An Arkansas coach is going to Kentucky.
The Kentucky Derby, that is.
Speaking on the “Paul Finebaum Show” on Thursday, Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman said he and his wife Jamie will attend the 150th Run for the Roses in Louisville on Saturday as the guests of brothers Dan and Scott Hamby. The Hambys co-own the horse Mystik Dan that will run from the third post at Churchill Downs.
The Hambys are from Hot Springs, where Pittman owns a lake home.
As of Thursday, Mystik Dan had 27-to-1 odds to win the race. The horse finished third at the Arkansas Derby on March 30 at Oaklawn Park.
“We’re going to have us a hell of a time and go to the Kentucky Derby,” Pittman said. “I’m so excited about that.”
Pittman said this will be the second time he has attended the Kentucky Derby. He went in 2012 when he was an assistant coach at Tennessee.
“We went up there but my seats were right by the outdoor porta-potties,” Pittman said. “This year the seats are going to be a little bit better, I think.
“They’re going to say, ‘Do you own one of the horses?’ That’s how good I’m going to look, Paul. I’m going to have a linen suit on and going to try to look as good as old 62 me can look….Just a lot of fun and we’re certainly there to celebrate with the Hambys for all their horse has done.”
Watching the Kentucky Derby has been an annual tradition for Pittman, who hosted a watch party for 24 years until he became the coach of the Razorbacks. He said those parties stopped due to the covid pandemic, then responsibilities recruiting the spring transfer portal.
“I do miss the parties,” Pittman said. “All our friends would come in Thursday night and stay Thursday, Friday, Saturday. It was a lot of fun.”
Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 5:57 p.m. Central on Saturday. It will be televised by NBC.