It's that time: Run for the roses in Kentucky
The world's eyes are on Louisville this weekend for Sunday's "Run for the Roses," also known as the Kentucky Derby and "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports". About 10,000 people watched the first race in 1875 - today, the Kentucky Derby draws an annual average of 150,000 visitors: locals, out-of-towners, celebrities, presidents (Richard Nixon in 1969) and the horsier members of royal families.
Whether you're sitting in Millionaire's Row (the VIP seats) or at home watching the race on TV, it's fun to get the patter down and mix yourself a mint julep - the official drink of the Derby.
Some fun facts
The slowest winner: In 1896, the length of the race was changed to 1.25 miles. It took 12 years to set the enduring record for the slowest winning time - Stone Street's 2:15 1/5 in 1908. He was three lengths faster, so to speak, than Sir Cleges.
The fastest: Secretariat in 1973 race at 1:59:40 Secretariat is the only horse to have run the 1.25-mile (2km) race in under 2 minutes.
Making the most of it, part one: 16 Jockeys who rode only once in the Derby won.
Making the most of it, part two: The leading Kentucky Derby winning jockeys are Eddie Arcaro (won five, including Triple Crown wins with Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948), Bill Hartack (five) and Bill Shoemaker (four). Shoemaker also leads all jockeys in Derby mounts, with 26. Arcaro had 21 rides.
Favorite, schmavorite: From 1875 to 1979, the crowd picked the winner almost half the time: 48 for 105. Since then, it's 2 for 25 (a 92 percent failure rate). From 1980 to 1999, the crowd had a perfect record: 0 for 20. That's 20 straight years of picking losers. That changed in 2000, when a favorite, Fusaichi Pegasus, finally won.
Triple Crown: By the early 1900s, owners of winning Kentucky Derby horses started sending their winners to run in the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York. In 1930, a sportswriter coined the term "Triple Crown" for the same horses running the three races consecutively.
Toast the winner: The mint julep, the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, is an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and a sweet syrup. It's traditionally served in a commemorative Kentucky Derby glass.
Festive food: "Burgoo", typically a thick stew of lamb and vegetables, is served from iron pots sometimes 10 feet in diameter.
What color is the bluegrass? The turf, a European import, is green, but the bluish-purple buds give the grass a blue cast.
Being there: "The Infield", a spectator area inside the track, offers cheap(er) seats but you won't see much of the race. Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party (and watch the race on TV). In "Millionaire's Row", the expensive box seats that attract the rich and famous, women dress elegantly in long dresses, big hats, and carry fancy umbrellas. As the horses parade before the grandstands, a marching band plays Stephen Foster's My Old Kentucky Home while the crowd stands and sings along.
China Daily
(China Daily 05/08/2011 page16)
