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What You Need To Know About the 2014 Kentucky Derby

Post time for Saturday's Kentucky Derby is 6:24 p.m. ET. As they await the big event, spectators spend part of their day at Churchill Downs watching a video screen.
Charlie Riedel
/
AP
Post time for Saturday's Kentucky Derby is 6:24 p.m. ET. As they await the big event, spectators spend part of their day at Churchill Downs watching a video screen.

The 140th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville Saturday evening will bring a new chance at a Triple Crown winner. Here are some crucial things to know about the race.

  • Post time is 6:24 p.m. ET; the race airs on NBC.
  • The favorite is California Chrome at 2-1 odds.
  • Rosie Napravnik wants to be the first female jockey to win it.
  • Wicked Strong is named to honor Boston Marathon bombing victims.
  • You can learn more about the 19-horse field at the Kentucky Derby website. We'll note that California Chrome's silks are purple and green in the fifth post; Napravnik will be aboard Vicar's in Trouble, wearing red and white with a large "R" in the first post. And Wicked Strong's silks are tan and red in the 20th post.

    Now that we've got that out of the way, we'll pass along how to make a mint julep, from NPR member station WFPL, with the help of bartender Jared Schubert of Louisville spot The Monkey Wrench. The julep should help you pass the hours before race time.

    Sample quote:

    "The traditional preparation of a mint julep can be compared to that of the Japanese tea ceremony. Only when the proper care it given to each part of the whole, is the final beverage truly complete."

    Visit Louisville's WFPL for the full recipe, along with two other versions — one for making a pitcher of mint juleps and another for Julep, the Fun Way, a basic version that includes sparkling wine.

    If you'd like something to eat with that, you can always give bourbon balls a try.

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    A mint julep as prepared by bartender Jared Schubert of Louisville bar The Monkey Wrench.
    Alix Mattingly / WFPL
    /
    WFPL
    A mint julep as prepared by bartender Jared Schubert of Louisville bar The Monkey Wrench.

    Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.

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