was a foll of nineteen seventeen. My dad
took me to see when I was about ten years old.
My dad was working for August Belmont when he was
full and who was the breeder of man of War,
and he put the first halt on him when he.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Was a foal.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
So I had a special interest in the horse because
of my relationship with my father.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
And then later on after.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Manor War had been retired to far away farm, which
was real close to a farmer where my day had
managed Dixiana, so I was it was just a short
bike ride from from where I lived over to see
Manor War and I was trying to and see him,
and I knew mister Harbert and my dad. He was
(04:54):
a groom from manor war. You know, my dad had
told me. He says, if you over there, boy, keep
your mouth shut. And mister Harbard is mister Harbard to
you always, and maybe you learned something from him because
he's a great horseman. So anyway, he was, in my opinion,
(05:17):
the best greatest horse that ever lived.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
When did you realize that you were in the presence
of greatness? Was it at a young age growing up
or was it years later when you kind of recount
those memories of man of War?
Speaker 5 (05:31):
When did you realize that?
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Well, my dad told me, and he says, when I
was about ten, he says, take a look at this horseboy,
and I don't like him. And he's right. And I've
got a lot of company, a lot.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
Of people.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
That had seen both Secretariat. I know one gentleman, A F.
Hewittt his life doing his life fan he got to
see both horses and he said that he had never
seen anything like that, and he had seen Secretariat too.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Are you after all these years that man of War
always comes up in conversation or just the culture and
the popularity of man of War is still with us today.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Well, he was just people came from all over the
world to see that horse. You understand, they would travel
forever to come over here to see him, and they
saided they estimated that over two million people had come
to visit his horse during his lifetime. And then this
(06:37):
is back you know, in the in the twenties and
the thirties and up in the forties and anyway that
of course there's a statue to him, added the at
the horse park here of Man of War and ivers
funeral ever.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Went to was was made award.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
He died on November the first, in nineteen forty seven.
And the stories that you would hear about and been
passed on, you know, the first time a clocker looked
at this horse on the track when he walked down
(07:22):
to the group. What's the name of the big chestnut horse?
He says, a Man of War said, who's he by?
He says by himself.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
Mostly it sounds like me by myself. Mostly.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You've been covering thoroughbred racing for over seventy five years,
I believe, working with various publications as a rioter, advertising,
hosting your own radio show, and like the most memorable
racing personalities that you've crossed paths with over the years.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
Did I've talked to just anybody. We are the most memorable.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Let's see, well, one of them right now, of course
is is is Arthur Hancock, who was just a lesson
to the Hall of Fames, you know, and Cleven Farm
and the people over cleven Saith. I met his dead,
but I didn't really get to know him, you know,
(08:22):
But I got to know Seth. And there's been so
many great people in the horse business, and my father
spent his life in the horse business for crying outland,
you know. I mean, uh, I've just I met Shoemaker,
h one the all time great jockeys, and and it's
(08:44):
it's hard for me to just single out somebody like
if you ask me about it, I know him mostly
a lot of them, those that survived the whole, a
whole passle of them. I'll tell you that one that
anybody's in the horse binness would know would be doctor
Bob Copeman. And I've known Bobby for a long time
(09:05):
and we were close friends and everything. And not only that,
he's the only guy I know that's older than me.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
So well it is Kentucky Derby Day. Do you have
any picks for me? Or do you just want me
to throw a couple of bucks on the floor for you.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Yeah, just just to throw twenty on the ground and
say I really haven't gone over them, you know, you know,
I mean, of course some of the old timers. I
can remember some of the races I remember first. I
remember the first derby I ever went to was nineteen
forty seven and saw Jet Pilot who win it, Jet
(09:42):
pottot he he you know, he he was lucky to
be there because the year before he belonged to Elizabeth
Arden Maintaine Farm and she had a three horse entry
in the derby nineteen forty six. Uh Lord Bossel knocked
(10:06):
down in perfect bearn and they ran fourth, fifth, and ninth.
But anyway they had they had sent as a too.
He was a two year old, that pilot was. He
came to Louisville with him, and while he were down
there was a fire at Arlington Park and she lost
most of her two year olds from that crop. And
(10:28):
he was a survivor. And he came back and next
year and won the Derby for her. And I remember
that race. It was he came down to the wire,
he lit all the way. Eric Garan was armed and
he was waving his whip under his nose. He said,
what the horse was giving him everything he had and
he was dead tired. And it was funning on the
(10:50):
outside and came as faultless on the inside and they
finished heads apart and he hailed on to win it.
So that was an exciting derby, one of the best
I've ever seen.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
Again, tell me about Tommy Lee.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Tommy Lee, Well, first time I saw Tommy Lee was
out at he was the nineteen fifty nine winner, was
at Keenlan, and I went to see him before there,
and he was at that time in the panic. It's
closed off. They don't let anybody in there and now,
(11:22):
but they let the crowd back in and they crowd around,
you know, we flock around the horses where the horses
walking under the trees.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
And I walked out.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
All I could see was his head up above the
crowd and he was looking out and boy, I said, God,
that's a look of eagles. So I turned it right around,
went back and bet on him, and he won because
in the derby, I wanted to see him, and I
went down with a friend of mine and before the race,
(11:52):
and I got to see him before the race too.
And I bet on him again, of course, and it
was a great race. He was a game, game raceourse.
He had a duel with sword and they were heading
the head for the last three ys for a mile.
I mean, there wasn't a breath between him, and he
(12:12):
won by nose. And a Blood Horse magazine, which was
a weekly magazine at the time, the next week. The
cover of it was a picture of him in the
winter circle with the roses over him. They didn't even
say who it was.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
It just says under are.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
For courage, and it was you know, gave me chills.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Just sure to look at that.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Well, it is Kentucky Derby Day. And the one question
I wanted to ask he was how would man war
stack up against this twenty twenty five Kentucky Derby field.
But I think I know your answer.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
You never saw a horse he couldn't beat, and there
wasn't as long with his Eyesight's.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
Good enough for me.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
So Earthl thank you so much for spending some of
your memories and on behalf of horse racing fans throughout
the state of Kentucky the United States internationally. Thank you
for your contributions on everything thoroughbred racing in your career.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
One more thing before I leave. I do have a
gift for you to commemorate your first Derby in eighteen
seventy five and aristides drinking glass.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Well, thank you, that's a handsome glass.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Oh I have ways, you have ways.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Yeah. Oh and that's very nice. Well, thank you. As
a hen I'll cherish it.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Have a happy Kentucky Derby Day. Celebrating Kentucky Derby one
fifty one. I'm Bo Robinson.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
This is the Home of the Wildcats. Six thirty wlap Bo.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Quite a conversation there with herschel Hellis has been a
while since I've heard any references to Man of War
and Jet Blue. And the way you wrapped up with
that quote was pretty pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Ursul is ninety two, ninety three years old. He's got
a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks and
still just sharp as attack and can remember all this
Derby history and he's still very very witty. Story from
last week just to let you know how great of
a sense of humor that Ursul has I was producing
(14:11):
his show last weekend and he wanted me to read
some race results. So he hands the microphone over to me.
