The Kentucky Derby took place yesterday, and honestly, the celebrity sightings might have been more exciting than the actual race. Churchill Downs turned into an NFL reunion, and nobody warned us to prepare for it.
NFL Stars Take Over Churchill Downs
Joe Burrow and his girlfriend stole the show as NFL stars turned the Kentucky Derby into a party. Joe Burrow was there, of course, but the big news is that the cat is finally out of the bag: Olivia Ponton is officially a WAG now. Bill Belichick and Jordan Hudson were also spotted, and if you know anything about these two, you know they clean up well. Jaxson Dart made an appearance too, marking the beginning of the rookie era. The Giants rookie QB received Derby invites in his first year, signaling his arrival in the NFL.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce No-Show
This was the major storyline going into Derby weekend, and it completely fell apart in real time. Rumors had been flying all week that Travis Kelce and his fiancée Taylor Swift secretly owned a 10% stake in a horse called The Puma. One of The Puma's co-owners even posted on Instagram that he had signed an NDA and could 'neither confirm nor deny' whether the couple owned a share, sending the internet into full meltdown mode. However, they did not show up.
The Kentucky Derby has always been a rich-people-in-hats event, but something about NFL players showing up hits different. These guys spend their offseason at racetracks, galas, and courtside seats, and we are fully here for all of it.
What is the Kentucky Derby?
For anyone who somehow doesn't know, the Kentucky Derby is basically the Super Bowl of horse racing. Every year on the first Saturday of May, over 150,000 people pile into Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky for the 1.25-mile 'Run for the Roses.' It has been going since 1875, the purse this year was $5 million, and it is genuinely one of the most iconic events on the American social calendar. But honestly, half the people there are there for the vibes, the hats, and the celebrity sightings.
