The First Saturday in May

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We love the Kentucky Derby. In years past, we always had a big Derby party at our home. We did all the Derby activities, including champagne, mint juleps, betting, and the highlight, a hat contest. Having been to the Derby, the excitement of race day, and the "most exciting two minutes" in sports has become a tradition with us.

Though our current home is too small for a party, we still regard the first Saturday in May as a special day. What makes it special?

Some Derby history from Sportsletter: Before airplanes and space travel, radio and television, the Great Depression, and two world wars, there lived a horse race in Louisville that's stood the test of time. Baseball may be the Derby's only elder sport in America’s young history, but I would argue the Derby tradition is an even deeper relic of the past. The first race was run in 1875, 30-plus years after Abner Doubleday created baseball, just six years after the first recorded game of Ivy Leaguers tackling each other, and more than a decade before James Naismith first hung a peach basket on a pole. The sport of horse racing itself? Timeless. One only needs to dig into Europe's history to see Roman chariots and coliseums dating back hundreds (and thousands) of years.


Sports history is full of trial and error. Leagues have come and gone and shifts in governance will never stop, but there’s something simple and timeless about the fastest two minutes in sports. The charm of southern-midwest vibes are laced throughout Churchill Downs' historic experience. Mint juleps, made with Kentucky Bourbon, originated in the 1700s. The wide-brimmed hats transport fans back to an era (both good and bad) of classical elegance. An era when betting on horses was not only commonplace but the main (and only?) draw in sports. A century-and-a-half later, the Derby's attraction is only growing.


Diehard Derby lovers probably know the history, but general sports fans may not. The Kentucky Derby was first created by Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the founder of the Louisville Jockey Club. He constructed the track on land leased from a pair of relatives, the Churchills. The first race was run on May 17, 1875. A jockey by the name of Oliver Lewis rode H.P. McGrath’s thoroughbred Aristides to victory in front of approximately 10,000 fans. The modern-day event now draws around 170,000 in-person spectators on top of an average 15 million television viewers. In the 150 years since 1875, it’s only been postponed twice (never canceled). The first for World War II (1945) and again due to COVID-19 (2020).



After the Call to Post is the playing of the state song, “My Old Kentucky Home.” The tradition dates back to the 1920s and the University of Louisville marching band has been part of the performance almost every year. The song was written in the 1850s by Stephen Foster and features depictions of slavery in the pre-Civil War South. The song’s exact meanings and intentions have been subject to varying interpretations over the last 170 years, and, more recently, there have been renewed calls to re-examine the song’s place – on Derby Day and in American society at large. (I always wondered about that!)


One of the big reasons for the Derby’s transcendence through time is the excitement of a two-minute bet. The Kentucky Derby is the fourth-most bet-on sporting event in the world despite lasting just 120 seconds. The three atop the list won’t surprise you, but the Derby still garners more wagers than the World Series, all golf and tennis majors, the NBA and NHL playoffs, and even college football.

The Most Bet-On Sporting Events

1. FIFA World Cup

2. Super Bowl

3. March Madness

4. Kentucky Derby





Here are some facts along with my thoughts:




Louisville is great fun during the Derby, with layers of excitement that cannot be replicated!

The track itself, at Churchill Downs, is used for the 1.25 mile race of three year old horses.

For ease of record keeping, all horses born in any given year are assigned birthdays of January 1.

Horses starting from Post 5 have won the Derby more than any other position.

The hottest temperature for a Derby was 94 in 1959. The average high temperature is 74 on Derby day.

Only twelve derby winning horses have sired a future winner.

Only thirteen horses have won the Triple Crown (the Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont). Kentucky has produced 113 Derby winning horses!

Over 400 roses are sewn into the garland awarded to the winner, with each rose having its own water vial hidden in the lining!

Over 120,000 mint juleps are served at Churchill Downs on a typical Derby weekend. The official beverage of the Kentucky Derby is a mint julep. For that many drinks, you need 1,000 pounds of fresh mint, 60,000 pounds of ice and 10,000 bottles of bourbon whiskey.

The total race card for May 4 is fourteen races. The total purse for the 2024 Derby is $5 million, with $3.1 million to the winner.

We went in 2008 when Big Brown won. And we had the winning ticket, though he was the favorite.

Many years, when we lived in the Bay Area, we always had a Derby party. It featured Italian sausage and portobello sandwiches, mint juleps, champagne, and lots of Blue grass appetizers. We had a big betting board, and the highlight was always the hat contest, with prizes!

A note of concern: I am not a big fan of horse racing. It seems there are too many injuries and subsequent euthanasia.

Anyway, I consider it among the greatest sporting events I have attended, along with Wimbledon, the Indy 500, and the Olympics.

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