The stars—including athlete Travis Kelce, Broadway star Josh Groban, and Kentucky-based singer Jack Harlow—were out in Louisville this weekend for the 150th Kentucky Derby—which this year boasted a photo finish between top picks Sierra Leone (who traded for $2.3 million as a yearling in 2022) Japanese upstart Forever Young, and 18-01 longshot Mystik Dan, who bested his competitors by a nose.
Even before the racers posed for their close-ups, a slew of celebrities—likely drawn to the event for its weekend of concerts, parties, and fun—smiled for the camera, either on the red carpet or while inside Churchill Downs, the century-plus-old racetrack with famously tony mint juleps and a social scene that overwhelmed even veteran carouser Hunter S. Thompson.
Travis Kelce wasn’t the only athlete in attendance at the race, as his Kansas City Chiefs teammate, Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany also made an appearance, as did retired Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. And, no, Taylor Swift wasn’t there.
Then there were the musicians. Country singers including Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, and Wynonna Judd were in attendance, as were area residents Harlow and J.D. Shelburne. Josh Groban, who is enough of a regular that he’s even opened it with the National Anthem, returned again this year.
Tina Knowles, who many know as Beyonce’s mother, arrived in arguably the best sunglasses of the day. Actors including Stephen Amell, Chris Tucker, and Sheryl Lee Ralph also stopped on the red carpet for photos.
The biggest shocker of the day might be that Ralph hadn’t intended to arrive in the show-stopping hat you see below. According to a Gannett report, the Abbot Elementary star “intended to show up to the 150th Kentucky Derby hatless,” but singer Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances, told her that head coverings for women were a long-standing tradition at the race. “They made me Derby perfect,” Ralph said via social media.
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