May 5 - The Kentucky Derby

We have cruising friends that own a horse farm (we call them ranches in Texas) in upstate New York...what a great place to be to enjoy the Kentucky Derby. We spent a wonderful day with them enjoying the races at Saratoga Springs last summer. Maybe one day we'll be watching one of their fouls run.

The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May and has been run every consecutive year since 1875. The Kentucky Derby is a top rank, Grade I stakes race for 3 year old Thoroughbred horses. The race distance is 1 ¼ miles long and it's run on the dirt racetrack at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. 

In addition to the race itself, a number of traditions play a large role in the Derby atmosphere. The mint julep, an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint and a sugar syrup, is the traditional beverage of the race and burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables, is a popular Kentucky dish served at the Derby. The Derby is frequently referred to as "The Run for the Roses," because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year. The tradition started in 1883 when New York socialite E. Berry Wall presented roses to ladies at a post-Derby party that was attended by Churchill Downs founder and president, Col. M. Lewis Clark.  

The infield, a spectator area inside the track, offers general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race. Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party. By contrast, "Millionaire's Row" refers to the expensive box seats that attract the rich, the famous and the well-connected. Women appear in fine outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats. The extravagant hats that have become associated with the Kentucky Derby did not really come around until the 1960s. Every year the hats become larger, brighter, and more extravagant. The tradition of the playing of "My Old Kentucky Home" as the horses are paraded before the grandstands began in 1921. 

Waiting for the race to begin

This years derby was run in the rain...the track was a mess