2023 Kentucky Derby: Traditions, food, drinks and other iconic customs for Derby Day

By Daniel TranMay 5, 2023, 8:47 AM EDT

The Kentucky Derby is one of the most iconic sporting events in the world. But it’s not just the race that has everyone planning their trips to Churchill Downs. It’s the traditions and pageantry that have captivated millions across the globe.

Catch these traditions live at the 2023 Kentucky Derby, which will air on Saturday, May 6 from 12 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and keep reading to prepare for all the most fun and festive elements of Derby day. Coverage is also available to stream live on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Hats

The Kentucky Derby is known for its colorful and flashy hats and fascinators (an often-elaborate headpiece). Make your own at home using an old hat or headband and whatever materials around the house inspire you.

If you’re pressed for time or have run out of ideas, there are also many options available online or in stores. The Spring 2023 line from Kentucky Derby 149 Featured Milliner Christine A. Moore Millinery includes an array of hats and fascinators in neutral colors, pinks and cool tones.

Mint juleps

The recipe, of course, contains mint and Kentucky bourbon, but also can include pomegranate, orange, lemon and a dash of honey from Versailles, France, if you happen to have some.

If you’re more into fruit, why not try a cherry-infused variation of the Mint Julep, a blackberry take on the cocktail, or a recipe that incorporates strawberry.

The Garland of Roses

After the race, the champion horse is given the iconic garland of roses in the winner’s circle, hence why the race is nicknamed “the Run for the Roses.”

In 1883, New York socialite E. Berry Wall presented roses to the women at a party. Inspired by this gesture, Churchill Downs founder and president Meriwether Lewis Clark announced that roses were the official flower of the Kentucky Derby. In 1896, the tradition of draping a blanket of 554 red roses on the Kentucky Derby winner began.

Hot browns and other Kentucky Derby foods

When it comes to Kentucky Derby cuisine, it doesn’t get much better than the Kentucky Hot Brown. The hot brown is a product of the historic Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville. In the 1920s, Chef Fred Schmidt was looking for a late-night delicacy for partying night owls and found it in this open-faced turkey sandwich topped with bacon and Mornay sauce.

You also can’t talk about Kentucky food without talking about its world-famous fried chicken. Thanks to Colonel Sanders and his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Ky., fried chicken may be the most widespread, globally known export out of the Bluegrass State.

The winner’s circle

From 1875-1929, the Kentucky Derby winner would stand in a circled area on the racetrack drawn in chalk dust. It began to be known as the “winner’s circle.” From 1930-1937, organizers moved the trophy presentation from the track to an area adjoining the clubhouse. An electric odds board and presentation stands were added in 1938 and every winning Kentucky Derby horse since then has been led to the winner’s circle.

The winner’s circle is usually only reserved for winners of the Derby, but it has hosted a limited amount of weddings and even has ashes of prominent horse racing and breeding industry workers spread on the ground.

“My Old Kentucky Home”

After the Call to Post is the playing of the state song, “My Old Kentucky Home.” The tradition dates back to the 1920s and the University of Louisville marching band has been part of the performance almost every year.

The song was written in the 1850s by Stephen Foster and features depictions of slavery in the pre-Civil War South. The song’s exact meanings and intentions have been subject to varying interpretations over the last 170 years, and, more recently, there have been renewed calls to re-examine the song’s place – on Derby Day and in American society at large.

Embrace the most important Kentucky Derby tradition and watch the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 6 from 12 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Full coverage is also available on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Forte works out, waits for Belmont Stakes clearance

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 3:14 PM EDT

Matt Stone/USA TODAY NETWORK

NEW YORK — Forte, the early Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched on the day of the race, worked out in preparation for a possible start in the Belmont Stakes on June 10.

Under regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., Forte worked five-eighths of a mile for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. It was the colt’s second workout since being scratched from the Derby on May 6.

“It seems like he’s maintained his fitness level,” Pletcher said. “It seems like everything is in good order.”

Forte was placed on a mandatory 14-day veterinary list after being scratched from the Derby because of a bruised right front foot. In order to be removed from the list, the colt had to work in front of a state veterinarian and give a blood sample afterward, the results of which take five days.

“There’s protocols in place and we had to adhere to those and we’re happy that everything went smoothly,” Pletcher said. “We felt confident the horse was in good order or we wouldn’t have been out there twice in the last six days, but you still want to make sure everything went smoothly and we’re happy everything did go well.”

Pletcher said Kingsbarns, who finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby, will miss the Belmont. The colt is showing signs of colic, although he is fine, the trainer said.

Another Pletcher-trained horse, Prove Worthy, is under consideration for the Belmont. He also has Tapit Trice, who finished seventh in the Derby, being pointed toward the Belmont.

Judge grants Churchill Downs’ request for summary judgment to dismiss Bob Baffert’s lawsuit

Associated PressMay 25, 2023, 9:36 PM EDT

Abbey Cutrer/USA TODAY NETWORK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A federal judge has granted Churchill Downs’ motion for summary judgment that dismisses Bob Baffert’s claim the track breached due process by suspending the Hall of Fame trainer for two years.

Churchill Downs Inc. suspended Baffert in June 2021 after his now-deceased colt, Medina Spirit, failed a postrace drug test after crossing the finish line first in the 147th Kentucky Derby. The trainer’s request to lift the discipline was denied in February, keeping him out of the Derby for a second consecutive May.

U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings ruled in a 12-page opinion issued Wednesday that Churchill Downs’ suspension of Baffert did not devalue his Kentucky trainer’s license. It cited his purse winnings exceeding $1 million at Keeneland in Lexington and stated that his argument “amounts to a false analogy that distorts caselaw.”

Jennings denied CDI’s motion to stay discovery as moot.

The decision comes less than a week after Baffert-trained colt National Treasure won the Preakness in his first Triple Crown race in two years. His record eighth win in the second jewel of the Triple Crown came hours after another of his horses, Havnameltdown, was euthanized following an injury at Pimlico.

Churchill Downs said in a statement that it was pleased with the court’s favorable ruling as in Baffert’s other cases.

It added, “While he may choose to file baseless appeals, this completes the seemingly endless, arduous and unnecessary litigation proceedings instigated by Mr. Baffert.”

Baffert’s suspension is scheduled to end on June 2, but the track’s release noted its right to extend it “and will communicate our decision” at its conclusion.