Louisville man set to attend his 84th consecutive Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- On the first Saturday in May for longer than anyone reading this has been alive, thousands of people have flocked to Churchill Downs to experience the Kentucky Derby. There are, of course, the national and international guests that check off a bucket-list item each year. But many people in Louisville have their unique traditions around the race.

John Sutton Jr.'s tradition is simple: He goes to the Derby. He goes to every single Derby.

"It's just amazing," Sutton said Thursday. "Every which way you turn, there's another sight to see."

You get the same feeling when you walk into Sutton's house. From pins to programs and those ever-popular Derby glasses, everywhere you look, there's Derby memorabilia.

From pins to programs and those ever-popular Derby glasses, everywhere you look in John Sutton Jr.'s house, there's Kentucky Derby memorabilia. May 4, 2023. *(WDRB Photo)*

"(I love) the ambiance of the Derby itself -- the women with the hats...," he said. "Now, the men are all dressed up (in) these wild outfits. It gets more colorful each and every year."

This Saturday will be Sutton's 84th consecutive year heading to Churchill Downs to see the Run for the Roses, an annual pilgrimage that started in 1940 when he was 8 years old.

"It was so cold that day," he said. "I mean, she bundled me all up and we went on the streetcar. ... "Most of our time we spent in the men's room, because it was so cold."

In those decades since his first trip beneath the Twin Spires, Sutton has seen a lot of change, from the grandstands to the infield to the paddock.

"It was totally different," he said. "We thought $1 for a hot dog was out of this world. But now, well, a mint julep's like $15."

Back then, he said, it was much simpler than it is today. They'd even pack their lunch.

"We spent very little money on concessions," he said. "It wasn't our cup of tea. My mother would give us two tuna fish sandwiches that we would put in our jacket. We'd eat that and drink a pint or two of whiskey."

Sutton will sit with you all day, telling you about the fun times he's had at Churchill Downs. Now, more than 80 years later, he'll be sitting in the brand new reserved seating on the first turn, which includes those snacks and drinks.

"If that would've happened back when I was a teenager, we would never have left there," he laughed.

But even though he's got one of the best seats in the house this year, at 91 years old, there won't be any whiskey for Mr. Sutton.

"Now, that, I would love to have," he said. "But I don't think I'll be able to handle that. I might sniff the cork."

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