01-05-2025
What does the Kentucky Derby mean to the Commonwealth?
LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — The Kentucky Derby has fans from all over the globe, but here in the Commonwealth, it just means more.
It doesn't matter where you are from. From Pikeville to Paducah, the Kentucky Derby means something different for everyone.
During this year's Spring Meet at Keeneland, FOX 56 asked people why they felt the Run for the Roses is so special.
'It's a cultural piece; it's our lifestyle, a way of life in Kentucky,' said Bardstown resident Joshua Whitehouse. 'It's our whole industry that the whole state is engulfed in: horses and the breeding industry and the racing industry. So, it's everything to us.'
Do you believe in luck? Why horseshoes are considered to be lucky in Kentucky
What does the Kentucky Derby mean to the Commonwealth?
Keeneland stars training well as Derby, Oaks contenders
'It's a Kentucky tradition,' explained Frankfort resident Ashley Stanley.
'The crowd, the legend,' Lexington's Tom McDermott said.
'I mean the horses, the hats, the bourbon, the food, everything,' detailed Amy Mefford from Frankfort. 'It's like a holiday.'
'It's a good time; it lets you know spring's here. That's right!' said Winchester couple Diana & Martin Kirk.
And whether you're watching the famed race on the grounds of Churchill Downs or at home on a TV screen, every Kentuckian has that one memory that keeps them looking forward to the first Saturday in May every year.
'Secretariat,' Lexington resident Brian Hall said. 'I know I was really young then. But another was Affirmed and Alydar.'
Read more of the latest Kentucky Derby news
'When I was younger, our family always went to the Derby breakfast when it was an actual big breakfast, recalled Mefford. 'That was probably my best memory.'
'Snow, snow on Derby one year,' the Kirks remembered. 'Always had a Derby party, and I remembered when it had snowed on Derby Day.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
