The 137th running of the Kentucky Derby will be on Saturday, May 7, 2011, with Kentucky Oaks 137 being run on Friday, May 6, 2011.
Tickets
If you don’t have tickets for Derby or Oaks, check these websites:
Hats
Hat-A-Tude (888.832.0630) has an excellent selection of beautiful hats and offers superior customer service.
Background
From Wikipedia:
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three year-old thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival.
The race is one and a quarter miles (2 km) at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57.2 kg) and fillies 121 pounds (54.9 kg).
The race is known in the United States as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” for its approximate duration, and is also called “The Run for the Roses” for the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is the first leg of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and is followed by the Preakness Stakes then the Belmont Stakes.
Derby parties
Need ideas for where to party? Read BlackBook’s Louisville Cool: The Hottest Parties of Kentucky Derby Week.
It’s also a great place to propose marriage.
