(Jeff Ruby, red pants, at this year’s Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park / Photo by Coady Media)

Let’s be really honest here, OK. Take a look at my photo and you can tell I enjoy a real good meal. And, to be very frank, outside of my mom, who is still the best cook I have ever known at the age of 94 these days, I like most of my taste buds treated at some of the best restaurants around the land.

I like Jeff Ruby’s, both in Cincinnati and Louisville.

I love Jack Fry’s. Just ate there the other night, and, my beautiful wife, normally, takes me there on my birthday every year.

I love the food that our Chef at the Louisville Thoroughbred Society cooks up. Sometimes, I ask her for something “special.” She always delivers. Always.

I have come to really enjoy Stephano’s Trattoria in my adopted, new home of Murray, KY. Ok, I live in New Concord most of the time now, but there are no eating establishments either in New or Old Concord.

And, I love the Hi Burger, and, of course, the traditional, walk-up service at the Dairy Queen in Murray, too.

Just easier to write that I love restaurants. And, the vast majority of the time, I love the food their respective team of cooks, Chefs, and attendants serve up, as well.

They make my life easier and a lot more enjoyable. And, I often compliment them all with my many thanks and my gracious tips. I don’t need that little calculator at the end of the receipt. I normally exceed the suggestions.

But let’s be clear here, too. No choking on a piece of tough steak.

The Louisville restaurant community and those that have risen up to dish out an unhealthy serving of bitch pie over the fact that Churchill Downs will move the 2026 Kentucky Oaks to a new time slot after 8 p.m. ET so that it can be televised on national television in Prime Time?

You are not right.

More than that, you have no right to whine, even if you would like a little cheese with it.

You can, literally, put a fork in it.

And, you can shove it and your little temper tantrums right where your food exits the body, and not where it enters it. If you know what I mean.

First of all, Churchill Downs has an opportunity to do something that no other racetrack in the free world has ever done before. It has a chance to showcase one of its’ marquee events on national television in prime time.

It wasn’t that long ago that PETA and others were knocking on the door of every racetrack in the world, trying to kill off live horse racing like they do most of the pets that are not adopted in their own animal shelters.

Now, the Kentucky Oaks — the world’s best race for 3-year-old fillies — is going to be showcased in a time slot that will penetrate new markets; expose the greatest sport ever to a potential new audience of fans; and help promote the grandeur and majesty of the Thoroughbred in full flight in front of 100,000+ people cheering, celebrating, and partying.

Name me one sport in the entire world that would not move its’ “game time” to achieve that kind of promotion? Just one. The vast majority of sporting events can’t even get on national TV, much less prime time.

This is how you build an image. This is how you sell a sport. This is how you showcase your best foot forward. This is amazing opportunity. Amazing. So amazing, in fact, it has never been done before in horse racing.

Yet, according to you, Churchill Downs should have turned down this offer so that Jeff and Jack can serve up a piping hot $25 baked potato or quadruple of price of a bottle of wine that you can purchase at the liquor store? All because you may have to work a tad harder at selling your 4-tops to a group of people that can’t get a reservation any way?

That argument tastes like crap.

Secondly, how many of the Louisville-area restaurants and hotels — who unquestionably enjoy price-gouging both our visitors and our locals every Kentucky Derby season — has ever written a note of thanks to Churchill Downs. Just a little scribble of gratitude for making this week the biggest and best — and most profitable — of the entire year for your individual and collective bottom lines?

Churchill Downs has single-handedly made the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks two of the biggest tourist events and economic engines for the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky.

For years now, Churchill Downs has managed to recruit and accommodate over 100,000 people on Friday — the day of the Kentucky Oaks.

For years now, Churchill Downs has magically and magnificently turned its’ grounds into an electric Disney World for horse lovers and party-goers on Saturday — the day of the Kentucky Derby. Now, normally, over 150,000 people attend this festive day.

