LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new queen has been chosen for this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival.
Ankita Nair was named 2024 Kentucky Derby Festival Queen following the traditional spin of the wheel during the annual Fillies Derby Ball at the Galt House Saturday night.
Nair is a third-year medical student at the University of Louisville’s School of Medicine. She also is the 2023 Miss University of Louisville and was a Quality of Life finalist at Miss Kentucky.
She also is the founder of her preventative health initiative, “Let’s Live Kentucky.” The initiative aims to improve healthcare outcomes in Kentucky.
Nair and the Derby Festival Princesses – Paighton Brooks, Sarah Downs, Emma Rhodes and Laurel Riggs will serve as ambassadors and will attend a variety of events throughout the festival.
Each of the women will receive two $1,000 scholarships and an official wardrobe.
Past Derby Festival Queens include Kentucky’s first woman Governor Martha Layne Collins, Gail Gorski – the first female pilot for United Airlines and numerous community leaders.
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