Experience the Kentucky Derby
Ah, the Kentucky Derby!
Although history suggests the weather can be anything from icy cold and rainy to stunningly hot, Derby traditions remain the same.
If you are going to the Track (i.e. Churchill Downs) for the Kentucky Derby proper attire depends on your location there. If your tickets admit you to anywhere near the stands, boxes or, of course, Millionaires Row, you should be dressed to the nines. For women, that is a spring dress, high heels, and a fanciful hat. For men, it is a dressy suit, bright spring tie, and possibly a pocket square and/or cufflinks.
For the Infield crowd at the Kentucky Derby, comfort rules – jeans, shorts, t-shirts, halter tops. Sometimes it’s also swimsuits and no shirt – and not just among the young men beer-diving on the grass.
Those on the Grandstand side of the track focus intently on their Daily Racing Forms, the Mint Julep vendors and their stack of wagers. Those in the infield focus on people watching, with a rare glimpse of a horse.
People-watching is in fact, the second sport of the day at the track. One usually can find a bride and groom wandering about the paddock area, as well as a few people who wear variations of Churchill Downs’ iconic Twin Spires on their heads.
Then there are the fashions in dresses, shoes and hats. On a sunny Derby Day, Churchill Downs is awash with the bright colors of spring that energize everyone and fuel optimism at the betting windows.
On a rainy Derby Day, the track can be a sea garbage bags worn by those trying to protect that colorful finery.
Every Derby Day ultimately boils down to a giddiness that surrounds the Race itself – from the throngs eagerly eyeing the horses in the paddocks to the teary-eyed singing of My Old Kentucky Home.
Then, as soon as the last horse is loaded in the gate – They’re Off! And in two minutes, months of anticipation, festivities and fashion resolve into a specific Derby winning horse – and hopes that this horse will, finally, be a Triple Crown winner.
To learn more about seeing the Kentucky Derby in person, visit Louisville Real Estate.