He's got a stack of papers and he looked at
me and he said, here, and I kind of paused
and looked at him again. I want you to read
the race results from this past week. And I said
to him, oh, I thought you were past the passing
the mic to me, so I could hit another button
(14:34):
like I have for the last thirty years. And everybody
laughed in the room and he started laughing. He said, well,
every horse farm has a wise ass.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
And that's why we have Bo Robinson right.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
A lot of fun celebrating Kentucky Derby one fifty one
with ursul Ellis. I'mbou Robinson, and you are listening to
the best of Sunday Morning Sports Talk for this Sunday morning,
and we will have more with Larry Vaunt, Anthony White,
jackpill and myself coming out Sunday Morning Sports Talk six
thirty WLAP.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
This is the home of the Wildcats six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
You are listening to the best of Sunday Morning Sports
Talk twenty twenty five by Robinson with you and on
behalf of Larry Vaud, Jack Pilgrim and Anthony. Why we
thank you all for listening every Sunday morning. We thank
you all for the support and we wish you nothing
but the best for twenty twenty six. And we continue
our Derby coverage from twenty twenty five with a trip
(15:32):
down to Old Friend's horse farm in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Appreciate you joining us this morning. Just heard a terrific
interview that Bo Robinson did with herschel Ellis. So what
did you follow the herschell Ellis interview.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Of yesterday morning, or you know, within a couple of days,
maybe I took a trip down to Old Friends farm
just outside of Georgetown. Busy, busy week because they had
a ton of tours coming in. They had their Derby
Eve party on Friday night, us today is their homecoming
down at Old Friends and a little bit of a
(16:04):
dispute going on out in the fields of Old Friends
between some former Derby champions and I had to go
down there and get to the bottom of it with
President and CEO of Old Friends, John Nicholson. So we're
going to run that audio right here and see what
was going on Derby Day at Old Friends. On my
way to Churchill Downs from Lexington, Kentucky, I had to
(16:27):
stop outside of Georgetown to check in on some Old Friends.
Big Brown, the two thousand and eight Kentucky Derby and
Preaknas winner. I'll have another, the twenty twelve Kentucky Derby
and Preaknas winner, and the elder statesman of the group,
Silver Charm, the nineteen ninety seven Kentucky Derby and also
Preakness winner. John Nicholson, President and CEO of Old Friends,
(16:48):
has been sent out to diffuse the dispute between Big Brown,
Silver Charm and now I'll have another, John, What exactly
are these Kentucky Derby winners at odds about today?
Speaker 6 (16:58):
Well, we're having some unpleasantness fall between these horses, a
dispute All week long. You know, we've had people from
around the world here at Old Friends giving adoration to
these horses and talking and debating and speaking about who
was the best and who do they remember, so forth
and so on. Well, today, when everybody's heading to Louisville,
(17:22):
the horses have a chance to kind of catch their
breath and talk among themselves.
Speaker 7 (17:26):
Yeah, we've got a problem to resolve here between these horses.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
You've really got a tough job to settle this, especially
with the rivalry between Silver Charm that developed with Touch
Gold who I see across the way.
Speaker 7 (17:37):
Well, that's the interesting thing. I think about this, think
about this bow.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
In nineteen ninety seven there was an epic battle between
Silver Charm and Touch Gold through the Triple Crown series.
And imagine all these years later, both at the age
of thirty one. They are not only in the same county,
in the same state, on the same farm, on paddocks
(18:02):
next to each other here and old friends.
Speaker 7 (18:05):
Now Touch Gold.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
Has watched for a number of years now as Silver
Charm has received all this acclaim and these visitors every day,
and Touch Gold gets his visitors too.
Speaker 7 (18:16):
But he's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
Speaker 6 (18:19):
Because you know, he did not run in the Derby
in nineteen ninety seven.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
I mean that was a trainer's decision.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
And when it came for the Preakness, he stumbled out
of the starting gate and still almost won the Preakness,
And then he did win the Belmont and caught Silver
Charm on the outside. Some say Silver Charm certainly says
that he didn't see him coming. If he saw him coming,
he would have won the Triple Crown that year. Touch
Gold says, if he had run in the Derby, had
(18:49):
not stumbled out of the gate in the Preakness, he
would have won the Triple Crown that year.
Speaker 7 (18:54):
So there's just a lot going on here today.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Old Friends has really become a worldwide premiere destiny nation
for horse racing fans and supporters of the aftercare of
these champions. But Old Friends provides so much more.
Speaker 8 (19:07):
Well.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
It's a great tribute to Michael Blowing who had this
vision a generation ago that people would love to see,
to visit, to celebrate these great retired champions and thirdbred racehorses.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
Who were maybe lesser champions. And he had that vision.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
I don't think he or I or anybody had any
idea it would become the worldwide attraction that it's become.
But bo aftercare of Thoroughbred race horses is now a
stalwart pillar of our industry and it's a wonderful expectation
now that if you're involved in this industry and you
(19:47):
own a Thurdbred racehorse, that you have a responsibility for
that horse from foling to forever.
Speaker 7 (19:54):
And that's a really positive story that's going on in
the horse industry right now.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
That's a really nice way to put it. From folding
to forever.
Speaker 7 (20:03):
I think so, because that's exactly what it is.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
John's been a busy weekend for Old Friends. Last night
here Derby Eve Party, blue Jeans, boots and bulls, and
tomorrow the Old Friends the twentieth anniversary homecoming party and
the red carpet list is amazing with big brown silver
charm and I'll have another but for you and founder
Michael Blowing. It takes a great team of volunteers and
staff not only to pull off a weekend like this,
but every day at Old Friends.
Speaker 6 (20:26):
It certainly does bo and it is a special family
of people and that phrase it takes a village. But
in the case of Old Friends, Michael provided the vision
and the energy. But over the decades, it has been
a numerous, countless number of people who have been involved
(20:47):
who have built this facility to what it is. And
we have an army of volunteers that are really the
spokespeople for the cause of Aftercare and certainly the cause
of Old Friends, and the ones who lead the celebration
for the lives of these great race horses. And so
we're blessed to have a remarkable group.
Speaker 7 (21:08):
Of people that made display special.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Before I get back on the road to Churchhill Downs.
Have we been able to settle anything between Big Brown,
Silver Charm and I'll have Another.
Speaker 7 (21:18):
I don't think so.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
I think there's going to be maybe some further unpleasantness
for the rest of the day. I'm trying to speak
to all of them, but they're each pretty pretty dog.
IM sure that they're the best that ever was. I
came out here looking for some Derby tips. We brought
some carrots down here. Who else would know better than
these three Derby winners? But real quick, your memories about
these three in the Kentucky Derby. The interesting thing about
(21:41):
all three of these horses and every Derby winner who
has ever lived at Old Friends has also been a
Preakness winner. And that's really uncanny. What are the chances
of that? Over the years we had Charismatic and War
Emblem and now here residing on the farm with Silver Charm,
I'll have Another and Big Brown. All three had the
(22:01):
eyes of the world on them going into that Belmont
to get a triple crown winner.
Speaker 7 (22:06):
I think that's an uncanny coincidence.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
John, have a great weekend, Thank you so much for
spending some time with me, and a happy Kentucky Derby Day.
To silver Charm. I'll have another and big brown Happy
Derby Day to you too. John Nicholson, President and CEO
of Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. I'm Bo Robinson
celebrating Kentucky Derby one p. Fifty one for News Radio
eight forty whas Anthony.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Maybe one day you and I let's find us a
spot where we can go and retire. So what do
you think, Anthony.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I'm too old, Larry Vault, I'm forty eight now. I
can't take risks like both.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Wait minute, you and I are after turning forty eight? Men,
you and I are.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Can't my silful aligned anymore?
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Well you'll be okay, forty eight, You've got a few
years left in you.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
I think we've got to get Anthony White to the
Kentucky Derby for twenty twenty six. You are listening to
the best of Sunday Morning Sports Talk to in the
year twenty two twenty five. Stay with us as we
look back at fifty years of Memorial Coliseum Sunday Morning
Sports Talk six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.
