*Mint Julep recipe included below
Kentucky Derby 141–Akumal style is only one week away. There’s nothing in the world quite like the Kentucky Derby! Each year on the first Saturday in May, the eyes of the world turn to Kentucky for the celebrated Run for the Roses. This is a race for two-year-old Thoroughbred horses held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Dubbed “the greatest two minutes in sports,” the Derby has run every year since its first winner, Aristides, streaked across the finish line in 1874.
Akumal celebrates the Kentucky Derby big time. There have always been some native Kentuckians that happily got transported to our lovely shores, but they like to invoke a little nostalgia and re-create the fun of this particular day. Everyone is invited to come to Turtle Bay and Bakery where Akumal’s festivities are being held, and best arrival time is 4:00 pm and Post Time is approximately 5:24 pm.
Men and women alike are encouraged to wear a hat; there will be prizes for Biggest Hat, Best Men’s, Best Women’s, and Best Derby Inspired. Betting is a blind draw from one of three (3) pools, and there are usually 20 Thoroughbred horses in the gates waiting to hear, “They’re off!” The costs are as follows: WIN–$100 pesos; PLACE–$50 pesos; SHOW–$20 pesos. (It is a big help if you can approach the “Betting Window” with correct amounts). WIN is the horse that crosses the finish line first; PLACE, the horse that comes in second; and SHOW is the horse that comes in third. The winner of each pool takes all, and often this pays better than track odds!
Although many here in Akumal have attended a Kentucky Derby in the past, a special couple associated with Playa Caribe Condos, Gary and Myrna Sparks, will be present for this year’s call to the post and have a great view of the famous landmark, the Twin Spires. Their good friend is an owner of a Derby contender: Materiality. Be sure to look for Gary and Myrna on TV—after all, only 1.5 million people are present at Churchill Downs on Derby Day!
Want to expand your knowledge of the Kentucky Derby? Read on for some trivia and the traditions that contributed to making this horse race so very, very famous:
For Kentuckians, the Derby is an annual rite to Spring. It is an event-filled two weeks centered around the Kentucky Derby Festival…one of the nation’s largest community festivals. Over 70 events (2/3rds of which are free) bring visitors and, of course, locals out in droves to see “the” steamboat race on the Ohio River, hot air balloons filling the skies, the colorful Pegasus Parade, Thunder over Louisville (fireworks), all venues of music and performers, sports—from golf to basketball, bed races, and even servers carrying filled wine glasses racing around the Jefferson County Courthouse.
Derby is also a time for Kentucky hosts and hostesses to exhibit their finest culinary skills…a time filled with parties, and menus that vary from backyard barbeques to formal dinners. As Derby Day approaches the parties become notoriously more lavish. On Derby Day itself, a tradition is the Derby Day Breakfast—all fare is acceptable, but the all time favorites are country ham, beaten biscuits, eggs, grits soufflé, and…mint juleps (see recipe below).
At Churchill Downs—fashion rules—albeit sometimes eccentric and frivolous, it is mainly high fashion particularly expressed by one’s hat. It is a chance for women to experience their “inner Southern Belle” and thought to bring good luck. Most of the women’s hats are wide-brimmed and trimmed with flowers, feathers, bows, and lots of ribbon. Derby Day at Churchill Downs is a people watcher’s dream—you can see it ALL!
The Garland of Roses presented to the winning horse was inspired by an elegant Louisville party in 1896. Each woman attending was presented with a garland of roses. This so impressed then Churchill Downs president, Col. Lewis Clark, to adopt the rose as the official flower of the Derby. In turn, a NYC sports writer, Bill Corum, was first to use the phrase, “Run for the Roses” in 1925. Each year 400 red roses are sewn into a garland adorned with green fern and ribbon. One rose serves as the “crown” and is placed in the center of the garland. This “crown” symbolizes the struggle and heart necessary to reach the Derby Winner’s Circle.
As the Thoroughbreds leave the paddock and appear on the track for the running of the Kentucky Derby, everyone stands and lifts a mint julep and sings from the heart “My Old Kentucky Home” written by Stephen Foster. On Derby Day the whole world is from Kentucky!
“My Old Kentucky Home”
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home
Tis’ summer and the people are gay.
The corntop’s ripe and the meadow’s in the bloom
While the birds make music all the day.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor
All merry, all happy and bright.
By’n by hard times come a knocking at the door
Then my old Kentucky home, Good Night!
Weep no more my lady. Oh! Weep no more today!
We will sing one song for my old Kentucky home
For the old Kentucky home far away.
MINT JULEP
Old Forester’s Kentucky Bourbon has been the Churchill Downs bourbon of choice for over a century. Last year 120,000 mint juleps were served at the Downs over the 2-day period (Oaks Day and Derby Day). To make this many, 10,000 bottles of Old Forrester, 1,000 pounds of mint, and 60 pounds of crushed ice were used.
Recipe for a batch of mint juleps: start with 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water boiled for 5 minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with 6-8 sprigs of mint. Refrigerate overnight. To serve, make one julep at time by filling a julep cup (or glass) with crushed ice, one tbls. of the mint syrup, 2 oz. of bourbon, and garnish with a fresh mint sprig. Yum!
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