LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Derby Week 2023 is officially in full swing, as thousands packed inside Churchill Downs for opening night Saturday.
It marks the official start to Churchill Downs 2023 Spring Meet, which is scheduled to take place April 29 through July 3, this year.
The 10-race card kicks off a week full of racing leading up to the greatest two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby, on May 6.
The spectacle of sport that is opening night is also regarded as "the most stylish night in horse racing."
It's the glitz and glamour of trends that brought some out. Saturday.
"I feel like, Southern woman specifically, in Kentucky can really bring it," Louisville-native Christy Cates, said.
Cates attended opening night with her work girlfriends.
"Every year, this gets better and better and every year, the fashion gets bigger and more eloquent," Cates said. "The energy Derby week brings our city and the memories we get to make with all of our friends -- that's what I'm most looking forward to."
Cates said "no one is a stranger" when you're on the track.
It may be why thousands travel from around the world to experience Derby Week every year.
This year, one of those checking Derby Week off their bucket list was Lavon Beethie, from southeast Nebraska. When the opportunity arose, he didn't hesitate to make the two-day, 400-mile trip out here.
"I got a bucket list on my phone. Of all the things I want to do in my life, this trip is one of them," he said. "I just can't believe that we're here on this property. Going forward, every time I watch a Kentucky Derby from home, I'll be able to say, 'wow, I was there. I was right there."
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