We would be remiss if we did not take note of the largest events of the year where our hats are always prize winners.
We owe you enormous thanks for making us your go-to for fascinators, derby millinery and the finest couture headwear. You look stunning and we're flattered!
We'll be filling this post out with more information (including international events), but for now, we thought we could offer some reference dates and info about The Big Three. They are:
May 6th
Louisville, Kentucky USA
About
The Kentucky Derby/ˈdɜːrbi/ is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one and a quarter miles (2.0 km) at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kilograms) and fillies 121 pounds (55 kilograms).[3]
It is dubbed “The Run for the Roses”, stemming from the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is also known in the United States as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” or “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” because of its approximate duration. It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes, and then the Belmont Stakes. Of the three Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby has the distinction of having been run uninterrupted since its inaugural race in 1875. The race was rescheduled to September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Preakness and Belmont Stakes races had taken hiatuses in 1891–1893 and 1911–1912, respectively. Even with the Olympics and major professional sports leagues canceled at those points, the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont took place during the Great Depression and both World Wars.[4]
A horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown.[5] In the 2015 listing of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the Kentucky Derby tied with the Whitney Handicap as the top Grade 1 race in the United States outside the Breeders’ Cup races.[6]
The attendance at the Kentucky Derby ranks first in North America and usually surpasses the attendance numbers of all other stakes races including the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and the Breeders’ Cup.[7]
In 2020, The Kentucky Derby was postponed from May 2 to September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] This was the second time in history the race had been postponed, the other being in 1945. Churchill Downs used a new singular 20-stall starting gate for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, replacing the previous arrangement that used a standard 14-stall gate and an auxiliary six-stall gate.[17] The old setup contributed to congestion at the start of the race, especially in the gap between the two gates.[17]
n addition to the race itself, several traditions play a significant role in the Derby atmosphere. The mint julep—an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and sugar syrup—is the traditional beverage of the race. The historic beverage comes served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup. However, most Churchill Downs patrons sip theirs from souvenir glasses (first offered in 1939 and available in revised form each year since) printed with all previous Derby winners.[25] Also, burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables, is a popular Kentucky dish served at the Derby.[26]Louisville Clock (often called the Louisville Derby Clock), which was dismantled in 2015
The infield—a spectator area inside the track—offers general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race, particularly before the jumbotron installation in 2014.[27][28] Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party with abandon. By contrast, “Millionaire’s Row” refers to the expensive box seats that attract the rich, the famous and the well-connected. Women appear in elegant outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats. Following the Call to the Post, as the horses start to parade before the grandstands, the University of Louisville Cardinal Marching Band plays Stephen Foster‘s “My Old Kentucky Home“. This song is a tradition which began in 1921.[29] The event attracts spectators from a large area, flying in hundreds of private aircraft to Louisville International Airport.[30]
The Derby is frequently referred to as “The Run for the Roses“, because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year. The tradition originated in 1883 when New York City socialite E. Berry Wall presented roses to ladies at a post-Derby party. The Churchill Downs founder and president, Col. M. Lewis Clark, attended that event. This gesture is believed to have led Clark to the idea of making the rose the race’s official flower. However, it was not until 1896 that any recorded account referred to draping roses on the Derby winner. The Governor of Kentucky presents the garland and the Kentucky Derby Trophy to the winner. Pop vocalist Dan Fogelberg composed the song “Run for the Roses“, released in time for the 1980 running of the race.[31]
The Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in the United States (1875).
