The Kentucky Derby is this Weekend – The First Saturday in May - as it Should Be. For a little insight and a delicious mint julep recipe, read on….

Saturday, May 1 is the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby. According to Wikipedia, that year (1875) was also the year Brigham Young University was founded. In addition, Henry Cavendish Jones convinced an All England Croquet Club to replace a croquet court with a lawn tennis court (can anyone say Wimbledon?), and two American colleges (Harvard and Tufts) played what was arguably the first college football game. Oh, and Aristides won the Kentucky Derby.

The point is, the Kentucky Derby has a deep and rich tradition; and for most of its history, has been run on the first Saturday in May. Since 1931, that date has been interrupted twice – once by World War II when all horse racing was stopped or postponed. According to HorseRacingNation.com, "in 1945, horse racing was banned nationwide as the war reached its crescendo. Allied forces won the Battle of the Bulge in January and the battle of Iwo Jima in March. As word spread of Adolph Hitler's suicide, victory in Europe was celebrated on May 8. Racing was cleared to resume and the Kentucky Derby was held on June 9."

Last year it took a world-wide pandemic to postpone the Derby. In both cases, however, the Kentucky Derby still took place, albeit at a later date. 

The Kentucky Derby is typically the first leg of the Triple Crown. Though the distance of the race has changed over time, in modern days it’s been 1 ? miles. Most (not all) horse races in America are between 6 furlongs and 1 1/16, so the Derby is a formidable challenge for three-year-olds. 

Two weeks after the Derby is the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes which is slightly shorter. Three weeks after the Preakness is the Belmont Stakes which is the longest of the three races. And though all three races are dominated my male horses (colts), female horses (fillies) have also won all three races including the Belmont. In fact, the last filly to run in the Belmont, Rags to Riches, won the race in 2007. 

But enough about that. Let me tell you a few things you may not know about the Kentucky Derby and then I’ll leave you with my personal Mint Julep recipe.

Kentucky Derby Factoids

1.     The Kentucky Derby is always run on the first Saturday of May (except during World Wars and World-Wide Pandemics). Now that you know that, you can put a reminder on your calendar for next year.

2.     The Derby is also called the Run for the Roses for the blanket of roses that are draped over the winner.

3.     The Derby is hailed as the “most exciting two minutes in sports.” Why two minutes? Because that’s typically the time it takes the horses to run the 1 ? mile race – two minutes and change.

4.     There have only been two confirmed horses to run the race in under two minutes – Monarchos in 2001 and Secretariat in 1973; although many people believe that Sham also ran the Derby in just under two minutes. Sham ran second to Secretariat but at the time, races were not measured in 1/100th of a second. Secretariat, on the other hand, still holds the record for the fastest time ever at 1:59 2/5. (BTW...the Sham section was provided by one of my closest friends, David Mills who is a horse racing enthusiast.)

5.     Only three-year olds run in the Kentucky Derby, so they’ve only got one shot. A horse can’t run the race when he/she’s two or four – only three.

6.     All thoroughbred horses in the Northern Hemisphere are given a birth date of January 1 which means you could have a horse born on December 31 that turns one year old the next day. 

7.     The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown, with the other two legs being the Preakness and Belmont respectively. The Belmont is the longest race at 1 ? miles with the Preakness being the shortest of the Triple Crown races at 1 3/16.

8.     Most (not all) thoroughbred horse races are between six furlongs and one mile and one sixteenth. The Derby is a step up to 1 ? miles and likely the biggest challenge the horses will have faced to date. 

9.     It’s not a heat (yes, I’ve been asked that question before). Horses do not race earlier in the day to compete to race in the Derby later in the day. A full gallop for 1 ? miles carrying 126 lbs (aka – the jockey) is taxing, so there are weeks and sometimes months between races for each horse. 

10.  The field for the Derby caps at 20 horses. Other horses may be “eligible” to run but can only do so if another horse scratches (aka drops out of the race).

So hopefully that was helpful.

So who is going to win the Kentucky Derby this year you ask? Well, folks, if I knew that I’d bet a big number and retire to the islands. But let me say this….there have only been two trainers in the history of the Kentucky Derby to win the race six times – Ben Jones in the late 1930s and early 1950s and my doppelganger, Bob Baffert who has two Triple Crown winners to his credit - American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018). Bob has Medina Spirit (the# 8 horse) running on Saturday. The jockey will be John Velazquez who has won the Derby three times himself. Current odds on Medina Spirit are 15-1, but my guess is those odds will come down as post time nears. 

Oh, regarding the winner of the 2020 Kentucky Derby….that was a horse named Authentic, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by John Velazquez (I’m just saying….)

On Saturday, I will likely do an exotic bet on the Derby – a Superfecta part wheel while boxing certain horses I believe have a chance of coming in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. If that sounds foreign to you, register for my course on How to Lose Money While Drinking Mint Juleps and Betting on Horses - it's free! This year, my bet will be 8 and 14 on top. As for the rest of the bet, I’ll need a Racing Form.

So let’s get to the real reason you’re reading this post….How to make a delicious Mint Julep and become the envy of all your friends.       

This is my personal recipe that I’ve served to literally hundreds of people over the years. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

Kentucky Whiskey (I use Maker’s Mark but Buffalo Trace is good as well. I suggest you stay away from higher proof whiskeys)

Mint

Simple syrup steeped in mint

Shaved ice (very important)

Powdered sugar

Step 1: Make the simple syrup the night before. Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water heated until the sugar dissolves. Once it does, put a bunch of mint in the pot and steep it for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Remove the mint from the pot and strain out any small pieces. Put the simple syrup in a sealed glass container and allow it to chill overnight.

Step 3: On Derby day, fill a narrow, tall glass with shaved ice (don’t skip this step, the shaved ice is important), and add a tiny bit of powdered sugar (less than what would fit in a thimble).

Step 4: This next step is a matter of personal taste. Add one to two parts whiskey to one part mint syrup (I prefer two parts whiskey to one part syrup – anything much less and you’re really drinking a mint slushy). Fill the glass to about ? the way up. 

Step 5: Take a bar spoon and tamp down the ice repeatedly until the glass begins to frost.

Step 6: Add a mint sprig and enjoy! 

In the meantime, don’t forget about the Kentucky Oaks which runs on Friday, the day before the Derby. The Oaks is an all-fillies race and has sported some of the greatest thoroughbreds in history (Rachel Alexandra, Untapable, and Silverbulletday to name a few). 

I'll close with this....On Saturday, as post time for the big race nears, take a sip of that delicious mint julep, pick a horse you like; spot the colors of your Jockey’s silks; watch your horse break from the gate; follow its position; listen to its thundering hooves pounding the dirt at Churchill Downs; get lost in the moment; and as it makes the final turn for home, feel free to scream …."GO BABY GO!”