Marty Pearl

May 6, 2024 | wave3.com | Marty Pearl

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - It's been 20 years now since I first started covering the Kentucky Derby as a journalist, and back then the Infield was a very different place. It was still largely defined by random raunchiness and occasional acts of violence. In fact, two of the things commonly on display were women flashing the crowd Mardi Gras-style, and drunken delinquents picking fights with one another.

May 6, 2024 | wave3.com | Marty Pearl

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Famous Louisvillian and Gonzo Journalist Hunter S. Thompson wrote about the Kentucky Derby saying, "The only thing more important than the race itself is the sport of people watching" and there's plenty of that to be found in the Infield here at Churchill Downs. That "sport" of people watching is typically influenced by the weather and the layout of the Infield itself.