149th Running of the Kentucky Derby will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
May 20th
Baltimore, Maryland USA
About
the race is known for its fancy hats and official cocktail, the Black-eyed Susan, made with vodka, St-Germain liqueur and pineapple, lime and orange juices.[31]
June 10th
Elmont, New York
About
The race covers one full lap of Belmont Park, known as “The Championship Track” because nearly every major American champion in racing history has competed on the racetrack. Belmont Park, with its large, wide, sweeping turns and long homestretch, is considered one of the fairest racetracks in America.[1] Despite the distance, the race tends to favor horses with tactical speed: relatively few winners close from far behind the early leaders.[2]
The attendance at the Belmont Stakes is among the American thoroughbred racing top-attended events. The 2004 Belmont Stakes drew a television audience of 21.9 million viewers, and had the highest household viewing rate since 1977 when Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown.[3]
May 6th
Louisville, Kentucky USA
About
The Kentucky Derby /ˈdɜːrbi/ is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one and a quarter miles (2.0 km) at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kilograms) and fillies 121 pounds (55 kilograms).[3]
It is dubbed “The Run for the Roses”, stemming from the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is also known in the United States as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” or “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” because of its approximate duration. It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes, and then the Belmont Stakes. Of the three Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby has the distinction of having been run uninterrupted since its inaugural race in 1875. The race was rescheduled to September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Preakness and Belmont Stakes races had taken hiatuses in 1891–1893 and 1911–1912, respectively. Even with the Olympics and major professional sports leagues canceled at those points, the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont took place during the Great Depression and both World Wars.[4]
A horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown.[5] In the 2015 listing of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the Kentucky Derby tied with the Whitney Handicap as the top Grade 1 race in the United States outside the Breeders’ Cup races.[6]
The attendance at the Kentucky Derby ranks first in North America and usually surpasses the attendance numbers of all other stakes races including the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and the Breeders’ Cup.[7]
In 2020, The Kentucky Derby was postponed from May 2 to September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] This was the second time in history the race had been postponed, the other being in 1945. Churchill Downs used a new singular 20-stall starting gate for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, replacing the previous arrangement that used a standard 14-stall gate and an auxiliary six-stall gate.[17] The old setup contributed to congestion at the start of the race, especially in the gap between the two gates.[17]
n addition to the race itself, several traditions play a significant role in the Derby atmosphere. The mint julep—an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and sugar syrup—is the traditional beverage of the race. The historic beverage comes served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup. However, most Churchill Downs patrons sip theirs from souvenir glasses (first offered in 1939 and available in revised form each year since) printed with all previous Derby winners.[25] Also, burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables, is a popular Kentucky dish served at the Derby.[26]
Louisville Clock (often called the Louisville Derby Clock), which was dismantled in 2015
The infield—a spectator area inside the track—offers general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race, particularly before the jumbotron installation in 2014.[27][28] Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party with abandon. By contrast, “Millionaire’s Row” refers to the expensive box seats that attract the rich, the famous and the well-connected. Women appear in elegant outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats. Following the Call to the Post, as the horses start to parade before the grandstands, the University of Louisville Cardinal Marching Band plays Stephen Foster‘s “My Old Kentucky Home“. This song is a tradition which began in 1921.[29] The event attracts spectators from a large area, flying in hundreds of private aircraft to Louisville International Airport.[30]
The Derby is frequently referred to as “The Run for the Roses“, because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year. The tradition originated in 1883 when New York City socialite E. Berry Wall presented roses to ladies at a post-Derby party. The Churchill Downs founder and president, Col. M. Lewis Clark, attended that event. This gesture is believed to have led Clark to the idea of making the rose the race’s official flower. However, it was not until 1896 that any recorded account referred to draping roses on the Derby winner. The Governor of Kentucky presents the garland and the Kentucky Derby Trophy to the winner. Pop vocalist Dan Fogelberg composed the song “Run for the Roses“, released in time for the 1980 running of the race.[31]
The Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in the United States (1875).
149th Running of the Kentucky Derby will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
May 20th
Baltimore, Maryland USA
About
the race is known for its fancy hats and official cocktail, the Black-eyed Susan, made with vodka, St-Germain liqueur and pineapple, lime and orange juices.[31]
June 10th
Elmont, New York
About
The race covers one full lap of Belmont Park, known as “The Championship Track” because nearly every major American champion in racing history has competed on the racetrack. Belmont Park, with its large, wide, sweeping turns and long homestretch, is considered one of the fairest racetracks in America.[1] Despite the distance, the race tends to favor horses with tactical speed: relatively few winners close from far behind the early leaders.[2]
The attendance at the Belmont Stakes is among the American thoroughbred racing top-attended events. The 2004 Belmont Stakes drew a television audience of 21.9 million viewers, and had the highest household viewing rate since 1977 when Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown.[3]