🏇The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports: The Run for the Roses 🌹

Hello Reader,

🎀 My Derby Story: How a Friend Changed Everything

I love the Kentucky Derby! I hope this email peaks your interest. If you love it to, you'll love it even more after reading it. Share it with others as the excitment lives on...

Twenty years ago, I had absolutely no idea what the Kentucky Derby was. I was living in Springfield, Missouri, minding my own business — and then a friend changed my life forever. 😄

She invited me to her country club for a Derby party, and when I arrived, she had a hat waiting for me. A beautiful, over-the-top, glorious hat. I remember thinking, "What IS this?" — and then I put it on and felt like a completely different person.

What swept me away first wasn't the horses — it was the FASHION. (I owned a clothings boutique at the time.)

The women were dressed to the nines in gorgeous dresses and statement hats that made you feel like you'd stepped into a garden party from another era. And the men! Seersucker suits, bow ties, and a polished Southern elegance you just don't see every day. I was absolutely enchanted.

I have a thing for horses and have never seen anything like this. There was something magnetic about that two-minute sprint that just lit me up. 🐎✨

Fast forward into my spray tanning days, and the Derby became one of my busiest times of the year. The ladies had to have their glow before race day — and I was booked solid. That Kentucky Derby hustle was REAL.

The year Orb ran (2013), something told me to place a bet. I listened... and walked away with $220 🤑🎉

Since then, the Derby has been my lucky race. The other Triple Crown races haven't been quite as kind to my wallet — but the Derby? She loves me back.

I also got deep into hat-making — and I'll be honest, I got a little (okay, a LOT) ridiculous about it. Feathers, flowers, ribbons, you name it. Life has slowed down a bit since those festival days, but every first Saturday in May, I still pull up the race, pick my horses, and feel that same excitement I felt in a country club in Springfield with a borrowed hat on my head. 🎩 The race is scheduled for Saturday, May 2 at 6:57 p.m. ET.

💕 Below is my predictation for this year. I love to know who you think will win, hit reply!

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Last year I had a friend over the day of the derby. My health wasn't so great then but I taught Bella about it and here are our videos. We had our own derby race in my living room. And then Bella calling the prediction which we predicted right on! 😁

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🏇 What Is the Kentucky Derby?

If you've never watched it, let me paint you a picture: 20 of the world's fastest three-year-old Thoroughbreds thunder down a 1.25-mile dirt track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky — and it's all over in about two breathtaking minutes.

First held in 1875, the Kentucky Derby is America's longest continuously running sporting event. This year marks the 152nd running, held on Saturday, May 2, 2026. It's not just a horse race — it's a cultural institution, a fashion event, a social spectacle, and for many people, a beloved annual tradition.

Nicknamed "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" and "The Run for the Roses," the Derby draws over 150,000 spectators to Churchill Downs each year, with millions more watching from home. It's where casual fans, seasoned bettors, fashionistas, and horse enthusiasts all come together in one glorious, hat-filled celebration.

💛 Why Do People Love It So Much?

The Kentucky Derby is more than a race — it's a feeling. Here's why it captures hearts year after year:

• ⚡ The Thrill — Watching 20 horses launch out of the gate at full speed is genuinely breathtaking, even on TV
• 🎩 The Fashion — Derby style is its own art form. From extravagant hats to pastel suits, getting dressed is half the fun
• 🍹 The Tradition — Mint juleps, big hats, the singing of My Old Kentucky Home — these rituals connect generations
• 🎲 The Betting — Even people who never bet on anything else will place a $2 wager on Derby day. Picking your horse is irresistible!
• 🌟 The Cinderella Stories — Every year there's an underdog, a long shot, an unexpected twist. The Derby always delivers drama
• 🌍 The Spectacle — The pageantry, the crowds, the history — it feels like the whole world stops to watch

🎊 Derby Traditions You Need to Know

🍹 The Mint Julep The official drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1938 — bourbon, fresh mint, simple syrup, and crushed ice in a silver or pewter cup. Churchill Downs serves approximately 120,000 mint juleps over Derby Weekend. That's a lot of bourbon! 🥃

🎩 The Hats Derby fashion is legendary. Women wear elaborate, over-the-top hats — the bigger, the better! Churchill Downs even holds a Best Dressed contest each year. Men go for seersucker suits, pastel blazers, and bow ties. There is truly no other sporting event with this level of fashion commitment.

🎵 'My Old Kentucky Home' Just before the horses step onto the track, the University of Louisville Cardinal Marching Band plays Stephen Foster's classic. It's a spine-tingling moment — even hardened racing veterans get misty-eyed. The crowd sings along, and you know the race is really about to begin.

🌸 Oaks Day The day before the Derby is Kentucky Oaks Day — a race exclusively for three-year-old fillies. It's become almost as big a fashion event as Derby Day itself, the winning horse is draped in lilies, and the color of the day is pink. A beloved tradition in its own right.

🎠 The Post Parade Before the race, each horse is led through a ceremonial post parade in front of the grandstands. It's a gorgeous, theatrical moment that builds the anticipation to almost unbearable levels.

Ready to pick your horse? 🏇🌹 May she love you back!

Book your So You appointment now 👇

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