LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Whenever they run it, the Kentucky Derby is still the Kentucky Derby. Whatever the date, Louisville will respond with splendor and spectacle.
The first Saturday in May is gone. We're losing a lot in the way of sporting events and way of life to the COVID-19 threat. We lost March Madness. The Masters. From a sports standpoint, everything. But there's not much use crying over it, in the face of far more significant losses.
Around here, to have the Derby looming ahead of us in September is a gift. The Derby now is the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully. There's no telling how things will look then, but the hope is that it'll be safe to throw a party once again.
And it isn't just the Derby. The Kentucky Oaks will be run on Friday, Sept. 4. The Oaks, in itself, has become one of the biggest days in American racing. Churchill president Kevin Flannery says the track's intention is to keep its Tuesday through Saturday Derby week schedule intact, and just move it to September, and that the track is working with its partners to accomplish that.
Churchill Downs Kentucky Oaks crowd, 2019.
Regardless, Churchill Downs, with its feel for marketing, and for themes, is sure to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn its springtime rite into a fall classic.
Within minutes of the announcement, I had people shooting me messages: "It'll have half the crowd that it has in May."
Maybe. But I'd also caution people on this fact: Never underestimate Louisville's ability to throw a party.
"Our team is united in our commitment to holding the very best Kentucky Derby ever and certainly the most unique in any of our lifetimes," Churchill CEO Bill Carstanjen said. "While we are always respectful of the time-honored traditions of the Kentucky Derby, our company's true legacy is one of resilience, the embracing of change and unshakeable resolve."
New Derby prep races will be added, working with existing stakes races. This will be the toughest thing for horsemen, as a new road to the Derby is plotted out. But Carstanjen said that everyone will have to make the best of it.
"This will be fun, and will allow the public to get to know the various contenders better," he said.
Carstanjen said NBC is in talks with the Preakness and Belmont, to move those races to fall dates in an effort to approximate a traditional Triple Crown run.
There's no guarantee that the coronavirus will have run its course by September. Pres. Donald Trump on Monday said he's hearing that by July or August the worst could be over. But the fact is, no one knows.
Churchill and everyone else will have to continually reassess. But Carstanjen said he's committed to running the race, this year.
"We feel confident that we are going to run the Kentucky Derby, and we are going to run it with a crowd," he said. "The Kentucky Derby is a participatory event. It's energy and its magic really come from everybody participating and being there to enjoy it. We're going to make it happen. This race has happened 145 years in a row, and we’re going to make it 146."
For years, I had an assignment to cover the Indianapolis 500. My favorite was run on a Tuesday, because of continued rain delays. The crowds were smaller, yes. Maybe that’s why it was a favorite. But it was different, and memorable.
This Kentucky Derby, because of its timing, and because of the time we will have come through to get to it, will be unforgettable.
Bet on it.
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