The 151st Kentucky Derby will host hundreds of thousands of well-dressed patrons ready for pomp and circumstance and Woodford Reserve mint juleps -- but the action happening behind the scenes to feed the opulent fans is already underway as Churchill Downs' culinary team enlists a "small army" of seasoned chefs from top sports venues across the country to prepare this year's new menu.
The race is well-known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports," and while a horse's nose finish happens in the blink of an eye, it takes months of planning to pull off the annual multi-day sporting event before hungry guests descend on the iconic Louisville track.
"Good Morning America" got a first look at the official Kentucky Derby 151 on-track food menu and spoke with acclaimed Churchill Downs head chef Robert Lopez, who is in charge of setting the menu, testing recipes, and much like any good sports team, enlisting the help of seasoned peers and executive chefs from top NFL, MLB and other professional venues to help with all the culinary action.
"We actually bring in over 100 chefs from all over the country to come and help us execute this amazing event," Lopez told "GMA" of growing from his usual on-site team of 10. "It's the executive chef from the 49ers. It's the senior executive chef from the Tampa Bay Rays -- it's all of these high level chefs that I have to bring together and almost become their chef for the week or month leading up until Derby."
Lopez, the senior executive chef for hospitality partner Levy Restaurants, infused this year's gastronomic lineup with locally sourced ingredients and traditional southern flavors, which will be served for the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 2, as well as the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3.
"With our with our Mint Julep especially, our Kentucky braised beef tips with Kentucky peppercorn sauce is going to be a very, very good pairing," Lopez said, adding that they "took into consideration knowing that the Mint Julep is the staple cocktail here."
Kentucky Derby recipes to make at home
- Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad.
- Bluegrass Fields Salad.
- Duck Fat Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.
- Lemon Honey Harvest Brussels Sprouts.
- Brown Butter Farro & Roasted Root Vegetables.
- Pan Roasted Chicken Breast.
- Old Forester Butter Shrimp & Orzo.
- Slow Cooked Beef Tips with Kentucky Peppercorn Sauce.
While several desserts are still being finalized for the chef's table, Lopez did reveal to "GMA" that there will be two different focal point confections -- whoopie pies.
"We'll have two custom whoopie pies, one for Oaks Day and one for Derby Day," he said, hinting at a chocolate bourbon flavor.
Lopez said in looking at customer feedback and the functionality of how things are eaten, a big consideration that came into play was "all of the wonderful ladies that come for Derby Day and may end up dropping things on their multi-thousand dollar dresses."
"We looked at the menu and said, 'how do we make it so we can enjoy those same flavors without dropping red icing on a $5,000 dress?'"
"The whoopie pie is not only an ode to tradition, but it's kind of that ease of access that people can walk around with," he said. "I think that the whoopie pie is definitely going to be the hit this year."
- Old Forester Mint Julep: Old Forester, simple syrup, fresh mint, crushed ice.
- Oaks Lily: Vodka, sweet and sour, Triple Sec, cranberry juice, blackberries, lemon wedge, crushed ice.
- Woodford Reserve Spire: Woodford Reserve, lemonade, cranberry juice, lemon twist, ice.
- Kendall-Jackson Kentucky Derby 151 Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast, 2022.
- Kendall-Jackson Kentucky Derby 151 Chardonnay Mendocino County, 2023.