Welcome back, Stockyards Bank, Sunday Morning Sports Talk I am
Anthony White, along with Larry var and boul Robinson. We
are now I'm proud to be joined. But Kevin Cook,
author of Memorial Coliseum seventy five years, Monument, Stage and Arena,
(23:31):
also other books House of Champions. Good morning, mister Cook.
How's it going well?
Speaker 8 (23:37):
Good morning? Thank you so much for having me. It's
it's an honor.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
No, well, we appreciate you for joining us. Let's get
get down to the business. What was the inspiration in
a Memorial College sam seventy five years as a monument,
stage and arena.
Speaker 8 (23:51):
Well, a part of it is timing and history. I
did a previous book you mentioned, House of Champions that
was a general history more of nuts and bowl of
UK's basketball arenas. But you know, just had a few
black and white pictures and I thought it may it'd
be nice if people could see kind of what we're
talking about here and bigger, you know, colored pictures when possible.
(24:14):
So it was coming up on the seventy fifth anniversary
of the coliseum and also UK was doing their major renovation,
so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to lay out,
you know, memories for the old timers, for the new timers,
you let them know about the history of the arena
that it is. You know, first and foremost, originally a
(24:35):
World War two memorial to the state's war did of
World War Two about ten thousand people who died from
the State, so that was the kind of foundation of it.
But also just wanted with the renovation upcoming or it's
already passed, the document what the coliseum looked like before
the renovation, because once it's changed, you can't remember or
(24:56):
you never knew. And then also document just the amazing
renovation that the university did.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
And August eleventh is the launch date. Monday, August eleventh
is the launch date. Is that the seventy fifth Is
that the particular date or that's just a date that
you selected in general, Well, it's.
Speaker 8 (25:16):
Close to it. The seventy fifth anniversary exact date was
Memorial Day this year and UK did have a sort
of rededication service program for that. August eleventh is a
date where the UK Alumni Association is hosting a release
of the book and that will be in the coliseum.
(25:38):
So there's about fifteen and counting former players, a couple
of former broadcasters such as Ralph Hacker, and Tom Hammond.
They'll be signing the book. The book. The proceeds from
the evening are going to scholarships from the UK Alumni
Association and folks. They do ask if folks registered for
(25:58):
that online, Happy to give you the UH the web
address for that.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Yeah, you could share that. We'll also share it on UH.
We'll also share it on our web page. Is that
the UK Alumni dot net Ford Slash Memorial book?
Speaker 8 (26:17):
That is correct? I appreciate that. And after that date
the book will be available generally on Amazon local bookstores,
UH and through Acclaim Press their website there they're the publisher.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
And UH, I know it's been published or it's been
in the media a little bit. But can you talk
about some of the people that you said there are
going to be a present I know you named Hacker
and some of the other people that would be present,
but uh in the list of seems to be growing.
But as now, who are some notable people that you
plan to participate?
Speaker 8 (26:48):
Well, the ones that that that knew that kind of
knew they could be there, they allowed us to use
their names. There's a couple more that would like to
be there, likely will be there. They're just not ready
to share, so they could be a handful of edition
to this, but I'll kind of start the list I have.
I think he's an outholical order. Jim Andrews, Dicky Beale,
(27:10):
Doug Flynn, Mike Flynn, Jack Goose Gibbons. They mentioned Ralph Hacker,
Tom Hammond, Coach, Dick Parsons, Jared Cricket, Chip Rup, Jay Scheidler,
Larry Stamper, Kenny Skywalker, and Sean Woods.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
That is a very across the ears and that a
very good group. Are you familiar with the Blues Brothers.
Speaker 8 (27:37):
Yes, I am, uh and uh. I hear they they
might make an appearance. They are welcome to do so
that would be I would be honored if that was
the case.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Thank Kevin bo Robinson as the Blues Brothers booking agent.
I am heavily working on them making an appearance at
this event. I'm such a fan of your books and
what you've been able to accomplish with the research and
the history. But what I find really fascinating about these buildings,
these structures is the military background and the meaningful purpose
(28:10):
in connection with the military. Talk about that for us.
Speaker 8 (28:13):
Well, you know UK, you know, starting alumni gym down
down the road which is now Fitness Center on Avenue
Champions And almost from the beginning of the nineteen twenties
uk knew they needed a bigger arena. So for you know,
a couple of decades, I had different plans. It's never
had the money. With the World War Two, there's kind
of a convergence UK went. He was able to go
(28:37):
to the state legislature and together as a really a
state project make it not only an arena for sports,
for an auditorium for art events, but to also make
it the whole building as a memorial to the originally
World War Two, and then they added Korean War, Vietnam,
(28:59):
War War up into our century of folks that have
our Kentucky citizens that have passed away in the service
of their country. So the way they originally memorialized that,
they had a memorial Day in nineteen fifty they dedicated
Memorial Coliseum. They had a full house. Families of the
(29:20):
ten they advited families of the about ten thousand soldiers,
sailors and marines of Kentucky who had died. They came.
They had a special service to dedicate the arena to
that to remember it. They had a one of the
UK engineering professors, doctor Harai hand lettered all ten thousand
(29:45):
names county by county and they originally until very recently
were in the concourses and people could see them as
they walked up to the seating. But over the years
those that faded they were getting water and moisture damage.
UK removed those they are in the archives, but they
replaced them out front with these pillars that they have,
these names now etched in stone on the front. Another
(30:08):
way that they memorialized the building was they took bronze
stars for everybody who was associated with the university students,
faculty staff. If they had passed away to World War Two,
they had a bronze star with their name on it
put on the concourses. With the recent renovations, those bronze
(30:31):
stars have now been relocated into the main front lobby
hype on the wall, so those are still there. And
there's a poem called for the Fallen which is etched
in stone in the entrance to the lobby. So the
number of ways that that building personifies itself as a
(30:53):
monument to those who sacrifice for the country.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
And without ruining the release day. What are some of
the I've you know, we were giving a little preview
of what are some of the things that the readers
and the fans can look forward to that are out
of kind of the ordinary because it does a monument
stage and arenas.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
That is that is going to officiate. You mentioned that
I can promise folks that they'll be, you know, new things,
because I found a bunch of new things. I it
is an illustrated history, so I was looking for interesting
pictures that illustrated the history, but also sort of off
offbeat things about the coliseum, and those are taken from
(31:39):
UK archives, UK yearbooks, game programs, things like that. But
you mentioned the stage. You know, from the beginning there
was a community arts program for the community come to
and very cheaply come and see things like everything from
Bob Hope to orchestra to famous singers orators. They also
(32:04):
had memorial services, such as for John F. Kennedy after
he was assassinated. You talk about presidents that have come
and spoken. Lynnon Banks Johnson was the main speaker in
the coliseum of the nineteen sixty five centennial of the university.
(32:25):
You talk about the arena. Of course, a lot of
that originally was men's basketball when they left for up
Arena in the mid seventies, the women's basketball team was
just starting they now have. It's still used just about
every day of the week by stunt teams, by volleyball,
by gymnastics, so it's still as an arena. It is
(32:47):
still a vibrant, fantastic showplace for UK women's sports.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
I do want to ask Larry Vaught, are we going
to see any pictures of you in the nineteen seventies
over more on the stage portion, because I have heard
that you you know, you you'll know only get wild
back then.
Speaker 9 (33:08):
Well, it nearly fell off the balcony one time watching
a UK women's basketball game at the end where at
or the upper deck there where it had it where
you could sit, and I had a little got a
little zuberant one night and did that and had a
little fun of the slide in the family Stone concerts
there at once. But no, I don't think there's any
pictures of me in there or anything like that, so
(33:29):
I don't. I don't think you have to worry about that,
but I did wonder. Kevin, you talked about the how
to choose for the for the women's athletes. Now, is
there mention in the book about the accomplishments of the
I didn't get a chance to read it all about
what the women have done. Is it's just bainally just
sticking just strictly with the history kind of from the
men's basketball perspective.
