The Kentucky Derby is the one time of year it’s perfectly acceptable to dress up in a hat as large as a small country to go bet on ponies and drink excessively.
We bet it’s what everyone is talking about,
The Last Night’s Game Team
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE KENTUCKY DERBY
1. The horses 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. Talk about peaking early in life.
2. The mint julep has been the official cocktail of the Derby since 1938. The drink is typically made with Early Times Whiskey and over 120,000 juleps are sold every year at the Derby.
3. The Derby is often referred to as the “most exciting two minutes in sports” because that’s how long it takes for the horses to run the 1 ¼ mile track. You better time your bathroom trip right.
4. The high fashion wasn’t always a requirement but the dress code was updated way before any of us were born in an effort to attract high end spectators. The big ‘ol Derby hats became a thing in the 1960s when fashion norms loosened up and bright, big and festive were socially acceptable. FASHION FAVS
5. Two horses to watch. Purchased for a mere $3 million, Mendelssohn looks to become the first European-based horse to win the Derby. The favorite to win this year’s Derby? Everyone’s placing their cold hard cash on Justify. Ever wonder how they name a horse? There’s a whole slew of rules but one of note – names may not exceed 18 characters including spaces. (The race is only two minutes long…you have to help the announcers out somehow). RULES
Watch the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 5th live from Churchill Downs at 6:30 EST.
But wait there’s more
The Derby isn’t until Saturday, so here’s how you can strike up a conversation today by talking about what women’s sports leagues are doing that is unprecedented, what caused Drake to cross the (side)line at a basketball game and why is it called the triple crown? READ