Obviously, these crowds have spilled over into the community — which has taken full advantage of a captured audience. The economic impact has filled a lot of coffers, including your wallets, too.

And, what has the restaurant community done to help drive that engine? You haven’t even bought a tank of gas, although some of you leave us with some. If you know what I mean.

If that isn’t enough, mind you, Churchill Downs has single-handedly stretched this festival into a two-week event. There’s “Thunder Over Louisville.” There’s the food-truck party on the riverfront. There’s parades. There’s parties. There’s the “Run for the Rose.” There’s an event nearly every day. And, now, we have massive crowds showing up for the races on Tuesday, and “Wins-Day,” and “Thurby,” too.

All the while, Churchill Downs has built a state-of-the-art — and the key word here is “art” — new paddock that sparkles when the sun does shine bright; has built a new pavilion to accommodate fans that like to reside in the first turn; has spent over a billion dollars on renovations and improvements to the real facility located in Louisville alone.

It is a place where people love to go. And, it is a place that attracts the people you want to pilfer. For free. Churchill Downs has built this palace of racing. Not you. You are simply the beneficiaries.

Be grateful. Not hateful.

Your bitching about moving the post time of the Kentucky Oaks — for, perhaps, just one year — tastes like crap.

Third, what do the restaurants do in the cities that host the biggest and best College Football Bowls. Lot of those games are at prime time, are they not? What do the restaurants in the cities that host the Super Bowl do for dinner time? What do the restaurants in the cities that have the NCAA Final Four do? Are the vast majority of major league baseball games held at night these days?

Hey Jeff Ruby, don’t the Reds start the most of their home games at 7:10 p.m. ET? They have every night this week when they play the Dodgers — the best team on the schedule this year.

Do you think they bitch and whine?

Or do you figure out a way to accommodate and attract? Maybe you can put some portable TVs throughout the restaurant for people to watch the Oaks in 2026? Maybe you can have a brunch event, since the first post will be later in 2026? Maybe you can have a “After Oaks Party,” for 2026? Maybe you can entice some of the people in town — and there are over a million, by the way — who are not at the track that night? Maybe you can lower the price of that baked potato to $22.50.

The Precinct has been around for awhile, if I remember correctly. I think I used to go there when I covered the Reds, in fact. One of the players — namely Rob Murphy — picked up my tab, most of the time. I couldn’t afford it. If I haven’t told you lately, Rob, thank you. (That’s what people do when we gain benefit from another person’s generosity, Jeff.)

Fourth, Churchill Downs is a publicly-traded company. People far and wide own stock in Churchill Downs. Its’ leadership team has a fiduciary responsibility to do what is right for those stock owners. If they did not, they would be in violation and could be fined or fired.

If they did not take advantage of this opportunity, arguably, the entire decision-making team at the track would have been or could have been in violation of that oath and commitment.

After all, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to promote the Kentucky Oaks and Churchill Downs. It is not only the right thing to do; it is the only thing to do.

You know what these restaurant owner’s whines and complaints remind me of, and, truly, sickens me?

It is just like when children of a deceased parent goes to see how much Mom and Dad left them in the “Will,” and they determine they “were cheated” out of some inheritance that they thought they were due and owed.

Here’s a little steak tartare for you to chew on, Jeff and Jack:

You have done nothing to earn more money from Churchill Downs’ successes. That was and is, even to this day, all “Mom and Dad.” They can do with it whatever they want.

You don’t deserve a seat at the big table to discuss how or what Churchill Downs does or the decisions it makes about what is in the best interest of their business. That is all “Mom and Dad.” They can do whatever they want. And, if you want to take your restaurant and go home? There will be another one to gladly take your place.

Your little temper tantrums and public cries of injustice are just pathetic. Grab one of those white table cloths. You need it to cry on.

All the while, you will continue to make more money off Churchill Downs’ success; creativity; commitment to excellence and perseverance than your own.

Just remember that Churchill Downs is the Golden Goose, who lays all the eggs you can fry.

Try not to kill “The Goose.”