(Podcast length 5 mins)
Giddy up! Everyone's favorite excuse to wear big hats, eat and bet on horses takes place this Saturday, May 7, and here's why it's one of our favorite events.
Transcript
BLINK, AND YOU'LL MISS IT
The Derby is the "most exciting two minutes in sports" because that's how long it takes for the horses to run the 1¼ mile track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. It's the first race of the famed Triple Crown. It's followed by the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. This year will be the first time since 2019 that there are no attendance restrictions at the Derby. SHORT AND SWEET
One person you won't see there in his signature blue-tinted glasses is six-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission stripped Baffert's horse in last year's Derby, Medina Spirit, of his Derby title in the wake of the horse testing positive for the banned race-day substance. Medina Spirit died unexpectedly last year.
THE NAMES OF THE HORSES
Try naming a horse – it's not as easy as it seems. There are so many rules set forth by the Jockey Club to abide by when naming a horse. Of course, nothing racy is approved, but names like Sexy Pork Chop, Hoochiecoochiemama, Bodacious Tatas and Hardawn (say it aloud) have slipped past the reviewers. WE'D PAY TO HEAR ANNOUNCERS READ THOSE NAMES ON TV
THE OUTFITS
The long-standing tradition of Derby hats started with the goal of having high-class spectators attend the race. The Derby hat as we know it didn't come around until the 1960s when fashion norms loosened up and big, bright and festive colors were socially acceptable. THE BEST CELEBRITY DERBY HATS
PS - If you're attending a Derby party and need something to wear, check our friend Amy Ann over at Straight A Style for some Derby dress ideas.
PLACE YOUR BETS
The horses in the Derby are all three-year-old males. You'll never see a horse win the Derby twice because they're only allowed to race when they're three, and that's it. Keep an eye on the favorite in the Derby, Zandon. Then there's Crown Pride hoping to achieve the title of Japan's first winner of a Triple Crown race. Then there’s the horse Cyberknife, whose name comes from a cancer treatment that helped his owner beat prostate cancer. WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Win, place, show? Betting on the Derby can be confusing, so here's our betting on horses 101.
LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS (HORSES)
Ever wonder how these high-priced horses get from one race to another? Air Horse One. No, really. They fly on a Boeing 727 cargo plane nicknamed "Air Horse One." It's equipped with stalls built around the horse and even inflight snacks. Tex Sutton Equine Air transports about 2,500 horses per year. AND YOU THOUGHT BUSINESS CLASS WAS EXPENSIVE.
COCKTAILS GALORE
The mint julep has been the official cocktail of the Derby since 1938. The drink is made with Woodford Reserve bourbon (the official sponsor of this year's event). Over 120,000 juleps are sold every year at the Derby on a typical year. This year, Woodford Reserve is selling special mint julep cups. Of the 148 cups, 18 are gold and retail for $2,500, and 130 are silver and retail for $1,000, with sales benefitting a non-profit for retired thoroughbred horses. BOTTOMS UP
Sports Curious, presented by Last Night's Game, is here to take the awkward out of the conversation and help you join the sports conversation, even if you don't know the first thing about sports. We break down what's happening in sports in an easy-to-understand, fun way without all of the statistics and jargon, so you never have to exit stage left when the chatter at the office, dinner table or networking event switches to sports.
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