Earlier this month, on May 3, the 151st Kentucky Derby took place in Louisville, Kentucky. This race is run by thoroughbred horses around a 1¼ mile track, and the winning horse is awarded a blanket of roses. This race is the longest continuously held sporting event in America, and is the most watched and most attended horse race in the United States.
This year’s race was historic in multiple ways. There was a record-breaking TV viewership and a record amount of money placed in bets. This year, people bet $473.9 million dollars during the week leading up to the derby, with $234.4 million of that money placed on race day itself, according to Front Office Sports. Furthermore, the course was sloppy due to the rain that fell throughout the day, the first time that this happened since 2019, according to Yahoo Sports. This caused unexpected results, for some horses are better at running on a sloppy track than others. Finally, two horses, Rodriguez and Grande, were scratched from the race due to foot bruises. Therefore, there were 19 horses to run the race this year instead of the usual 20, for Baeza was added in place of Rodriguez, according to Bleacher Nation.
Sovereignty, with 9-1 odds, won this year’s Kentucky Derby. This was the first time that his rider, jockey Junior Alvarado, won a Kentucky Derby, and the second win for Sovereignty’s trainer, Bill Mott. However, Junior Alvarado was penalized after using his whip excessively during the race. He was fined $62,000, which is 20% of the $310,000 that he was awarded for winning the race, according to CNN. Alvarado struck Sovereignty eight times, which violates the Horse Integrity and Safety Authority rules which state that the jockey is only allowed to whip their horse six times, according to The Associated Press. Alvarado said, “I didn’t abuse the horse. Nobody can tell me, even if they can prove that I hit the horse two extra times, it was in an abusive way, it’s just ridiculous.”
This race has a rich history. According to the Kentucky Derby website, on May 17, 1875, the first Kentucky Derby race was held. There were only 10,000 people in attendance, and Oliver Lewis, who rode Aristide, won. Over time, this race grew in popularity to become the most watched and attended horse race in America, as shown by how 147,406 people attended the race this year.
Fashion has also become one of the main points of interest for many. The people who attend this race often wear extravagant hats, which has been a tradition since the first race in 1875. According to the Kentucky Derby website, in the late 1800s to early 1900s, these hats were a symbol of social status. The hats often had many feathers and occasionally a complete stuffed bird. By the 1920’s, much smaller bucket hats without many feathers were worn. In the next decades, the hats gradually became more expensive and unique. Today, people’s hats are colorful and extravagant, and have become a symbol of elegance and self-expression, while being rooted in tradition.
Front image: Horse Racing Nation
Black and white image: Pinterest
Selfie image source: America’s Best Racing