It’s been called “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.” The one-and-a-quarter-mile long Kentucky Derby is the first leg of U.S. thoroughbred horse racing’s famed Triple Crown (the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes are the other two) and one of the most famous equestrian events in the world. Currently held each year on the first Sunday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, the Kentucky Derby caps off a two-week-long festival and is known as much for its mint juleps, big hats, and celebrity spectators as it is for its horses and riders.
Like every outdoor sporting event, the Kentucky Derby is sensitive to any local weather, rain in particular, that can alter the condition of the venue. Special terms are even used to describe a track that is wet, known in horse racing circles as an “off” track (as opposed to a fast, or dry, track). Officials at Churchill Downs use three terms to classify an “off” track: good (some wetness, either from a slight amount of rain, or if the track has dried significantly from a previous rain event), sloppy (water ponds on the surface of the track following a heavy rain, although the base remains firm), and muddy (water has penetrated the entire depth of the track, creating, as the name implies, muddy conditions). While rain can be a hindrance to some contenders in the race, others actually excel in muddy conditions. Such horses are referred to as “mudders” for their ability to run well when the water soaks in.
—Weatherwise Contributing editor SEAN POTTER is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and science writer who currently divides his time between the Washington, D.C., area and New York City.
