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Guests attend 36th annual Derby Museum Ball, help keep Derby Museum's mission alive

"To be able to continue operating as a museum, continue teaching kids, continuing welcoming guests from all around the globe, every single year is really important."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Local celebrities, politicians and a who's who of Louisville and Kentucky gathered at the Kentucky Derby Museum for the 36th annual Derby Museum Ball.

Their ticket? A donation that keeps the Derby Museum’s mission alive.

"It's been nice this year because this year was Secretariat's 50th anniversary so the theme and vibe is very much 1970's, a little throwback to Americana," Chair Ashely Davis Sigman said.

Also present at the ball was Walker Hancock, the 33-year-old president of Claiborne Farm, where Big Red is buried.

Claiborne does not have a horse in the Kentucky Derby this year, so Hancock said he gets “to enjoy it this year and not be nervous for the race."

Hancock told WHAS11 he does watch the final times closely to make sure no one beats Secretariat's record.

However, Claiborne does have a connection to the Kentucky Oaks.

"There's a filly in the oaks that's by one of our stallions so we're cheering for her," he said.

The party is the single biggest fundraiser for the museum.

"To have this ball and to be able to continue operating as a museum, continue teaching kids, continuing welcoming guests from all around the globe, every single year, is really important," Rachel Collier, director of communications at the Derby Museum, said.

The guests are proud of the work and said they are ready for the first Saturday in May.

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