LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One look inside Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in September and it was hard to believe it was Derby Day.

There wasn't the usual spectacle or mammoth crowd. Only a handful of people were allowed in to see the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby, making for an eerie, empty track compared to years past — all thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

Upon arrival, guests, limited to owners, trainers and essential personnel, had to have their temperatures taken at the gate. Bags and passes were checked and a walk through the metal detectors was required. Bottles of hand sanitizer were also provided.

The paddock, jam packed with people on a normal Derby Day, was virtually empty, with the only people there having some sort of connection to the horses.

Because so few people were coming through the gates, security was all the more important. Signs around every corner reminded guests to wear a face mask and socially distance themselves because of COVID-19. 

IMAGES | Inside Churchill Downs for an unusual Kentucky Derby 146

Derby 146 didn't just look and feel different — it sounded different. Instead of a roaring crowd filled with different colors, outfits and hats, there were echoes.

An event usually steeped in tradition was one of change this year, with Churchill Downs announcing a moment of silence before playing the state song, "My Old Kentucky Home," to recognize decades of racial inequality while promising to be part of lasting, meaningful change.

Saturday's Derby was run 18 weeks after its traditional first Saturday in May because of the pandemic, forcing track officials to reschedule and contest the race. The initial plan was to have 20,000 people in the stands, but that plan was ultimately scrapped.

Only 15 horses competed in the $3 million race, with two horses scratched earlier in the week and a third, Bob Baffert-trained Thousand Words, scratched just 20 minutes before the race after rearing and flipping to the ground before being saddled up in the paddock.

Ultimately, Baffert ended the day in the Winner's Circle with Authentic, who raced across the finish line with jockey John Velasquez, upsetting heavily favored Tiz the Law.

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