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P.J. Thomas: At the Kentucky Derby, tradition wins year after year

IT'S BEEN CALLED the most exciting two minutes in sports and it ranks near the top of many sports enthusiasts' "bucket lists."

IT'S BEEN CALLED the most exciting two minutes in sports and it ranks near the top of many sports enthusiasts' "bucket lists."

The Kentucky Derby is the first leg in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing that includes the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Though Belmont is the oldest race, the derby is arguably the most well-known - just oozing with traditions that reach back as far as 1875, when the race was first run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Held on the first Saturday in May, this year's derby is scheduled for May 1.

There are several conflicting answers to the question of how the derby got its name, but all trace back to racing traditions in England that apparently inspired Col. M. Lewis Clark, founder of the Louisville Jockey Club. The derby is known as "the Run for the Roses" because the winning horse and jockey are draped with stunning wreaths of red roses.

"The Kentucky Derby is the most important event in Thoroughbred horse racing," according to Susan Dallas, a tourism official at the Greater Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. "More than 150,000 people will cram into Churchill Downs during Derby weekend and the economic impact will be $60 million."

Two weeks of more than 70 citywide events and festivities include: the "Thunder Over Louisville" air show; the "Run for the Rose," where food servers race while holding a glass of wine on a tray; mini and full marathons; and a spectacular fireworks display.

That's not all.

The Belle of Louisville steamboat races the Belle of Cincinnati for the right to wear the prized Golden Antlers for the next year. There's a parade, too.

This year, the Pegasus Parade co-grand marshals are actress Diane Lane and Penny Chenery, who owned Triple Crown winner Secretariat, whose 1973 race time still holds the derby record. Lane will play Chenery in the movie "Secretariat," due out in October.

And, of course, there are the parties.

Homes are decorated and residents typically spare no expense on house parties. It's unlikely you'll find a bigger celebration outside of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

The derby is more than just a horse race - its pure Kentucky culture. Even schools are closed on the Friday before Derby Day. Though, as one principal explained, "We don't close the schools for Derby. It's really a teacher in-service training day." Wink, wink.

Derby Day arrives

Residents lucky enough to live close to Churchill Downs typically convert their front porches into concessions selling hot dogs, barbecue, soda, water and souvenirs to the thousands of people streaming past. Some sell coveted parking space on their lawns. Extension cords are strung to position TV sets on the porches.

A greeter clad in a white suit welcomes the crowd approaching the track entrance.

Perhaps the prettiest derby tradition - and one imported from England - is the Derby hat. Everywhere you look, there's a sea of women dressed in the prettiest, most colorful, and often silliest hats you're likely to see outside of a church convention. Quite a few men sport hats, too.

"I start shopping for my next year's hat right after Derby Day," said one woman of her straw hat, the delicate green color of key-lime pie and decorated with pink and white flowers. Asked how much she had spent for it, she just laughed.

"More than I should have. Whatever I spend, I tell my husband I spent half of that amount. He would be amazed if he knew how much I really spend for these things, especially when I only wear it once."

Unfortunately, the tradition of smoking cigars leaves the air pungent with tobacco. But the men, handsome in their unofficial uniform of blue blazers and khaki slacks, can almost be forgiven when they blow a puff of smoke your way.

Instead of the cry of "cold beer, here," vendors yell, "Mint julep!" It's the official derby drink, a sweet-tasting concoction of bourbon, a little sugar, fresh mint, water and crushed ice.

Periodically, heads rubbernecked to catch a glimpse of sports celebrities, movie stars and other rich and famous types heading toward Millionaires Row. But it's unlikely the millionaires are having as much fun as the fans gathered in the center of the track. Known as the infield, it's the derby equivalent of Veterans Stadium's 700 level, where the beer flows freely among crowds of shirtless men, and women clad in fancy hats, shorts and bikini tops, who seem almost oblivious of the racing action. There are no seats, unless you bring your own, and it's doubtful you'll see the race from that vantage point.

Minor derby races start at 11 a.m., but everyone is here for the main event, which gets under way at 6:04 p.m. when a diminutive man in white pants, red jacket and black hat steps up to a platform and blows a trumpet - the "call to the post."

The crowd jumps up in excitement as the 3-year-old Thoroughbreds stride onto the track. The jockeys, all barely 5 feet tall, wear bright shirts and hats - known as silks - designating their owners' colors.

Spectators scurry back and forth to the betting windows, where wagers are taken right up until post time. Serious bettors often wait for one last look before placing their bets.

Finally, the 20 horses and jockeys get to their starting positions. As a bell sounds, the gates fly open. The crowds careen for a better look as the magnificent animals approach the first turn.

As the horses turn onto the home stretch of the mile-and-a-quarter track, everyone is screaming their favorite's name.

And, just like that, it's over.

It was a thrilling two minutes. But no one is too sad. Not even the losers. Because here in Kentucky, there is still a full night of parties to attend.

P.J. Thomas is editor and co-publisher of Pathfinders Travel Magazine for People of Color, a nationally distributed publication founded in 1997. Contact her at pjthomas@pathfinderstravel.com or www.pathfinderstravel.com.