A race fan from Iowa, and hundreds of others, crowded onto the stair railings on the fifth and sixth levels of the Jockey Club Suites to watch Mine That Bird pull off the big upset in the 135th Kentucky Derby. Photos by Rich Copley | LexGo.

It’s safe to say thousands of people in Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby never actually see the race. The goal is not to be one of those people.

The view from the staircase at the Jockey Club Suites.

If you do not actually have a box with a full view of the track, some of the suites with their expansive porches offer the best views, or at least a pretty darned spectacular view. I found my perch on the Jockey Club Suites, taking an elevator to the fourth level and then taking the stairs up to the fifth. There were still some spots on the rail, though frankly, the one I got gave me a better view of the Twin Spires — literally — than the track.

Then I looked behind me.

There was a stair case on which people were starting to line up. There was also a cop on the rail, who didn’t seem to mind — the last thing you want is to choose a spot and have the police shoo you away two minutes from race time. So, I went up and took a place. You could glimpse the finish line and a full perspective on the first and second turns and the backstretch.

It was a nice perch to watch Mine That Bird race to a historic finish.

‘Twas a very cool Derby, and fun day. Just, next year, let’s hope for a sun as bright and yellow as the hat the woman next to me was wearing. Everytime I turned around, I thought the clouds had broken. Also, could my longshot come through? It’s been a while.