Bust out your hats, blazers and start mixing those Mint Juleps–it’s time to run for the roses.
You can almost hear the Kentucky Derby trumpeter launching into fanfare – The Call to the Post.
The 136th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 1st, and all of the televised coverage can be found on ESPN and NBC.
While most are well aware of the fact that several horses are put into the gates at Churchill Downs, a bell rings and they all take off running, it’s the tradition that surrounds the annual event in Louisville, Kentucky, that leads to the great anticipation of that bell.
Unlike, say, The Masters Golf Tournament, and Augusta National Golf Club where snooty still reigns supreme, Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby actually kick off the festivities with the traditional “Kentucky Oaks.” The 2010 Kentucky Oaks will take place on April 30th, and turn the attention to the best dressed and looking individuals in attendance, with the annual “Ladies First” tradition.
For the dudes of Manolith, and for the locals near Louisville, there’s not a better place to meet a nice young lady in a really cool hat. All are welcome, and in attendance you can support a wonderful cause, as The Oaks are an official partner with Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
At present, Saturday’s run for the roses presents a wide open field. Odds-heavy favorite, Eskendereya has been scratched, Devil May Care, a head-turning filly, will give the derby a go and there is a growing buzz around the feisty Grade I winner, Dublin.
Live coverage of the Oaks/Ladies First can be found Friday on Bravo, beginning at 5 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. PDT. The derby coverage will begin on ESPN at 11 a.m. EDT/8 a.m. PDT Saturday, and will be continued on NBC at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.
