Tonight is the night, sports fans! You’ve been waiting for this day for a long time and tonight is finally here. The 101st Running of the Kentucky Derby is just hours away and you and your friends are probably already in your seats at the racecourse. It’s safe to say you’re as excited as can be!
The excitement of the Kentucky Derby is certainly no secret. With just under 70,000 fans expected at the ground, it might be the biggest sports crowd you and your friends have ever seen. It’s fair to say you and your fellow sports fans are in for a treat. A treat that isn’t exactly your usual sporting events TV fare. That’s because tonight’s race is going to be different. Tonight is the 101st running of the Kentucky Derby and for the first time in history, the race is going to be broadcast to a global audience. Since 1926, the Kentucky Derby has traditionally been a derby for local contenders only. However, in 2020, the sport will take a massive step forward.
First and foremost, the Kentucky Derby is changing its format in an effort to be more appealing to as many people as possible. Gone are the days of just a select few deciding the fate of the state’s horse racing community. Nowadays, anyone will be able to tune in and follow the race online via the live stream. Furthermore, the Kentucky Derby isn’t just limited to horse racing anymore. For the first time ever, the event will feature three different horse racing forms. That’s right, it’s going to be a night filled with fun and excitement!
To celebrate this historic moment, the Kentucky Derby is changing its name to the ‘Spyder Meadows Derby’. The name change is part of a joint venture with the San Diego Padres and the city’s iconic Spyders mascot. The new name and new look are in an effort to appeal to a broader audience and to promote the event to fans of all ages. The Kentucky Derby name change will take place prior to the start of the race and will be broadcast live on TV stations across the country.
With the world now aware of the ongoing pandemic, the Kentucky Derby has had to cancel its season and has had to find ways to entertain its fans during this time. The pandemic has given the event the opportunity to rebrand and re-shape itself. The Kentucky Derby is looking to bring its fans closer to the action and make the whole process a little easier. Therefore, instead of having to go to the racetrack to physically attend the event, this year’s Kentucky Derby will be held virtually – complete with live video feeds from the racetrack and a simulcast of the race. This is certainly a step forward for the sport and certainly gives the event a new dimension.
Speaking of new dimensions, the 2020 Kentucky Derby will be the first to feature three different forms of horse racing. Thoroughbreds will run in the traditional Derby distance of one and a quarter miles, with the added bonus of two other races. Those are the – more commonly known as – ‘Turf’ and ‘Mile Stakes’. The purpose of the Turf race is to determine which horses are suitable for competition over longer distances. The longest of these three races will be the Kentucky Derby itself, which will be run over a mile and a quarter. The second will be the – now infamous – ‘Polynesian Stakes’, which are held at a shorter distance than the traditional one and a quarter miles. The final and sometimes strangest of the three will be the – you guessed it – ‘Mile Dance’. This race will see fit riders attempt to keep their horses coordinated as they dance around a figure eight marked out on the track. The objective of this race is simply to entertain the crowd and promote healthy living through dance!
The First Ever Triple Crown Champs
Let’s be honest, the last few years haven’t been kind to the Kentucky Derby. Since the global pandemic began, the popularity of the event has declined and attendance has fallen. The good news is that, since the pandemic began, the sport has seen a revival. Attendance at the track has increased by 68% and betting pools have grown by 43%. This can largely be credited to the efforts of the Kentucky Derby Commission and the support of the entire state. It seems that people are finally wanting to get back out on the track and the Kentucky Derby is welcoming them back with open arms!
In an effort to continue this trend, the Kentucky Derby has decided to up the ante and give their fans the ultimate prize. For the first time ever, the race is going to crown a Triple Crown Champion! That’s right, the 2020 Kentucky Derby winner will win the prestigious Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing! What is arguably the most prestigious event in horse racing will now join the party! After years of struggling for recognition, the Kentucky Derby has decided to throw caution to the wind and go for broke!
All Eyes On The Prize
The last few years has seen the entire horse racing world suffer and in an effort to help protect the sport from COVID-19, the Kentucky Derby has gone above and beyond what was originally asked of them. For the last and the only 2020 edition of the ‘Derby Week’, the Kentucky Derby has canceled its annual festival. In its place, the event will hold a single live race. Furthermore, instead of the traditional ‘New Year’s Eve’ party, the 2020 Kentucky Derby will be held on ‘Good Friday’. Finally, instead of just a single ‘Happy Derby’ party held at the end of the year, the 2020 Kentucky Derby will be followed by an entire month of parties and celebrations. From the ‘Derby Week’ festival on New Year’s Eve until the end of March, the Kentucky Derby will hold an open house for its fans.
While all of this might seem like an incredible opportunity to some, this year the Kentucky Derby has seen the opposite; they’ve had to make numerous changes just to keep running the race. This is because of the limited access granted to groups of ten or more people and the complete shutdown of bars and restaurants which meant they had to find alternative venues for their attendees. The situation got so dire that they had to move the event to a different track. All of this so they could retain their liquor license.
Why The Change?
The biggest issue facing the Kentucky Derby is attendance. Since the global pandemic began, people have had to be extremely selective about how, when and where they attend. Even prior to the pandemic, attendance was declining and it continued to do so after the event was forced to move to a different track. The Kentucky Derby is looking to right this wrong and give their fans a reason to attend. The first step is to allow more flexibility about where they can attend and this is why they’ve changed the name of the race to the Spyder Meadows Derby. The name change will take place prior to the start of the race and will be broadcast live on TV stations across the country.
Who Will Win?
We hate to admit it but, beyond the amazing opportunity to see a Triple Crown Champion, we really don’t know much about the upcoming 2020 Kentucky Derby. The lack of information can be attributed to the limited access granted to the general public and the complete lockdown of bars, restaurants and clubs which for one, limited the amount of times we could gather with friends and family to attend a race. Even prior to the pandemic, the Kentucky Derby was considered a bit of a crapshoot – a guess-game among friends. However, in the face of adversity, a sport can really step up and make something special. In the coming weeks, we’ll learn a lot more about the horses and the contenders but for now, all we have to go on is pure speculation.
The best guess for the winner of the 2020 Kentucky Derby comes from a very reputable source and that’s the horses themselves. After years of struggling for recognition, the Kentucky Derby has decided to go all-in and bet on themselves. Based on their own accounts, the horses believe they are ready to storm to victory and bring home the bacon!
The Evolution Of American Football
While you and your friends might be excited about the upcoming 2020 Kentucky Derby and all of its associated parties, there is another sports event that takes place just one week later that you might want to be paying attention to. That’s right, tonight is the night that the American Football world comes together for one of the most important events of the year. The Super Bowl!