The Kentucky Derby

James C. Nicholson grew up in the horse-racing industry and was born to write the history of the Kentucky Derby, the preeminent American event for three-year-old Thoroughbreds that annually draws more than 150,000 people to Churchill Downs for a two-week festival and the race. The book is based on his dissertation at the University of Kentucky. Nicholson argues that the derby is unique because of its association with the myths and romantic symbols of “old Kentucky,” including frontier individualism, a neo-Confederate hillbilly subculture of lawlessness, and Kentucky colonels. A celebration of the culture of the South, the derby became known for mint juleps, beautiful southern belles, wealthy fans in the clubhouse, and the wild behavior of the masses in the free-admission infield. Even so, Nicholson claims that by the 1950s, the heavily southern cultural event had become a celebration of national culture. Moreover, he suggests that cultural appeals to non-hard-core racing fans made the derby a huge success, similar to events such as the Masters Golf Tournament, Wimbledon, and the Tour de France. Yet is there sufficient evidence that the event's culture resonated with its audience, or was it mainly a fun-filled carnival

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