Grab the Mint: Saturday is Kentucky Derby Day

By LINDA BOCK

Photo Credit: Kentucky Derby Facebook

It is time to grab the straw hat and some mint for your julep - Saturday is Kentucky Derby Day.

The 141st running of the Kentucky Derby will be run Saturday, May 2. NBC will televise coverage of the event from 4 to 7:30 p.m., though post time for the Kentucky Derby is approximately 6:24 p.m., according to KentuckyDerby.com.

The Kentucky Derby is a race for three year-old thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May. The race is one and a quarter miles at Churchill Downs.

The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the American Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness Stakes, and then the Belmont Stakes. The Kentucky Derby is also known as the ”Run for the Roses” and the “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.”

Kentucky Derby Traditions

Garland of Roses

“First established as part of the Derby celebration when they were presented to all the ladies attending a fashionable Louisville Derby party, the Garland of Roses was such a sensation, that the president of Churchill Downs, Col. Lewis Clark, adopted the rose as the race’s official flower. The rose garland, now synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, first appeared in the 1896 when winner Ben Brush received a floral arrangement of white and pink roses.”

The Twin Spires

“Constructed in 1895, the Twin Spires were the creation of a 24-year-old draftsman, Joseph Dominic Baldez, who was asked to draw the blueprints for Churchill Downs’ new grandstand. Originally the plans did not include the Twin Spires atop Churchill Downs’ roofline, but as the young Baldez continued work on his design, he felt the structure needed something to give it a striking appearance.”

“My Old Kentucky Home”

“Since 1936, with only a few exceptions, the song has been performed by the University of Louisville Marching Band as the horses make their way from the paddock to the starting gate. The composer of the song, Stephen Foster, died in New York’s Bowery district Jan. 10, 1864, at the age of 38.”

Mint Julep

“The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century.

The Old Forester Mint Julep Recipe

• Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Old Forester Kentucky Bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• Sprigs of fresh mint
• Crushed ice
• Old Forester Kentucky Bourbon
• Silver Julep Cups”

Derby Day Hats

“Part Southern tradition, part spectacle, the Kentucky Derby hat parade is much of what makes one of the greatest people-watching events in the world. From the fantastic to the sublime, there are no rules or limits when it comes to choosing your Derby hat.”

Information from www.KentuckyDerby.com