Kentucky Derby 1984: A Gonzo Flashback (click to buy and more info)

Louisville signing Friday April 24, 2026 from 3:30-5:30p, FEAST BBQ, 909 E. Market Street, Louisville, KY

Collector’s Limited Edition 13”x11” signed book with signed 8x10 print, available at Arcana Books - 8675 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, call to reserve a copy (310)458-1499

After an encounter with Hunter S. Thompson, Karzen was inspired to apply a gonzo photographic point-of-view—placing himself inside the experience rather than observing it from a safe distance. The result is a deeply personal, immersive photo essay that captures the Derby as lived by locals, backside workers, gamblers, dreamers and insiders. The photographs deliver unexpected perspectives served with a cocktail with a twist of grit, echoing the spirit of Thompson and Steadman’s The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved — with its own distinct voice.

The book presents 122 pages of Kodachrome photographs, organized into four sections — Pre-race, Backside, Derby Day, and Post-race — paired with candid anecdotes from people whose lives intersected with Churchill Downs and the Derby culture.

Anecdotes — The book features firsthand stories and reflections from: Tom Amoss, Charlsie Cantey, Kathy Cary, Bill Doolittle, Ed Garber, Ben Isaacs, Dave Johnson, Laffit Pincay Jr., Jamie Saults, and Lee Wagner.