Speaker 8 (33:50):
Well, I would say, you know, probably the bulk of
the the sports end is the men's basketball, but there
is a whole thing. I mentioned some of the highlights
of famous athletes in women's basketball, like Valerie Still in
the gymnastics volleyball, so all those are documented with photos,
as well as the swim team, which used to have
(34:13):
a swimming pool. That part of the building is in
a wing. It's still there, but I mean the pool
is not there, that was filled in. That's now a
tutoring classroom for the athletes. So all those things pictorially
are are in there, every aspect of the sports.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
And Kevin kind of a culmination to where we are now.
Is it possible that there's gonna be some Kenny Brooks
sightings in there or is that was it? It? Wass
they've been in completion before he actually come here.
Speaker 8 (34:49):
That was kind of happening. I was finishing it up.
The books take a long time. Unfortunately, you get them,
you submit them, and then they have to be looked
over corrected. So he is not in the book, although
I'd love to do revise editions and add more to
that because that the history keeps going on and he's
done an amazing job.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
Hey, Kevin, your previous book House of Champions, the story
of Kentucky Basketball's home courts, when that came out a
few years ago, let's kind of go back in your
preparation and your research. How easy was it for you
to roll from that and transition into this book about
Memorial Colisene because you have done the lord's work and
(35:32):
your research and your dedication to this project. How easy
was that for you just to kind of pick up
where you left off with your previous book.
Speaker 8 (35:39):
Well, I see this book overall, I had more fun
because it is I can promise you it doesn't have
any footnotes. The previous book the way that it was done,
and it was a good thing they had had footnotes.
This one does not. So I think that's an easy
to read funny for me, it's easy print to read
(35:59):
for if you're if you're you know, an older reader
and books are kind of hard. I think that that
the whole experience would be good. I wanted the pictures
to be as big as possible, and so that part
was fun. It was fun to pick out pictures and
then find the stories behind them, and yet I want
to double check. So everything has mistakes, but I would
(36:22):
say hopefully that we've reduced those and what you've see
in there, you can you can count on it. But
it's it's just a joy to me to look at.
I mean, I'm just a big Blue Nation fan, like
you know, a million other people, and it's been enjoying
me to kind of have access and the opportunity, uh
to do this. So hopefully that comes out and hopefully
i'm you know, I can share some things that really
(36:44):
interested me that will interest other other people as well.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Well.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
How much fun did you have reaching out to former players,
former UK personalities notables reaching out asking them to submit
their memories of memorial colisseum and then as you're going
going through and you're reading these stories, how much fun
was that? That's going to be just a great process
to go through.
Speaker 8 (37:06):
Well, to me, I would love to do a whole
book on just people's memories because they're all different and
you see things from different eyes. And that was one
thing I really I wanted to do was include a
chapter and thank you for mentioning that where I could
ask not just players, but people I ran into that
were just fans, maybe not even associated with university. That
(37:29):
was even better. And you got memories from you know,
the very beginning all the way up to you know,
present day, and it wasn't always necessarily sports. It was
a concert they went to, or someone I know talking
about big blue madness such as as BO did. So
there's a you know, it made me laugh, It really
(37:51):
made me appreciate, you know that what I knew and
saw and felt was just a small piece of the puzzle.
I knew, you know, looking at all UK fandom you
would get these things. So I'm very honored to be
able to to share those.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
Can you put total hours on both books? Of how
much research you put into them?
Speaker 8 (38:10):
A lot more than I thought I would both of them.
You know, I've probably thought a year and they turned
out to be like, well over two years. I have
a day job, so I didn't sit here and do
it all. And if the Internet did not exist, they
wouldn't I would not have been able to research them
because better thing I did was online. I went to
the UK Archives in person a couple of times. Otherwise
(38:32):
it's just hard to do unless she can you have
you know, you kind of retired or self employed, so
anyway that I would say, my wife is probably glad
because a lot of weekends were taken up by this
and evenings.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Well, the stage aspect of this book has me curious
because all these concerts was before my time. And Anthony knows,
Larry knows that I'm such a fan of the music
from the fifties, sixties and seventies, and we had talked
about slash Stone if you will ago when he passed away.
But here's the one question I have to know about
concerts and Memorial Coliseum. Larry touched on this a couple
(39:06):
of years ago. For me, was it true that zz
Top locked the doors at Memorial Coliseum and played all night?
If I do not know the answer to that, I've
always heard that rumor.
Speaker 8 (39:21):
I can see that as definitely possible. I can believe
that if you told me that.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
Well, I cannot wait to read this book. Congratulations on it, man,
It's gonna be a fun release.
Speaker 8 (39:35):
Well, I appreciate I hadn't had a ball doing it,
and I'm just happy to talk about it. I really
appreciate you'all having.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Me on and Kevin to close out. Uh. To register,
you go to www dot UK alumni dot net Ford
slash memorial book. There's ten dollars to ten bucks to
come to the event, and the book itself will be
forty And what type of payments? Who are they accepted?
Speaker 8 (40:06):
Well, the UK alumni representatives will be at that event,
so they'll be taking that. I know they have a
little you know, the credit card scanner. I think that's
probably the way that they like to do that. The
price of the book is the retail price. It's not
an upsell or anything like that for that night. And
uh again, all all the proceeds are going to student scholarships,
(40:30):
So it's kind of really is a you know, you
look at as a fundraiser good cause, and then I
don't think you'd you know, typically see that many players
and broadcasters, you know, one place across the eras well.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Kevin, thank you for joining us this morning.
Speaker 8 (40:45):
Look, thank you so much, y'all. Take care.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
We will be back after this. You're listening to Stockyards, Bank,
Sunday morning sports talk on news radio six thirty w
LAP
Welcome into hour number two of Sunday Morning Sports Talk,
the best of Sunday Morning Sports Talk. I'm Bo Robinson,
six point thirty WLAP. This hour, we wanted to replace
some of the interviews we have done throughout the year,
and we will start May fourth, twenty twenty five, celebrating
Kentucky Derby one fifty one.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Bo, you did several pretty interesting interviews in conjunction with
the Derby. Won't you tell us about one of those
and maybe go ahead and play one for us?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Okay, so let me set this up. My whole goal
going into the cluz get some interviews with some of
the horse racing personalities. Now that doesn't mean right out
of the gate, I'm going to go after Bob Bafford.
I can't do that. Even though I was six feet
away from him yesterday and somewhere around the ninth race,
(00:49):
and I had a microphone in my hand, and I
was like, should I Should I do it?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
He's right there?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
No, No, I just took it for what it was,
because again, he was the big personality surrounding the Kentucky Derby.
So I just took it all in and think, Okay,
Bob Effort's right in front of me. Just be cool.
Just watch how he conducts himself around around the stalls
and around the paddock. That was kind of a cool experience.
But back to the interviews, I wanted to get some
(01:18):
really good content and maybe go no pun intended off
the track and get some of the horse racing personalities,
especially some of the journalists, and really do a deep
dive on the Kentucky Derby. So that was my whole
approach going into the Derby, going into first Saturday of May,
(01:40):
and I think I nailed it. I really did.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
So.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I got some great interviews that we're going to play.
I wanted to do at least one jockey interview because
of the line that I wanted to wrap up the interview.
I was able to do that, even though it didn't
air on WHAS. So I'm happy with my work. I
enjoyed doing this. I was able to get at one
of the owners yesterday morning at eight o'clock. So we're
(02:04):
going to play that back to So how about we
start with Excuse me, I'm still trying to pull things together.
