Inside the Kentucky Derby: What fans don’t see at Churchill Downs on race day
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Saturday more than 150,000 spectators are expected to descend on the famed Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, but the story of race day begins long...
By Fox News · Fox News
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Saturday more than 150,000 spectators are expected to descend on the famed Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby , but the story of race day begins long before the crowd arrives. For those behind the scenes, Derby Day on May 2 isn’t about crisp mint juleps and eye-catching hats — it’s the culmination of years of training, millions in investment and the final hours where it all comes together. And spectators willing to spend a pretty penny for the elite experience could dole-out approximately $16,800 for a seat at a table above the track, while costs listed on the website for private turf suites start at $280,000. "It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these horses," Stan Bowling, lead tour guide at the Kentucky Derby Museum, told Fox News Digital. And some fans feel the same way. KENTUCKY DERBY MINT JULEP: MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN MAKING THIS ICONIC COCKTAIL Only 3-year-old thoroughbreds can qualify for the race, with training that begins early and intensifies in the years leading up to the Kentucky Derby, affectionately dubbed the "fastest two minutes in sports." "A lot is riding on that two minutes and a little bit of change for all these owners, trainers and jockeys," said Bowling, a Kentucky native who has attended the race 28 times. "There are no do-overs on this track." While the race itself is quick, the road to Churchill Downs is anything but. Along the way, horses earn points through qualifying races, while trainers manage every detail to ensure the thoroughbreds peak at precisely the right moment. Qualifying horses arrive in early March to adjust to the track and settle into life at Churchill Downs, which hosts roughly 750 races each year. But no other race on that track carries the same weight of the Kentucky Derby — the 12th in a 14-race lineup that anchors the day’s events. "Every morning, from mid-March through the end of the year, the horses are going to be out on the track training between 5:30 and 10 a.m.," Bowling said as h…