Personal Narrative: The Derby Horse

The first day of the derby weekend is the Kentucky Oaks which consists of fillies only. The winner of the Kentucky Oaks race wins a garland of lilies thus being called “Lilies for the Fillies.” Again, because only female horses race this day, spectators are encouraged to wear pink. My family’s traveling group, Inspirato, sponsored one of the early races of the Kentucky Oaks. Consequently, our club sponsored the race, all of the members of Inspirato were allowed in the paddock which is centered in Churchill Downs, where the Oaks and Derby are held. In the paddock, the horses are showcased to the public in a fenced area, and because we were the sponsors, we were privileged to be inside the fence, abutting all the horses. The paddock is

Ultimately, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that anyone rarely gets to experience. After watching our sponsored race, we were taken to a balcony known as the Winner’s Suite, overlooking Churchill Downs for a celebratory champagne toast which we remained in for approximately an hour. Eventually, we left the suite and absconded to the floor where we would remain for the rest of the weekend. This floor was indoor with an all day buffet, gambling stations, tables and shops, and at the end of the room were large glass windows and doors that led outside to a large balcony overlooking the track. The gargantuan room was overflowed with tables underneath large betting screens. Everyone was given their own program that was filled with all the races happening throughout the weekend. Overall, one thing I never knew about the Kentucky Derby and Oaks was that there were multiple races taking place the whole day, with different names, horses, and jockeys all leading up to the 142nd annual Kentucky Oaks and the 142nd annual Kentucky Derby. On the day of the Kentucky Oaks, there was a signature cocktail called the “Oaks Lily” that were served decorative glasses that were souvenirs. Altogether, the racing day so far had been a success, and it wasn 't