How about we start with the first interview that I
wanted to do and ursul Ellis, who has been at
this for over seventy five years. He's a legendary thoroughbred
racing journalist. He's an owner. When he was an owner,
(02:25):
he was a trainer. He still does his radio show
Horsetails on Saturday mornings on one of our other stations,
ninety seven point seven WTF, and I've produced that for
a while for him. He is so good and he
has an amazing and racing plus. The unique thing is
(02:46):
he grew up with Man of War.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, His dad was the farm manager at Dixiana and
where Man of War was at was not too far,
so Ursul would go down and visit with Man of
War while he was growing up. And so I started
off that interview with him and just wanted to get
his memory's rolling up with Man of War. And I
will cue that up right now for us and we
(03:12):
will go into that. So enjoy Ursul Ellis remembering Men
of War and some of his favorite derby moments. A
fixture and horse racing, not only as an owner and
a trainer, but as a journalist for over seventy years,
is Ursul Ellis, who hosts his weekly radio show out
of Lexington. I know you like to tell everybody that
(03:33):
you are so old that you remember when Aristides won
the first Kentucky Derby in eighteen seventy five. But you're
looking good after all these years.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Well, the poolat looks good. Yeah, I've seen some. I've
seen some Dervision and a few of them down through
the years. Remember a lot of them, Yeah, of course,
a bit host Okay.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
What do you remember about Meno War.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
I first saw him my dad when when he was
because he was a foll of nineteen seventeen. My dad
took me to see when I was about ten years old.
My dad was working for August Belmont when he was
full and who was the breeder of man of War,
and he put the first halt on him when he.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Was a foal.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
So I had a special interest in the horse because
of my relationship with my father.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
And then later on after.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Manor War had been retired to far away farm, which
was real close to a farmer where my day had
managed Dixiana, so I was it was just a short
bike ride from from where I lived over to see
Manor War and I was trying to and see him,
and I knew mister Harbert and my dad. He was
(04:54):
a groom from manor war. You know, my dad had
told me. He says, if you over there, boy, keep
your mouth shut. And mister Harbard is mister Harbard to
you always, and maybe you learned something from him because
he's a great horseman. So anyway, he was, in my opinion,
(05:17):
the best greatest horse that ever lived.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
When did you realize that you were in the presence
of greatness? Was it at a young age growing up
or was it years later when you kind of recount
those memories of man of War?
Speaker 5 (05:31):
When did you realize that?
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Well, my dad told me, and he says, when I
was about ten, he says, take a look at this horseboy,
and I don't like him. And he's right. And I've
got a lot of company, a lot.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
Of people.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
That had seen both Secretariat. I know one gentleman, A F.
Hewittt his life doing his life fan he got to
see both horses and he said that he had never
seen anything like that, and he had seen Secretariat too.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Are you after all these years that man of War
always comes up in conversation or just the culture and
the popularity of man of War is still with us today.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Well, he was just people came from all over the
world to see that horse. You understand, they would travel
forever to come over here to see him, and they
saided they estimated that over two million people had come
to visit his horse during his lifetime. And then this
(06:37):
is back you know, in the in the twenties and
the thirties and up in the forties and anyway that
of course there's a statue to him, added the at
the horse park here of Man of War and ivers
funeral ever.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Went to was was made award.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
He died on November the first, in nineteen forty seven.
And the stories that you would hear about and been
passed on, you know, the first time a clocker looked
at this horse on the track when he walked down
(07:22):
to the group. What's the name of the big chestnut horse?
He says, a Man of War said, who's he by?
He says by himself.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
Mostly it sounds like me by myself. Mostly.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You've been covering thoroughbred racing for over seventy five years,
I believe, working with various publications as a rioter, advertising,
hosting your own radio show, and like the most memorable
racing personalities that you've crossed paths with over the years.
Speaker 5 (07:56):
Did I've talked to just anybody. We are the most memorable.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Let's see, well, one of them right now, of course
is is is Arthur Hancock, who was just a lesson
to the Hall of Fames, you know, and Cleven Farm
and the people over cleven Saith. I met his dead,
but I didn't really get to know him, you know,
(08:22):
But I got to know Seth. And there's been so
many great people in the horse business, and my father
spent his life in the horse business for crying outland,
you know. I mean, uh, I've just I met Shoemaker,
h one the all time great jockeys, and and it's
(08:44):
it's hard for me to just single out somebody like
if you ask me about it, I know him mostly
a lot of them, those that survived the whole, a
whole passle of them. I'll tell you that one that
anybody's in the horse binness would know would be doctor
Bob Copeman. And I've known Bobby for a long time
(09:05):
and we were close friends and everything. And not only that,
he's the only guy I know that's older than me.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
So well it is Kentucky Derby Day. Do you have
any picks for me? Or do you just want me
to throw a couple of bucks on the floor for you.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Yeah, just just to throw twenty on the ground and
say I really haven't gone over them, you know, you know,
I mean, of course some of the old timers. I
can remember some of the races I remember first. I
remember the first derby I ever went to was nineteen
forty seven and saw Jet Pilot who win it, Jet
(09:42):
pottot he he you know, he he was lucky to
be there because the year before he belonged to Elizabeth
Arden Maintaine Farm and she had a three horse entry
in the derby nineteen forty six. Uh Lord Bossel knocked
(10:06):
down in perfect bearn and they ran fourth, fifth, and ninth.
But anyway they had they had sent as a too.
He was a two year old, that pilot was. He
came to Louisville with him, and while he were down
there was a fire at Arlington Park and she lost
most of her two year olds from that crop. And
(10:28):
he was a survivor. And he came back and next
year and won the Derby for her. And I remember
that race. It was he came down to the wire,
he lit all the way. Eric Garan was armed and
he was waving his whip under his nose. He said,
what the horse was giving him everything he had and
he was dead tired. And it was funning on the
(10:50):
outside and came as faultless on the inside and they
finished heads apart and he hailed on to win it.
So that was an exciting derby, one of the best
I've ever seen.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
Again, tell me about Tommy Lee.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Tommy Lee, Well, first time I saw Tommy Lee was
out at he was the nineteen fifty nine winner, was
at Keenlan, and I went to see him before there,
and he was at that time in the panic. It's
closed off. They don't let anybody in there and now,
(11:22):
but they let the crowd back in and they crowd around,
you know, we flock around the horses where the horses
walking under the trees.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
And I walked out.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
All I could see was his head up above the
crowd and he was looking out and boy, I said, God,
that's a look of eagles. So I turned it right around,
went back and bet on him, and he won because
in the derby, I wanted to see him, and I
went down with a friend of mine and before the race,
(11:52):
and I got to see him before the race too.
And I bet on him again, of course, and it
was a great race. He was a game, game raceourse.
He had a duel with sword and they were heading
the head for the last three ys for a mile.
I mean, there wasn't a breath between him, and he
(12:12):
won by nose. And a Blood Horse magazine, which was
a weekly magazine at the time, the next week. The
cover of it was a picture of him in the
winter circle with the roses over him. They didn't even
say who it was.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
It just says under are.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
For courage, and it was you know, gave me chills.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Just sure to look at that.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Well, it is Kentucky Derby Day. And the one question
I wanted to ask he was how would man war
stack up against this twenty twenty five Kentucky Derby field.
