Laura Bell Bundy's Kentucky Derby Diary

The southern belle documents her Derby days

By Laura Bell Bundy May 07, 2014 11:24 PMTags
E! Placeholder Image

Singer and actress Laura Bell Bundy was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky and her recent single is called, "Kentucky Dirty." So of course we tapped Laura to document her Kentucky Derby experience. Who better? Keep reading for this southern belle's Derby diary!

The entire Derby weekend is like no other sporting event. The actual Derby race is the most exciting two minutes in sports in a state that hosts a majority of the nation's vices: bourbon, moonshine, tobacco, wacky tobacky (although they'll never admit it), gambling, fast horses and beautiful women…My Dad says "Beautiful horses and fast women!" I beg to differ.

The Derby is tradition at its finest, with pomp and circumstance in full regalia running a neck-and-neck race with drunkenness and debauchery. Most people don't know that those epic and elegant hats that show a southern belle's beauty in the morning, hide mischievous grins, running eye makeup and smeared lipstick by 6pm. Thank God for that hat!

So, do you want to be there? Yes, every year!

May 1, 2014, 11:45pm: Red-eye flight leaves LAX. En route to Louisville, KY.

May 2, Oaks Day, 10am: In Louisville, KY I get picked up at the airport and taken to The Galt House by deputy Will Chambers. I had a huge Starbucks green tea.  Nothing like going on no sleep!

12:15pm: Heading to the Oaks with Jon Seda and his wife. Wearing my Del Mar Hat Company pillbox hat, and Nanette Lepore jacket.

1:00pm: Arrive at the Sky Terrace at Churchill Downs. This was a day of placing mostly exacta box bets (meaning I pick two horses that I think will come in first and second and in any order). I kept getting one of the two horses all day but never picking both :( 

3:30pm: I bet on Little Journey, the gray #5 horse and lost...I find gray #5's to typically be lucky. Not today.

4:00pm: I met Carson Kressley, who happens to be quite the horse expert and owns 17 horses…and has Kentucky roots!

4:40pm: Golden Ticket, the 6 horse, wins. 

5:00pm: Head back to The Galt House to get ready for the Julep Ball. Carson gives me "Lori's Balls." Best balls I've ever had, that's for sure. Bourbon balls.

6:00pm: Arrive back at Galt House to be greeted by my boyfriend Thom, who had just flown in. We both get ready!

6:40pm: My dress wouldn't zip up. Thom had to do zipper surgery.  It was a full on ordeal. I think perhaps I had too many bourbon balls?

7:15pm: Headed to the Julep Ball driven by Sheriff David.

7:45pm: Red carpet.

8:30pm: Dinner.

9:30 pm: Change clothes for performance and hang with the Osborne Brothers!

10:00pm: Singing my songs "Kentucky Dirty" and "Bourbon & Boys Give Me The Blues"

11:30pm: Thom and I go to Sidebar for bourbon and fries and some chill time.

May 3, 6:00am: Derby Day! We get a text message from my cousin Natalie who lives in Louisville that Thom has made it on the morning news in a recap of all the parties. However, the ticker at the bottom is saying "What not to bring into the derby." Hilarious!

10:30am: Get up for real and get ready. I did some red carpet coverage for Extra, so had to get there a tad earlier...Where's my hat?

Noon-2pm: Red carpet! People were looking fierce. Most folks did not look like the hangover they claimed to have.

2:15pm: My new music video for my song, "That's What Angels Do" premiered on Vevo. Check it out!

2:30pm: Going strong with the mint juleps. Our table includes Carson, Kym Johnson from Dancing With the Stars, a Real Housewife, and Keith Robinson (from Dreamgirls)

3pm: And we keep going…

3:30pm: The Christian Louboutin shoes were traded for flip flops!

4:00pm: We are now getting Kentucky Dirty, y'all!!

5:00pm: Getting the expert Derby betting advice from JP Davis.

6:00pm: We go outside to take our place in the grandstand to watch the race. Jo Dee Messina sings the National Anthem.

6:30pm: The horses run for the roses! And my horse California Chrome wins!!

9:00pm: Bourbon Bar at the Galt House. My cousin Natalie and her boyfriend David meet us for burgers and booze!

And we keep going! Breakfast Sunday at Garage Bar.  

For more from @LauraBellBundy, follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

Latest News