Mashable's Guide to the Kentucky Derby

What's This?

Kentucky Derby entrant California Chrome gets a bath after a morning workout at Churchill Downs Thursday, May 1, 2014, in Louisville, Ky.

Image: Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

By Brian Ries2014-05-03 15:59:10 UTC

There is a super-big horse race on Saturday, and people will be talking about it. Here's what you need to know:

What is the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is what horse people call a Grade I stakes race for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses. It’s been held every year since 1875 in Louisville, Kentucky, always on the first Saturday in May, at the Churchill Downs racetrack. It's been called “The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports” or alternatively, “The Run for the Roses,” because, well, it lasts for two very exciting minutes, and its winner is draped in a blanket of roses.

What’s all this talk about a Triple Crown?

The Triple Crown refers to the three premiere races for thoroughbred horses in the United States: the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Only 11 horses have ever claimed the three-peat, with the most recent champion crowning his mane in 1978 (that horse was named Affirmed). The only horse name you’ll probably recognize is Secretariat, and yep, that horse won the Triple Crown in 1973.

A few horses have gotten close, and broken our hearts over the years, with Smarty Jones making a run in 2004, Big Brown in 2008 and I’ll Have Another in 2012. This is the first race of the three.

What time is this year’s race?

The 2014 Kentucky Derby’s post time is 6:24 p.m. ET.

There are a few others races earlier in the day, and NBC will have wall-to-wall coverage detailing all the story lines and backstories of the horses and horse facts, so you should really plan on settling in around 5 p.m. A word of warning: You are never ready for the start of the race. Nobody truly is. Use the bathroom early, fill your drinks and wait diligently by the TV starting at 6 p.m. It’ll be over before you know it. Don't miss it.

How can I watch the race?

If you’re reading Mashable's Derby guide, then we’re guessing you’re not sitting between the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. That's okay. We won't be there, either; for this, we have NBC. The network's coverage of the 140th Kentucky Derby starts at 4 p.m. ET and continues through 7 p.m. ET. You can listen to it on the Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) on Sirius Channel 93 & XM 208, beginning at 5 p.m. ET, or you can tune in online at NBCSports.com and TwinSpires.com — where you can gamble, too. Naturally, you could also go to a local race track, and watch on their TVs for a semi-real experience of being at the event itself — that’s always fun and weird.

Your best bet is probably to find a local Kentucky Derby party, dress up and have yourself a fancy Saturday.

Which horses are the favorites?

The 5-2 favorite at this year’s Derby is California Chrome, which is starting from the favorable No. 5 starting spot. The horse’s owners are hoping it will be the first California-bred horse to win the Derby in more than 50 years, while its trainer, Art Sherman, is aiming to become the oldest to win the race, at 77.

It's a pretty fast horse! Faster than pretty much all the other horses it has raced against, in fact. Case in point: Watch what happens around the final term at April’s Santa Anita Derby:

Fast horse, right?

The second choice horse to win, Hoppertunity, was scratched from the race as of Thursday due to a bruised left foot — so forget that guy.

A third horse, Vicars in Trouble, drew a bad post at No. 1 (the spot closest to the fence), which means its jockey, Rosie Napravnik, will have a harder time becoming the first female to ride a horse to victory at the Derby — oddsmakers still have Vicars at 30-1. Still, that would be a fun one.

Some other horses to watch for — based purely on the hilarity of their names alone — include Uncle Sigh, Danza, Commanding Curve, Candy Boy and Wicked Strong (which, yes, is from the Boston area).

What are the interesting story lines?

Oh boy, are there story lines — and you're sure to hear all about them on Saturday.

As we said, Rosie Napravnik is hoping to ride Vicar's In Trouble to victory, becoming the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. She rode Mylute to a fifth-place finish at last year’s race, and undoubtedly wants to do better in 2014.

California Chrome has a pretty neat backstory, the kind that makes you realize that could be your horse on the track one day.

Vinceremos comes from a therapeutic riding center.

Wicked Strong was named to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Some survivors will be there as guests of the horse's owners.

10% of Uncle Sigh's earnings will go to Wounded Warrior Project, and will be earmarked for vets returning home from war.

We Miss Artie is named after a guy named Artie, who died two years ago, and is missed by his family.

Danza was named after Tony Danza — and Tony, naturally, is a fan. He'll be cheering his namesake on from the grandstands.

How can I bet?

Save your money. Or don't. There are plenty of sites on the Internet. The official website is TwinSpires.com.

How do I make a mint julep?

Good question! The Kentucky Derby’s website says the drink has been “the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century.” They serve over 120,000 of these bad boys at each Derby, requiring more than 10,000 bottles of Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail, 1,000 pounds of mint and 60,000 pounds of ice, according to the site.

To make your own, you’re going to need sugar, water, springs of fresh mint, crushed ice and whisky.

The official recipe states that you’ll have to make a simple syrup by boiling together sugar and water for a few minutes, and refrigerating it overnight with mint. They also sell simple syrup in stores, so if you’re hosting a party, that’s probably the easier route.

You then fill a cup with ice, add a tablespoon of the mint syrup and two ounces of whisky. Stir, and plop in some mint. 
Enjoy (responsibly).

Or just do this:

Then go cook a whole bunch of delicious Derby food.

What's the deal with the hats?

Ah, the hats. They're a whole thing. Usually they are quite fancy, and a staple of Derby fashion for years. Now, Pizza Hut's even gotten in the game, with hats created by Project Runway designer Angela Bacskocky.

Al Roker likes his Derby hats.

Tell me a fun fact!

Okay. Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski have signed on as NBC’s “fashion experts.” NBC apparently liked their on-air commentary during the Sochi Olympics so much that executives thought the duo was worth bringing back for a repeat.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

tl;dr: Horses will run fast Saturday evening, and people will win or lose lots of money while wearing silly hats.

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Topics: Entertainment, kentucky derby, Sports, U.S.