But I think I know your answer.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
You never saw a horse he couldn't beat, and there
wasn't as long with his Eyesight's.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
Good enough for me.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
So Earthl thank you so much for spending some of
your memories and on behalf of horse racing fans throughout
the state of Kentucky the United States internationally. Thank you
for your contributions on everything thoroughbred racing in your career.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
One more thing before I leave. I do have a
gift for you to commemorate your first Derby in eighteen
seventy five and aristides drinking glass.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
Well, thank you, that's a handsome glass.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Oh I have ways, you have ways.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Yeah. Oh and that's very nice. Well, thank you. As
a hen I'll cherish it.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Have a happy Kentucky Derby Day. Celebrating Kentucky Derby one
fifty one. I'm Bo Robinson.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
This is the Home of the Wildcats. Six thirty wlap Bo.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Quite a conversation there with herschel Hellis has been a
while since I've heard any references to Man of War
and Jet Blue. And the way you wrapped up with
that quote was pretty pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Ursul is ninety two, ninety three years old. He's got
a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks and
still just sharp as attack and can remember all this
Derby history and he's still very very witty. Story from
last week just to let you know how great of
a sense of humor that Ursul has I was producing
(14:11):
his show last weekend and he wanted me to read
some race results. So he hands the microphone over to me.
He's got a stack of papers and he looked at
me and he said, here, and I kind of paused
and looked at him again. I want you to read
the race results from this past week. And I said
to him, oh, I thought you were past the passing
the mic to me, so I could hit another button
(14:34):
like I have for the last thirty years. And everybody
laughed in the room and he started laughing. He said, well,
every horse farm has a wise ass.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
And that's why we have Bo Robinson right.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
A lot of fun celebrating Kentucky Derby one fifty one
with ursul Ellis. I'mbou Robinson, and you are listening to
the best of Sunday Morning Sports Talk for this Sunday morning,
and we will have more with Larry Vaunt, Anthony White,
jackpill and myself coming out Sunday Morning Sports Talk six
thirty WLAP.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
This is the home of the Wildcats six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
You are listening to the best of Sunday Morning Sports
Talk twenty twenty five by Robinson with you and on
behalf of Larry Vaud, Jack Pilgrim and Anthony. Why we
thank you all for listening every Sunday morning. We thank
you all for the support and we wish you nothing
but the best for twenty twenty six. And we continue
our Derby coverage from twenty twenty five with a trip
(15:32):
down to Old Friend's horse farm in Georgetown, Kentucky.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Appreciate you joining us this morning. Just heard a terrific
interview that Bo Robinson did with herschel Ellis. So what
did you follow the herschell Ellis interview.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Of yesterday morning, or you know, within a couple of days,
maybe I took a trip down to Old Friends farm
just outside of Georgetown. Busy, busy week because they had
a ton of tours coming in. They had their Derby
Eve party on Friday night, us today is their homecoming
down at Old Friends and a little bit of a
(16:04):
dispute going on out in the fields of Old Friends
between some former Derby champions and I had to go
down there and get to the bottom of it with
President and CEO of Old Friends, John Nicholson. So we're
going to run that audio right here and see what
was going on Derby Day at Old Friends. On my
way to Churchill Downs from Lexington, Kentucky, I had to
(16:27):
stop outside of Georgetown to check in on some Old Friends.
Big Brown, the two thousand and eight Kentucky Derby and
Preaknas winner. I'll have another, the twenty twelve Kentucky Derby
and Preaknas winner, and the elder statesman of the group,
Silver Charm, the nineteen ninety seven Kentucky Derby and also
Preakness winner. John Nicholson, President and CEO of Old Friends,
(16:48):
has been sent out to diffuse the dispute between Big Brown,
Silver Charm and now I'll have another, John, What exactly
are these Kentucky Derby winners at odds about today?
Speaker 6 (16:58):
Well, we're having some unpleasantness fall between these horses, a
dispute All week long. You know, we've had people from
around the world here at Old Friends giving adoration to
these horses and talking and debating and speaking about who
was the best and who do they remember, so forth
and so on. Well, today, when everybody's heading to Louisville,
(17:22):
the horses have a chance to kind of catch their
breath and talk among themselves.
Speaker 7 (17:26):
Yeah, we've got a problem to resolve here between these horses.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
You've really got a tough job to settle this, especially
with the rivalry between Silver Charm that developed with Touch
Gold who I see across the way.
Speaker 7 (17:37):
Well, that's the interesting thing. I think about this, think
about this bow.
Speaker 6 (17:42):
In nineteen ninety seven there was an epic battle between
Silver Charm and Touch Gold through the Triple Crown series.
And imagine all these years later, both at the age
of thirty one. They are not only in the same county,
in the same state, on the same farm, on paddocks
(18:02):
next to each other here and old friends.
Speaker 7 (18:05):
Now Touch Gold.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
Has watched for a number of years now as Silver
Charm has received all this acclaim and these visitors every day,
and Touch Gold gets his visitors too.
Speaker 7 (18:16):
But he's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
Speaker 6 (18:19):
Because you know, he did not run in the Derby
in nineteen ninety seven.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
I mean that was a trainer's decision.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
And when it came for the Preakness, he stumbled out
of the starting gate and still almost won the Preakness,
And then he did win the Belmont and caught Silver
Charm on the outside. Some say Silver Charm certainly says
that he didn't see him coming. If he saw him coming,
he would have won the Triple Crown that year. Touch
Gold says, if he had run in the Derby, had
(18:49):
not stumbled out of the gate in the Preakness, he
would have won the Triple Crown that year.
Speaker 7 (18:54):
So there's just a lot going on here today.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Old Friends has really become a worldwide premiere destiny nation
for horse racing fans and supporters of the aftercare of
these champions. But Old Friends provides so much more.
Speaker 8 (19:07):
Well.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
It's a great tribute to Michael Blowing who had this
vision a generation ago that people would love to see,
to visit, to celebrate these great retired champions and thirdbred racehorses.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
Who were maybe lesser champions. And he had that vision.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
I don't think he or I or anybody had any
idea it would become the worldwide attraction that it's become.
But bo aftercare of Thoroughbred race horses is now a
stalwart pillar of our industry and it's a wonderful expectation
now that if you're involved in this industry and you
(19:47):
own a Thurdbred racehorse, that you have a responsibility for
that horse from foling to forever.
Speaker 7 (19:54):
And that's a really positive story that's going on in
the horse industry right now.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
That's a really nice way to put it. From folding
to forever.
Speaker 7 (20:03):
I think so, because that's exactly what it is.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
John's been a busy weekend for Old Friends. Last night
here Derby Eve Party, blue Jeans, boots and bulls, and
tomorrow the Old Friends the twentieth anniversary homecoming party and
the red carpet list is amazing with big brown silver
charm and I'll have another but for you and founder
Michael Blowing. It takes a great team of volunteers and
staff not only to pull off a weekend like this,
but every day at Old Friends.
Speaker 6 (20:26):
It certainly does bo and it is a special family
of people and that phrase it takes a village. But
in the case of Old Friends, Michael provided the vision
and the energy. But over the decades, it has been
a numerous, countless number of people who have been involved
(20:47):
who have built this facility to what it is. And
we have an army of volunteers that are really the
spokespeople for the cause of Aftercare and certainly the cause
of Old Friends, and the ones who lead the celebration
for the lives of these great race horses. And so
we're blessed to have a remarkable group.
Speaker 7 (21:08):
Of people that made display special.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Before I get back on the road to Churchhill Downs.
Have we been able to settle anything between Big Brown,
Silver Charm and I'll have Another.
Speaker 7 (21:18):
I don't think so.
Speaker 6 (21:19):
I think there's going to be maybe some further unpleasantness
for the rest of the day. I'm trying to speak
to all of them, but they're each pretty pretty dog.
