For Kentucky Derby first-timers, spectacle and fashion make bucket list trips complete

Tom and Jane Jackson’s first bet on a horse race at Churchill Downs on Saturday might have been a “dismal failure,” but their coordinating ensembles were an out-of-this-world success with their fellow track-goers.

“We don’t know you, but we love you,” one man told them.

Reaching out for a handshake, another woman offered a solemn salutation: “May the Fourth be with you!”

While the First Saturday in May means it’s Derby Day to Kentuckians, to Star Wars fans everywhere, May 4 is a way to celebrate their fandom, playing on the films’ oft-repeated catchphrase, “May the force be with you.”

This year, they were one and the same.

Part horse race, part fashion show, tens of thousands of people packed into Churchill Downs for the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, including the Jacksons of Indianapolis. What started as a muggy, overcast day turned to a sunny sky in the early afternoon, but everyone was keeping an eye on the forecast.

Mint juleps in hand, attendees took in the spectacle of Churchill’s newly renovated $200 million paddock, and posed for pictures in front of brand-sponsored photo walls.

Tom Jackson sported a colorful suit with images of the films’ iconic characters, like Yoda, Han Solo and Darth Vader, and Jane Jackson’s hat was adorned with the Death Star and a Lego block version of Luke Skywalker flying in an X-Wing fighter.

“It’s pretty wild!” Jane Jackson said of her first Derby experience, and Tom Jackson noted how different the experience is from their city’s signature event, the Indianapolis 500.

The Jacksons said they hadn’t figured out how to bet on the horses — but it wouldn’t stop them from placing another wager or two.

Saul Sugarman of San Francisco attended his first Derby in a dress he created, originally for the San Francisco Ballet gala.

The black gown — which doubled as a romper — adorned with sparking blue and silver polka dots, featured a long train and was paired with coordinating electric blue heels, hat and bejeweled sunglasses.

“For me, it’s because I love it,” he said of his attire. “It isn’t drag. It’s what I love to wear.”

Sugarman said the Derby — even hours before the race unfolded — was a “10 out of 10” experience, and he’s ready to come back. The fashion of the day was a highlight, which stood in contrast to the denim, hoodies and Crocs that Sugarman said dominated the closets of San Francisco’s residents.

Sugarman attended with Stephen Magyari, also of San Francisco, whose late father, Julius, loved horses. Magyari said his father watched the Triple Crown races religiously each year, but never made it to the Kentucky Derby.

For that reason, attending the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, Magyari said, was an emotional experience, knowing how much fun his father would have had.

His father, who died in 2019, grew up in Hungary and worked on farms, so he loved being around horses, Magyari said.

Melissa Spruill of Louisburg, North Carolina, said she planned to put her money on Honor Marie to win the race. The brown Kentucky-bred horse looks just like a thoroughbred she used to own named Duke.

For her first trip to the Derby — which she called a “can’t turn it down” and “once-in-a-lifetime” experience — Spruill sported a towering red feather fascinator that spelled out “150” to commemorate the race’s big anniversary.

“I am in, like, a spotlight!” she said.

What she wasn’t prepared for, however, was the people who wanted to photos of her headpiece.