From British Royalty and U.S. presidents to Super Bowl Champions and even a notorious train robber, since the late 1800s, celebrities from around the world have made their way to Churchill Downs to be part of theKentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.
In 2021 amid the ongoing COIVD-19 pandemic, the star power wasn t quite as bright as it has been in past years, but the historic race track still attracted some sparkle.
With no celebrity charity galas on Derby Eve to attend and no red carpet entrance for VIP attendees and their guests at the track, it took some hunting and pecking to find famous faces at the 147th Kentucky Derby, but they were there.
Kentucky Derby Fast Facts kvia.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kvia.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
View Comments
LOUISVILLE Fans weren t allowed inside Churchill Downs during the running of the 2020 Kentucky Derby, but outside, hundreds of people marched. There was a national militia group, the Not F ing Around Coalition, which brandished heavy firearms while facing a line of fences and police cars. And there were local protesters and church leaders, who joined with the national organization Until Freedom to march from South Central Park to the racetrack.
They chanted, Say her name: Breonna Taylor, as they called for police officers to be charged in the death of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was killed in her home by police executing a search warrant in March 2020.
Over the years, Derby has helped me create lasting memories.
My first Derby was in 1997. An excited college freshman-to-be, I traveled to the city with my girlfriends and had a ball cruisin’ down West Broadway. I will never forget squatting in an alley somewhere in Shawnee to relieve my bladder. Mama still has the art I bought her from Screaming Eagles.
When my sister returned to the city from Hawaii, Derby was one way she reconnected with the city. I opened up my backyard to friends and family for music and food for four straight days! I purchased the kids a ride in the Pegasus Parade, thanks to the Louisville Urban League’s silent auction. It was an upgrade from the years of early mornings watching the hot air balloons take off from Bowman Field when they were toddlers.
Return of Great Bed Races Includes Special Gift for Louisville Children in Need prnewswire.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from prnewswire.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.