IM sure that they're the best that ever was. I
came out here looking for some Derby tips. We brought
some carrots down here. Who else would know better than
these three Derby winners? But real quick, your memories about
these three in the Kentucky Derby. The interesting thing about
(21:41):
all three of these horses and every Derby winner who
has ever lived at Old Friends has also been a
Preakness winner. And that's really uncanny. What are the chances
of that? Over the years we had Charismatic and War
Emblem and now here residing on the farm with Silver Charm,
I'll have Another and Big Brown. All three had the
(22:01):
eyes of the world on them going into that Belmont
to get a triple crown winner.
Speaker 7 (22:06):
I think that's an uncanny coincidence.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
John, have a great weekend, Thank you so much for
spending some time with me, and a happy Kentucky Derby Day.
To silver Charm. I'll have another and big brown Happy
Derby Day to you too. John Nicholson, President and CEO
of Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky. I'm Bo Robinson
celebrating Kentucky Derby one p. Fifty one for News Radio
eight forty whas Anthony.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Maybe one day you and I let's find us a
spot where we can go and retire. So what do
you think, Anthony.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
I'm too old, Larry Vault, I'm forty eight now. I
can't take risks like both.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Wait minute, you and I are after turning forty eight? Men,
you and I are.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Can't my silful aligned anymore?
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Well you'll be okay, forty eight, You've got a few
years left in you.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
I think we've got to get Anthony White to the
Kentucky Derby for twenty twenty six. You are listening to
the best of Sunday Morning Sports Talk to in the
year twenty two twenty five. Stay with us as we
look back at fifty years of Memorial Coliseum Sunday Morning
Sports Talk six thirty WLAP.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
This is the home of the Wildcats, six thirty WLAP.
Welcome back, Stockyards Bank, Sunday Morning Sports Talk I am
Anthony White, along with Larry var and boul Robinson. We
are now I'm proud to be joined. But Kevin Cook,
author of Memorial Coliseum seventy five years, Monument, Stage and Arena,
(23:31):
also other books House of Champions. Good morning, mister Cook.
How's it going well?
Speaker 8 (23:37):
Good morning? Thank you so much for having me. It's
it's an honor.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
No, well, we appreciate you for joining us. Let's get
get down to the business. What was the inspiration in
a Memorial College sam seventy five years as a monument,
stage and arena.
Speaker 8 (23:51):
Well, a part of it is timing and history. I
did a previous book you mentioned, House of Champions that
was a general history more of nuts and bowl of
UK's basketball arenas. But you know, just had a few
black and white pictures and I thought it may it'd
be nice if people could see kind of what we're
talking about here and bigger, you know, colored pictures when possible.
(24:14):
So it was coming up on the seventy fifth anniversary
of the coliseum and also UK was doing their major renovation,
so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to lay out,
you know, memories for the old timers, for the new timers,
you let them know about the history of the arena
that it is. You know, first and foremost, originally a
(24:35):
World War two memorial to the state's war did of
World War Two about ten thousand people who died from
the State, so that was the kind of foundation of it.
But also just wanted with the renovation upcoming or it's
already passed, the document what the coliseum looked like before
the renovation, because once it's changed, you can't remember or
(24:56):
you never knew. And then also document just the amazing
renovation that the university did.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
And August eleventh is the launch date. Monday, August eleventh
is the launch date. Is that the seventy fifth Is
that the particular date or that's just a date that
you selected in general, Well, it's.
Speaker 8 (25:16):
Close to it. The seventy fifth anniversary exact date was
Memorial Day this year and UK did have a sort
of rededication service program for that. August eleventh is a
date where the UK Alumni Association is hosting a release
of the book and that will be in the coliseum.
(25:38):
So there's about fifteen and counting former players, a couple
of former broadcasters such as Ralph Hacker, and Tom Hammond.
They'll be signing the book. The book. The proceeds from
the evening are going to scholarships from the UK Alumni
Association and folks. They do ask if folks registered for
(25:58):
that online, Happy to give you the UH the web
address for that.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Yeah, you could share that. We'll also share it on UH.
We'll also share it on our web page. Is that
the UK Alumni dot net Ford Slash Memorial book?
Speaker 8 (26:17):
That is correct? I appreciate that. And after that date
the book will be available generally on Amazon local bookstores,
UH and through Acclaim Press their website there they're the publisher.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
And UH, I know it's been published or it's been
in the media a little bit. But can you talk
about some of the people that you said there are
going to be a present I know you named Hacker
and some of the other people that would be present,
but uh in the list of seems to be growing.
But as now, who are some notable people that you
plan to participate?
Speaker 8 (26:48):
Well, the ones that that that knew that kind of
knew they could be there, they allowed us to use
their names. There's a couple more that would like to
be there, likely will be there. They're just not ready
to share, so they could be a handful of edition
to this, but I'll kind of start the list I have.
I think he's an outholical order. Jim Andrews, Dicky Beale,
(27:10):
Doug Flynn, Mike Flynn, Jack Goose Gibbons. They mentioned Ralph Hacker,
Tom Hammond, Coach, Dick Parsons, Jared Cricket, Chip Rup, Jay Scheidler,
Larry Stamper, Kenny Skywalker, and Sean Woods.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
That is a very across the ears and that a
very good group. Are you familiar with the Blues Brothers.
Speaker 8 (27:37):
Yes, I am, uh and uh. I hear they they
might make an appearance. They are welcome to do so
that would be I would be honored if that was
the case.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Thank Kevin bo Robinson as the Blues Brothers booking agent.
I am heavily working on them making an appearance at
this event. I'm such a fan of your books and
what you've been able to accomplish with the research and
the history. But what I find really fascinating about these buildings,
these structures is the military background and the meaningful purpose
(28:10):
in connection with the military. Talk about that for us.
Speaker 8 (28:13):
Well, you know UK, you know, starting alumni gym down
down the road which is now Fitness Center on Avenue
Champions And almost from the beginning of the nineteen twenties
uk knew they needed a bigger arena. So for you know,
a couple of decades, I had different plans. It's never
had the money. With the World War Two, there's kind
of a convergence UK went. He was able to go
(28:37):
to the state legislature and together as a really a
state project make it not only an arena for sports,
for an auditorium for art events, but to also make
it the whole building as a memorial to the originally
World War Two, and then they added Korean War, Vietnam,
(28:59):
War War up into our century of folks that have
our Kentucky citizens that have passed away in the service
of their country. So the way they originally memorialized that,
they had a memorial Day in nineteen fifty they dedicated
Memorial Coliseum. They had a full house. Families of the
(29:20):
ten they advited families of the about ten thousand soldiers,
sailors and marines of Kentucky who had died. They came.
They had a special service to dedicate the arena to
that to remember it. They had a one of the
UK engineering professors, doctor Harai hand lettered all ten thousand
(29:45):
names county by county and they originally until very recently
were in the concourses and people could see them as
they walked up to the seating. But over the years
those that faded they were getting water and moisture damage.
