Patrick here from the On Point Events Team and welcome to another short video with some insights on how to approach planning your perfect trip to the Kentucky Derby.

Here is a Question we get a lot. What’s the best way of doing the Kentucky Derby? Well…It really depends on what you are trying to accomplish and ….what is most important to you.

The Kentucky Derby is generally a 3-night experience. You arrive on a Thursday and depart on a Sunday. Friday is the Kentucky Oaks which is a Grade 1 stakes race for 3-year-old fillies. Saturday is the Kentucky Derby, also a Grade 1 stakes race but for 3-year-old thoroughbreds.

Each day the gates at Churchill Downs open at 10am with the first post at 11am. There are 14 races through out the day roughly every 30 minutes and the last post is at 7pm. In other words…..its two long days of horse racing.

Unless you are just a diehard equestrian enthusiast, I would suggest considering spending Friday to indulge in some of everything else that the greater Louisville area has to offer.

So here is how your weekend might look like….arrive Thursday in to Louisville, settle in at your hotel and have dinner at either Vincenzo’s for great Italian or maybe proof on main?

Early Friday morning, our team runs a private tour of the Backside of Churchill downs. This is a highlight for all of our clients, as its not open to the public, very exclusive, and gets our clients behind the scenes at the event, with a chance to mingle with jockeys and trainers, while watching the thoroughbreds warming up on the track. This is truly a magical moment! We also bring along a professional handicapper who helps our clients understand the race program and how to structure their bets on Kentucky Derby hopefuls.

For the rest of the day we might suggest a private visit to a thoroughbred horse farm…and a visit to a small batch bourbon producer in the area. For the ladies….we can arrange a meeting with a Millner to help design their perfect custom hat for the Kentucky Derby.  

Saturday….its off to Churchill downs for a full day of races culminating of course in the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.

If you want to learn more about the Kentucky Derby and the Travel Experiences we have put together, please feel free to reach out to our team of experts. We are here to help guide you through it and deliver an unforgettable experience for you.

Thank you for watching!