Kentucky Derby 2013: Reasons Derby Is Best Race in Triple Crown

Through the years, the Kentucky Derby has been synonymous with many names. 

The first Saturday in May, the Run for the Roses and the most exciting two minutes in sports all come to mind when thinking about the first of the three races toward the elusive Triple Crown, but another sits on the tip of the tongue in preparation for the 139th running at Churchill Downs. 

The Kentucky Derby is the best event of the three races that compose the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing, and if you listen to arguments such as the one James C. Nicholson makes in his book about the Derby, it's the premier sporting event in America. 

There's just no race quite like it. 

The first of three events that help weed out horses that can compete for the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby is followed by the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York. All three races are on dirt tracks with the Derby being the middle of the three when it comes to distance (1 1/4 miles or 2.0 km). 

Only 11 horses have won the elusive crown, most recently in 1978, when Affirmed and jockey Steve Cauthen completed the three-race sweep and entered one of the most elite clubs in existence. 

A field of 20 horses is expected to compete on Saturday as the race for the first jewel in the crown will commence at Churchill Downs.

While this race is just another free-for-all and crapshoot in trying to determine which horse will emerge as the only favorite to complete the sweep, we can confidently say that there is no race like the Kentucky Derby. 

While the Preakness and Belmont have their place and their moments in history, it doesn't get any better than being at Churchill Downs in May. Here's a look at why the Derby is the best, and most important, race of its sisters in pursuit of the Crown. 

The Legacy

Founded in 1878, there are few events in any sport that are on par with this race. 

Basketball, baseball, football, soccer and others all have their place in the history of sports in the United States, but in 1878, there was nothing more thrilling than going to the track to see a horse, cash in a ticket and experience something that would one day become legendary. 

How many events can you name that are still going on in this country past the 139-year mark?

The office of the President of the United States is one, celebrating Independence Day and Christmas come to mind and other events such as Hollywood awards shows are creeping up in the mix as some of the longer ceremonies and activities that we celebrate annually. 

However, going to Churchill Downs is now a cultural experience. 

Going to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May? That's a horse-lover's dream, and the ultimate experience for anyone who has ever dreamed about watching the horses come down the final stretch in the gallery. 

To be a part of this race in any fashion makes you part of an important family of Churchill Downs participants, owners and fans and understanding where you've been is always crucial to figuring out where you are going. 

In the case of the derby, the history of the event is one of the best things about the race. 

The Clientele

When it comes to celebrities and the Kentucky Derby, you don't have to look far to find big names involved in the race. 

The Queen of England made an appearance back in 2007 (h/t USA Today), and other high-profile celebrities and horse lovers of status make their way to Kentucky each year to catch the two-minute sprint of the 3-year-old thoroughbreds. 

Louisville basketball head coach Rick Pitino even has a horse in the derby this year (via Yahoo!'s Pat Forde):

For those musical folks out there, Martina McBride will sing the national anthem this year, joining a long line of gifted artists who have had the honor. 

But celebs make up only a small fraction of the people who show up on Derby Day. 

According to this handy interactive infographic put together by The Associated Press, the 2012 Kentucky Derby broke the attendance record with more than 165,000 people, tacking on about 500 extra folks to break the previous record and cement the assertion that it's hard to get a good seat at this race. 

I also would be remiss to not mention the hats. 

Ladies from all walks of life will come to the Derby with fashion, staying out of the sun and making a statement in mind, donning the kind of hats you only used to see in movies out of the middle of the 20th century. The Derby's official Twitter account was kind enough to provide us with four you might see on Saturday:

The fans are what make sports great, and this event is no exception. Fans will come out in droves again this year with an attempt to make a quick buck and catch another historic chapter in a long line of Kentucky Derby lineage. 

The Reality

Nineteen horses will have no shot at the Triple Crown this year by the end of Saturday night. 

Sure, there's two more chances to etch your horse's name in history during the 2013 season, but for 95 percent of the horses that run in the race on Saturday, they will leave Louisville disappointed at the result. 

It's the reality of the race that makes it so great. 

The stakes are higher at the Derby than they are at the other Triple Crown races for the entire field, ironic considering that "Stakes" is in both of the next venues' names. While the stakes might be high for one horse, this is truly a winner-take-all race in the sense that you can't win all three without the first one. 

As the majority of the field goes home empty-handed, one horse will have a chance to become No. 12 and break the 35-year drought. The odds aren't great for that horse, but the storyline and following from winning the first race in the crown each year couldn't be any greater. 

May 4 will come and go, and we will crown another Kentucky Derby winner with more than 500 roses in a beautiful ceremony at the Louisville track. Winners and losers from the race will be had, and preparation for next year's race will begin immediately. 

In an event such as this, it's the only way you can do it right. 

The Kentucky Derby has been doing it right for more than 138 years, and with the running of the 2013 Derby, we'll etch another horse into racing lore on Saturday afternoon. Enjoy the race for what it is—the best event in the Triple Crown, and the only horse race capable of vaulting a new Triple Crown winner on a path to glory. 

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