What images come to mind when you think of the Kentucky Derby? I’ll bet you’re thinking of mint juleps, large beautiful and ornate hats, and horses.
The Kentucky Derby, also known as “The Run for the Roses,” will be this Saturday where 24 horses will race for just two minutes! It’s not just a celebration but also a tradition for our country, as well as southern culture.
The first Kentucky Derby race took place in 1875, where horse Aristides ran 1.5 miles with 15 other horses and in front of 10,000 spectators. That also means that this year is the 148th Kentucky Derby race! However, the Derby first began in 1872 when Meriwether Lewis Clark, the grandson of William Clark, of the famed duo, Lewis and Clark, traveled to Europe where he attended the Epsom Derby in England. While there, he was inspired to create a Derby in the States.
How Did The Churchill Downs Get Their Name?
How did Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, get its name? Meriwether’s uncles, John and Henry Churchill, helped him to acquire the land necessary for the Kentucky Derby racetrack. They also helped to organize a group of fans called the Louisville Jockey Club.
If you’re looking for something to do, and don’t have anything planned for this weekend, you can host a Kentucky Derby party. Invite your friends and family over to watch the race on TV, drink mint juleps, and don stunning hats and outfits. You can take votes on the best outfit, or you can use hobby horses and have a race with your guests. You could then gift the winner with a garland of roses, real or fake.
What kind of food could you serve at your Kentucky Derby party? Fried chicken or a dish called Hot Brown could be tasty. What is Hot Brown? It’s an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and Mornay sauce, a cheesy white sauce. If you’re looking for desserts or drinks to serve, you can have bourbon balls, cobbler, mint juleps or Mississippi mudslides available to your guests.
The team with Albuquerque Plumbing Heating & Cooling will be enjoying the warm spring weather this weekend, and maybe some of our team will be watching the race on TV. We can’t wait to hear on Monday morning if anyone watched the Kentucky Derby or if they suspected a particular horse would win. Maybe someone in the office will host a party to watch the race and even dress up for the occasion. We can’t wait to see which horse wins, and to hear about the weekend our team members had.