Saturday, May 4th marks the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby. Many fans will be at the historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Nicknamed “The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports,” the Kentucky Derby showcases the best of the best of three year old Thoroughbreds running one and a quarter mile to see who crosses the finish line first.
The Kentucky Derby is a part one of the three races in the US Triple Crown. The other two races are the Preakness Stakes followed by the Belmont Stakes. One fun fact that you can tell your friends when watching the race on May 4th is that out of the three races, the Kentucky Derby is the only race to have never taken a break since it started back in 1875.
If you are not going to be at Churchill Downs you can still enjoy watching the race from the comforts of your own home. My friends and I have recently got into the races and we have a tradition of cooking a few appetizers and having some cocktails leading up the race. We all pick a horse that we think will win and see if we guessed right. There are a lot of possible winners for the derby. Some of the early favorites are Orb, Verrazano, Revolutionary, and Goldencents.
I am going to be rooting for two horses. I would love to see Itsmyluckyday or Black Onyx win the race.
One other cool aspect is that Crown Royal is working with Laffit Pincay, Jr., who is the winningest jockey of all time. Crown Royal will donate $1 million to Thoroughbred Charities of America if Pincay can predict the top-three finishers in order to each leg of the Triple Crown. Pincay’s picks in order are 1stGoldencents, 2nd Normandy Invasion, and 3rd Orb.
Jimmy Kimmel sat down with Laffit Pincay, Jr. for “3 Ridiculous Questions,” which aired on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
If you are looking to have your own party at home here are some great cocktail recipes that you should try while watching the races. My favorite is the Gold Rush and I will be sipping on that during the race.
Gold Rush
Ingredients:
Crown Royal – 1.25 oz
Lemon Juice – .75 oz
Honey – .5 oz
Bitters – 1 dash
Directions: Mix ingredients in a shaker and strain n a chilled glass on the rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Crown Royal Black and Ginger
Ingredients:
Crown Royal – 1.5 oz.
Ginger Ale – 6 oz.
Directions: Serve over ice and garnish with a lime wedge.
Crown Royal Long Island Iced Tea
Ingredients:
Crown Royal – .75 oz.
Smirnoff® Vodka – .25 oz.
Tanqueray® Gin – .25 oz.
Myer’s® Platinum Rum – .25 oz.
Lemon Lime Soda – Splash
Cola – Splash
Sour Mix – Splash
Directions: Shake Crown Royal, Smirnoff Vodka, Tanqueray Gin and Myer’s Rum with ice, and pour into a tumbler glass. Layer in cola, lemon-lime soda and sour mix. Garnish with a slice of lemon and enjoy.
Crown Royal Washington Apple
Ingredients:
Crown Royal – 1.25 oz
Apple Schnapps – .5 oz.
Cranberry Juice – 2-3 oz.
Directions: Combine in a shaker, shake it up and pour over ice. Garnish with an apple slice.
Crown Royal Whisky Sour
Ingredients:
Crown Royal – 1.5 oz.
Light Lemonade – 1 oz.
Fresh Lemon Juice – .25 oz.
Sugar Substitute – 1 packet
Directions: Shake it up, pour over ice and garnish with a cherry.
Crown Royal Sidecar
Ingredients:
Crown Royal – 1.25 oz.
Orange Liqueur – 0.25 oz.
Lemon Juice – 0.25 oz.
Directions: Combine ingredients in a shaker. Shake and pour into a sugar-rimmed glass for a light, sweet and satisfying cocktail.
