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Kentucky Derby, Louisville prepare for weekend without fans

AP file photo by Darron Cummings / Churchill Downs in Louisville is not only hosting the Kentucky Derby at an atypical date due to the coronavirus pandemic but with an atypical atmosphere: No fans will be present Saturday for the Triple Crown Series event.
AP file photo by Darron Cummings / Churchill Downs in Louisville is not only hosting the Kentucky Derby at an atypical date due to the coronavirus pandemic but with an atypical atmosphere: No fans will be present Saturday for the Triple Crown Series event. AP file photo by Darron Cummings / Churchill Downs in Louisville is not only hosting the Kentucky Derby at an atypical date due to the coronavirus pandemic but with an atypical atmosphere: No fans will be present Saturday for the Triple Crown Series event.

By GARY B. GRAVES / The Associated Press 5 min read

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The fastest two minutes in sports will also be the quietest in Kentucky Derby history.

Churchill Downs scraped plans earlier this month for 23,000 physically distanced, masked fans to attend Saturday’s rescheduled Triple Crown Series race due to the rise in coronavirus cases. It will be the first time spectators will not be allowed to attend the race.

That means no iconic scene of thoroughbreds rounding the first turn before packed grandstands beneath the Twin Spires. No sea of women in big, colorful hats or men in bright suits, many sipping mint juleps with Kentucky’s famous bourbon while cheering the Run For The Roses.

But the good news for Derby diehards is there will be a race.

The famed horse race will follow other sports and events in running without fans – including the Belmont Stakes in June – but the unusual scenario for the Triple Crown’s marquee event has been hard for some to grasp, including horsemen used to prepping horses for huge crowds.