And They're Off!
Louisville museum captures the essence of Thoroughbred racing

From the first time I swung my five-year-old leg over the back of a snow-white trail pony, I’ve been nuts about horses. A stint as a thoroughbred exercise rider only made me more rabid a fan. I wouldn’t miss watching the Kentucky Derby and I get teary the second the strains of “My Old Kentucky Home” waft below those twin spires.

For people so afflicted, be they horsemen or just horse crazy, the Kentucky Derby Museum is the proverbial equine “candy store.” Even if you just like to delve into history, place the occasional bet or simply want to find out what the venerable race’s attraction is, this terrific museum can grab your attention for hours.

Step through its starting gate entrance and you’re immediately surrounded by the sights, sounds and spectacles of the Derby and the intriguing Thoroughbred industry itself through interactive exhibits, fine art, artifacts and a movie that can make an equine fan out of a non-believer.

Shown in the round on a 360-degree screen, the high-definition video “The Greatest Race” is the first of its kind. As you pivot on a comfy cube to catch every frame, you’re transported to the Churchill Downs backstretch at 5:30 on Derby morning, and then to some of the finest farms in the Bluegrass as you follow the making of a racehorse from birth to the running of the “greatest two minutes in sports” on the first Saturday in May.

A microcosm of the museum itself, the feature awakens the senses with whinnies, roaring fans and the clompa-da clomp of hooves, painted with colored-splashed jockeys’ silks, blood-red roses and crazy-hued Derby hats. The most recent Derby is shown and its winner and entourage are featured. Tourists aren’t the only viewers.

“When jockeys, owners and trainers stop by to see the film,” says Laura Payne, public relations manager for the museum, “we treat them as our ambassadors, because they are.”

In the movie some of the most revered names in the business speak of the 129-year-old race with awe. Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas describes the Derby as “very, very difficult to win.” Long-time Claiborne Farm manager John Sosby affirms that to raise a Derby winner, you have to “catch that light in a bottle.” And it’s “the race every jockey wants to win,” according to veteran rider Lafitte Pincay.

“(The film) brings a tear to the eye of people from everywhere, even if they’re not horsemen,” says Lynn Ashton, the museum’s executive director. “They don’t realize it takes four years to make a Derby winner and is a lot of hard work for the people and animals involved.

“You have two exquisite athletes, an animal and a human, and on that day at that time both are at the top of their game. Everything doesn’t fall just on the horse as it does in, say, a greyhound race, nor on the human. It’s mutual and that’s so exciting.”

Rife with history and equine information, this treasure of a museum grew from a tiny room at Churchill Downs and opened in 1985, thanks to Louisville hotelier J. Graham Brown. An extensive renovation in 2000 created its current vibrant atmosphere.

Cheering often resounds from the Warner L. Jones Jr. Time Machine, where you can watch the human-horse teamwork in action in films of Derbies from 1918 to the present. The more popular videos include Secretariat’s Derby and the 1933 Broker’s Tip race in which two jockeys literally fought each other all the way down the backstretch to the wire. I could’ve spent the day at this exhibit.

However, my favorite horsy activity – and that of most children! – was “Riders Up,” where you actually mount one of two half-horses and ride a simulated race shown on a video screen. You must keep your weight on your feet and stay out of the saddle, just like a jockey, or your horse will be disqualified. I’m embarrassed to admit that several kids who rode after me did a much better than this former racetracker.

Included in the museum’s 200,000 annual visitors are 20,000 school kids who tour free to experience some 14 kindergarten through high school educational programs that encompass arts and humanities, science, social studies, math, language arts and practical living.

“Our No. 1 goal is to educate,” says Payne. “Often after kids come here on a tour, they’ll tell their parents, who bring them back on weekends. The education program is a win-win because it teaches kids about the industry while creating a strong fan base.”

At the museum children also get to meet retired racehorse Phantom on Tour and his tiny companion Winston, a miniature horse, just to see how big a thoroughbred really is.

Impossible as the feat may seem, a number of owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys have won the Run for the Roses three or more times. The museum’s Derby Hall of Champions honors them and all Triple Crown winners. On a guided half-hour walking tour of the track or hour-long minibus tour of the backside, or barn area, you’ll learn about these and the esteemed facility itself. Photo ops abound, but don’t try to sell your snaps of the twin spires, as they’re designated a National Landmark and are trademarked.

A fascinating exhibit takes you into the 24/7/365 world of the backside, with jockeys, exercise riders, grooms and veterinarians among its community. A display on African Americans in Racing features Isaac Murphy, whom many believe to be the greatest jockey ever. The International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame lauds those hard-working blacksmiths who forge new shoes for runners’ tootsies. And you can learn how to place a bet at an interactive window.

Current changing exhibits include “The Life and Times of Jimmy Winkfield, International Horseman,” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his last Derby ride; official Derby artists; and the Triple Crown trophies of champion Affirmed.

Visitors can come to the museum seven days a week all year except Thanksgiving, Christmas, Breeders Cup day when it’s in Louisville, and Oaks and Derby Days. On the first Saturday in May, the facility is open only to members and VIPs, including people associated with horses in the big race. The winner’s party takes place here that evening.

“That night everyone always cheers through the showing of ‘The Greatest Race,’” says Payne, “because they know they’ll be up on that screen the following year.”

Public museum events include the Derby post position draw, an annual Derby hat contest open to everyone, and regular autographings by jockeys and trainers in the museum’s Winners Circle, where visitors can have their photos snapped to show the folks back home.

“Once visitors have come here and seen ‘The Greatest Race,’ they’ll either say, ‘I’m coming back here in May’ or ‘I feel like I’ve been to the Derby,’” Payne says. “It makes us feel like we’ve completed our mission. Many people will come back in May. If not this year, then maybe in a couple of years.”

For museum, café and gift shop hours, specifics on the Derby hat contest, and info on foreign language guided tours and tours for the visually and hearing impaired, trot onto www.derbymuseum.org.

Katherine Tandy Brown is a staff writer for The Lane Report.
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