The Kentucky Derby—where fashion is prime, celebs come out to play, history is rich, and horses are fast. The first Saturday of May does not disappoint year after year. It’s really the only day a year where the whole world cares about horse races. So, what's it all about?

The History

“The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” dates back to 1875, making it the oldest continuously running sports event in the United States. Here’s how it started and how it’s going.

*The glorious Garland of Roses (Getty Images)*

What started as a crowd of 10,000 has grown to 150,000 today. At the first Kentucky Derby race, there was a field of 15 horses. Now, 20 horses compete. In 1875, when they introduced betting via auction pools, it did not catch on. Now, betting is all the rage. In the past 5 years, a bet of $2 has averaged a $75 payout. Back then, there was no coveted Garland of Roses. Now, the race is dubbed the “Run for the Roses” where the winner receives the prize of a handcrafted garland with over 400 red roses (and a $3.1 million paycheck).

The Food

Like any good sporting event, the Kentucky Derby has incredible food. Whether you are drinking a mint julep or eating butter shrimp and orzo, the race has grub for everyone. Over 125,000 mint juleps are served each year. Just reading through the elite menu makes our mouths water. In case you can’t go to Kentucky for the race, you can bring the food to your home thanks to their incredible recipes. We will be making the salted potato chip chunk cookies.

The Fashion

The fashion started with women in big hats featuring stuffed birds while wearing corsets and dresses with hemlines to the ground. Thankfully, fashion evolved too. While it still involves a timeless classiness, including big hats as the fashion staple, corsets are no longer involved and all lengths of dresses are welcome. Pastel colors are always popular, but neutrals and bold colors are welcome too. And we can’t forget statement stilettos which are a must.

Here are some of our favorite inspo pics for what we would wear to the Kentucky Derby.

Catch us in the fuschia power suit (Kentucky Derby Pinterest)

The Celebrities

Churchill Downs has its very own red carpet, which means plenty of celebs will be there. This year, Simone Biles will be giving the “Riders Up” command, which means we can’t wait to see what glam she wears. Aaron Rogers, Lamar Jackson, and Travis Kelce are all athletes expected to attend. Which means if Travis is coming, we hope Taylor comes too.

Here are some of our favorite celebrities who have attended past Kentucky Derbys.