UK removed those they are in the archives, but they
replaced them out front with these pillars that they have,
these names now etched in stone on the front. Another
(30:08):
way that they memorialized the building was they took bronze
stars for everybody who was associated with the university students,
faculty staff. If they had passed away to World War Two,
they had a bronze star with their name on it
put on the concourses. With the recent renovations, those bronze
(30:31):
stars have now been relocated into the main front lobby
hype on the wall, so those are still there. And
there's a poem called for the Fallen which is etched
in stone in the entrance to the lobby. So the
number of ways that that building personifies itself as a
(30:53):
monument to those who sacrifice for the country.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
And without ruining the release day. What are some of
the I've you know, we were giving a little preview
of what are some of the things that the readers
and the fans can look forward to that are out
of kind of the ordinary because it does a monument
stage and arenas.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
That is that is going to officiate. You mentioned that
I can promise folks that they'll be, you know, new things,
because I found a bunch of new things. I it
is an illustrated history, so I was looking for interesting
pictures that illustrated the history, but also sort of off
offbeat things about the coliseum, and those are taken from
(31:39):
UK archives, UK yearbooks, game programs, things like that. But
you mentioned the stage. You know, from the beginning there
was a community arts program for the community come to
and very cheaply come and see things like everything from
Bob Hope to orchestra to famous singers orators. They also
(32:04):
had memorial services, such as for John F. Kennedy after
he was assassinated. You talk about presidents that have come
and spoken. Lynnon Banks Johnson was the main speaker in
the coliseum of the nineteen sixty five centennial of the university.
(32:25):
You talk about the arena. Of course, a lot of
that originally was men's basketball when they left for up
Arena in the mid seventies, the women's basketball team was
just starting they now have. It's still used just about
every day of the week by stunt teams, by volleyball,
by gymnastics, so it's still as an arena. It is
(32:47):
still a vibrant, fantastic showplace for UK women's sports.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
I do want to ask Larry Vaught, are we going
to see any pictures of you in the nineteen seventies
over more on the stage portion, because I have heard
that you you know, you you'll know only get wild
back then.
Speaker 9 (33:08):
Well, it nearly fell off the balcony one time watching
a UK women's basketball game at the end where at
or the upper deck there where it had it where
you could sit, and I had a little got a
little zuberant one night and did that and had a
little fun of the slide in the family Stone concerts
there at once. But no, I don't think there's any
pictures of me in there or anything like that, so
(33:29):
I don't. I don't think you have to worry about that,
but I did wonder. Kevin, you talked about the how
to choose for the for the women's athletes. Now, is
there mention in the book about the accomplishments of the
I didn't get a chance to read it all about
what the women have done. Is it's just bainally just
sticking just strictly with the history kind of from the
men's basketball perspective.
Speaker 8 (33:50):
Well, I would say, you know, probably the bulk of
the the sports end is the men's basketball, but there
is a whole thing. I mentioned some of the highlights
of famous athletes in women's basketball, like Valerie Still in
the gymnastics volleyball, so all those are documented with photos,
as well as the swim team, which used to have
(34:13):
a swimming pool. That part of the building is in
a wing. It's still there, but I mean the pool
is not there, that was filled in. That's now a
tutoring classroom for the athletes. So all those things pictorially
are are in there, every aspect of the sports.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
And Kevin kind of a culmination to where we are now.
Is it possible that there's gonna be some Kenny Brooks
sightings in there or is that was it? It? Wass
they've been in completion before he actually come here.
Speaker 8 (34:49):
That was kind of happening. I was finishing it up.
The books take a long time. Unfortunately, you get them,
you submit them, and then they have to be looked
over corrected. So he is not in the book, although
I'd love to do revise editions and add more to
that because that the history keeps going on and he's
done an amazing job.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
Hey, Kevin, your previous book House of Champions, the story
of Kentucky Basketball's home courts, when that came out a
few years ago, let's kind of go back in your
preparation and your research. How easy was it for you
to roll from that and transition into this book about
Memorial Colisene because you have done the lord's work and
(35:32):
your research and your dedication to this project. How easy
was that for you just to kind of pick up
where you left off with your previous book.
Speaker 8 (35:39):
Well, I see this book overall, I had more fun
because it is I can promise you it doesn't have
any footnotes. The previous book the way that it was done,
and it was a good thing they had had footnotes.
This one does not. So I think that's an easy
to read funny for me, it's easy print to read
(35:59):
for if you're if you're you know, an older reader
and books are kind of hard. I think that that
the whole experience would be good. I wanted the pictures
to be as big as possible, and so that part
was fun. It was fun to pick out pictures and
then find the stories behind them, and yet I want
to double check. So everything has mistakes, but I would
(36:22):
say hopefully that we've reduced those and what you've see
in there, you can you can count on it. But
it's it's just a joy to me to look at.
I mean, I'm just a big Blue Nation fan, like
you know, a million other people, and it's been enjoying
me to kind of have access and the opportunity, uh
to do this. So hopefully that comes out and hopefully
i'm you know, I can share some things that really
(36:44):
interested me that will interest other other people as well.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Well.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
How much fun did you have reaching out to former players,
former UK personalities notables reaching out asking them to submit
their memories of memorial colisseum and then as you're going
going through and you're reading these stories, how much fun
was that? That's going to be just a great process
to go through.
Speaker 8 (37:06):
Well, to me, I would love to do a whole
book on just people's memories because they're all different and
you see things from different eyes. And that was one
thing I really I wanted to do was include a
chapter and thank you for mentioning that where I could
ask not just players, but people I ran into that
were just fans, maybe not even associated with university. That
(37:29):
was even better. And you got memories from you know,
the very beginning all the way up to you know,
present day, and it wasn't always necessarily sports. It was
a concert they went to, or someone I know talking
about big blue madness such as as BO did. So
there's a you know, it made me laugh, It really
(37:51):
made me appreciate, you know that what I knew and
saw and felt was just a small piece of the puzzle.
I knew, you know, looking at all UK fandom you
would get these things. So I'm very honored to be
able to to share those.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
Can you put total hours on both books? Of how
much research you put into them?
Speaker 8 (38:10):
A lot more than I thought I would both of them.
You know, I've probably thought a year and they turned
out to be like, well over two years. I have
a day job, so I didn't sit here and do
it all. And if the Internet did not exist, they
wouldn't I would not have been able to research them
because better thing I did was online. I went to
the UK Archives in person a couple of times. Otherwise
(38:32):
it's just hard to do unless she can you have
you know, you kind of retired or self employed, so
anyway that I would say, my wife is probably glad
because a lot of weekends were taken up by this
and evenings.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Well, the stage aspect of this book has me curious
because all these concerts was before my time. And Anthony knows,
Larry knows that I'm such a fan of the music
from the fifties, sixties and seventies, and we had talked
about slash Stone if you will ago when he passed away.
But here's the one question I have to know about
concerts and Memorial Coliseum. Larry touched on this a couple
(39:06):
of years ago. For me, was it true that zz
Top locked the doors at Memorial Coliseum and played all night?
If I do not know the answer to that, I've
always heard that rumor.
Speaker 8 (39:21):
I can see that as definitely possible. I can believe
that if you told me that.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
Well, I cannot wait to read this book. Congratulations on it, man,
It's gonna be a fun release.
Speaker 8 (39:35):
Well, I appreciate I hadn't had a ball doing it,
and I'm just happy to talk about it. I really
appreciate you'all having.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Me on and Kevin to close out. Uh. To register,
you go to www dot UK alumni dot net Ford
slash memorial book. There's ten dollars to ten bucks to
come to the event, and the book itself will be
forty And what type of payments? Who are they accepted?
Speaker 8 (40:06):
Well, the UK alumni representatives will be at that event,
so they'll be taking that. I know they have a
little you know, the credit card scanner. I think that's
probably the way that they like to do that. The
price of the book is the retail price. It's not
an upsell or anything like that for that night. And
uh again, all all the proceeds are going to student scholarships,
(40:30):
So it's kind of really is a you know, you
look at as a fundraiser good cause, and then I
don't think you'd you know, typically see that many players
and broadcasters, you know, one place across the eras well.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Kevin, thank you for joining us this morning.
Speaker 8 (40:45):
Look, thank you so much, y'all. Take care.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
We will be back after this. You're listening to Stockyards, Bank,
Sunday morning sports talk on news radio six thirty w
LAP
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