Crown Jewels

By Tom Patten

Hope and horse racing at the Triple Crown level are so married that there's a formal dress and décor for the occasion. There are flowers, buffets and signature drinks. And, each of the three most celebrated horse races in America carries its own, distinct ceremonies and traditions.

The Run for the Roses

The Kentucky Derby is the first and arguably the shiniest jewel in the Triple Crown. It's held the first Saturday in May and is called "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" because of its duration. It's also called the "The Run for the Roses" after the blanket of roses draped over the winner. The Derby race crowns a two-week Kentucky Derby Festival rich with fireworks, parades, races and the crowning of the derby festival queen.

The horserace itself is run over a mile and a quarter at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the first leg of the Triple Crown and typically draws around 155,000 fans.

Its amazing amount of attention probably stems from the fact that Kentucky has been the center of horse breeding and racing in America since the late 1700s.

In addition to the race itself, a number of traditions have played a large role in the Derby atmosphere. The mint julep, an iced drink of bourbon, mint and a sugar syrup, is the traditional beverage of the Kentucky Derby. The word "julep" is derived from the Persian "julab" meaning rose water.

Traditionally, mint juleps are served in silver or pewter cups, and held only by the bottom and top edges of the cup. That way, frost can form on the outside of the cup, a sign of gentility. Over 80,000 mint juleps are typically served on Derby Day and at the preceding day's event. Also, Burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork and vegetables, is a popular dish traditionally served at the Derby.

According to one Kentucky Derby Museum Manager, the current trend for women to dress up in all their finery accessorized with large, elaborate hats took off in the '60s and '70s, though you would think it's a tie to the hats of the Victorian era when Churchill Downs was built.

The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans

The Preakness, the second jewel in the Triple Crown, is run in Baltimore, Maryland at the Pimlico Racetrack two Saturdays after the Derby. It's called "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" because a blanket of the state flower of Maryland is traditionally draped over the winner's neck. The name "Preakness" comes from the winner of the first stakes race the day Pimlico Racetrack opened in 1870. The first running of the Preakness Stakes predates the Kentucky Derby by two years.

After the horses for the Preakness are called to the post, everyone sings "Maryland, My Maryland", the official state song, led by the United States Naval Academy Glee Club.

When the winner is announced, someone climbs a ladder to the top of the Old Clubhouse cupola on display in the infield, a tradition that dates back to 1909. He paints the horse and rider on the weather vane to match the victorious horse and rider. Of course, if that horse has also won the Kentucky Derby, excitement begins to mount as to whether that horse will go on to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes in June.

The official beverage of the Preakness is "The Preakness," a white liquor, pineapple and orange juice concoction that sounds like it has more kick than a first time shoeing. The strength of the drink alone may account for Preakness Celebration being a week shorter than Kentucky Derby Festival.

The Run for the Carnations

The third leg in the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, is held at Belmont Park in New York. The official flower for the Belmont is the carnation. The race is run three weeks after the Preakness. The song is the theme from "New York, New York" made famous by Frank Sinatra. This tradition mirrors the singing of "My Old Kentucky Home" at the Derby and "Maryland, My Maryland" at the Preakness.

The Belmont is the oldest of the three Triple Crown events. The Belmont predates the Preakness by six years and the Kentucky Derby by eight. The first running was in 1867 at Jerome Park (Belmont Park was finished in 1905).

The Belmont Stakes is called the "Test of the Champion" because of its marathon length, a mile and a half, and because it's the last race of the Triple Crown. Most three-year-olds aren't used to the distance, and lack the ability to maintain a winning speed for long enough. Positioning and timing become critical.

The official drink of the Belmont Stakes is the Belmont Breeze. The profile of the drink comes from an enigmatic colonial era recipe: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak. It's primarily a whiskey and sour drink garnished with mint and lemon.

Winning the Triple Crown is a difficult feat. The last horse to win it was Affirmed in 1978.