We are liveat Churchill Downs bring you the fashion, celebs, hats and hijinks that are all part of Kentucky Derby 143.
Check back for updates throughout the day.
Over 158,000 people were in attendance at the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby.
That's about 12,00 less than 2015's record setting crowd. It is the seveth most-attened Kentucky Derby.
Betting in the Churchill Downs infield became a feat of balance for Kentucky Derby-goers after rain turned the path leading to a set of wagering windows into a field of mud.
Shortly after 4 p.m., rain again began to fall, and crowds gathered around the edges of the mud pit to watch people attempt to slide down a small hill to the betting windows safely.
Some didn't make it.
For those who fell victim to the mud, cheers arose.
"At least I didn't spill my beer," one man said, half his face and jacket covered in mud.
— Bailey Loosemore
Lucha libre at the Derby
Patrick Bateman says he goes the extra mile to frighten people when arriving at the annual "Run for the Roses." It's his twenty-third affair, and this year he decided to dress up as a masked Lucha libre.
"I'm dressed as a Mexican wrestler, but I'm American and I don't wrestle—figure it out," he says.
— Phillip Bailey
Pretty in (hot) pink
Hot pink was the color du jour for this group from Brandenburg, KY.
"We tried," said Devin Hardy, shown at right.
The guys were in hot pink suspenders and bow ties, the gals in variations of hot pink right down to a pair of pink rain boots.
All were having a great day at the racetrack.
"We're having fun," Hardy said.
— Debby Yetter
A blue suit original?
A light blue suit with roses was popular amongst men at the Kentucky Derby this year.
Jack Kerr, 21, was one of a handful of people wearing the suit in the infield.
From Kansas City, Kerr said the 143rd Kentucky Derby was his first, and he wanted to go all out with his attire.
To find an outfit, he said he searched "Derby suit" on Amazon.
"It kind of makes me sad, you know," Kerr said. "I thought I was being original. But every old lady wants to take a picture with me."
— Bailey Loosemore
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Matching seersuckers
The father and 8-year-old son were wearing matching blue seersucker suits and pink ties.
They were standing in a dry area, preparing to head out to Section 126 of the grandstand, which is exposed to the weather. They had clear plastic ponchos ready in case the drizzle didn’t stop.
Matt Frantzen said he and his son, Henry, go on an adventure – just the two of them – every year. It started with Mardi Gras two years. Last year it was the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota, in the woods north of their Minneapolis home.
“Next year it may be the Indy 500,” the father said.
Henry beamed when asked about the Derby Day horses.
“They’re cool,” he said, flashing a big smile.
It was approaching 11 a.m. and Henry already had picked out a horse for the Derby race, with its 6:34 p.m. post time.
But he struggled to remember its name.
“Always Dreaming,” his father reminded him.
Then the second-grader smiled again.
— James Bruggers
The hat that keeps on building
It started with a foam hat and then Jeff Rieg started adding to it.
A decade later, the New York resident needs wiring to hold up his monstrosity.
"Before if it was a breezy day it would flop around," said Rieg, who has attended 14 consecutive Kentucky Derbys, the last 10 with the hat. "Now it's not bad."
This year was a rebuilding a year -- he needed to repair the hat with bias after it "took a beating" last year.
And the finished product was a hit, as he said he's been bothered for pictures all day.
"It's my vacation," he said. "It's relaxing to come down and let loose, wear this hat and drink beer."
Celeb watch
We've talked to some big names on thered carpet at this year's Kentucky Derby.
"The Dude" himself Jeff Bridgeswas followed by Harry Connick Jr., "This is Us" star Justin Hartley, singer Taylor Dayne and "Training Day" star Justin Cornwell.
We've also seen Katie Couric of Yahoo News, actor Jesse Eisenberg, former N*SYNC singer Joey Fatone, "Seinfeld" creator Larry David and PGA golfer Ricky Fowler.
See other celebs we talked to — and played Derby bingo with — on Facebook Live including locals such as Mayor Greg Fischer and University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.
Gate 17
There weren't many famous folks breezing through Gate 17 early Saturday afternoon on their way into Churchill Downs, and the couple that did make their way upstairs quickly.
Actor Jesse Eisenberg - the star of "Zombieland," "The Social Network" and a bunch of other films - came in just before 2 p.m. with an infant in his arms. (He and his girlfriend, Anna Strout, recently had a baby boy.)
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas zoomed through the entrance and headed up the steps a little while later.
Kentucky's lone Democrat in Congress, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, showed up for Derby too in a tan suit jacket and a light-blue paisley tie.
After going to Derby more than 50 times, Yarmuth came to the 143rd with a strategy: Bet on all the horses.
"I'm probably leaning toward McCraken," he said. "The best thing is I will bet on every horse so I will have the winner."
— Morgan Watkins
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Puffing on a cigar
Near the paddock, Trenton Smith was smoking a cigar while selling cigars.
The Oliva Cigar Co. ambassador exhaled, and a column of gray smoke lingered around his face.
At the Kentucky Derby, cigars are almost as much as an institution as mint juleps. Their rich tobacco aroma is a common scent in the grandstand areas as well the infield.
"It's huge," Smith, of Houston. "It just kind of goes hand in hand."
He stopped talking to help a Florida woman re-light her stogie, then complained: "You can't smoke anywhere anymore in Louisville," citing the city's ban on indoor smoking.
That makes the Derby special, he said, where tens of thousands of people mingle outside or in covered open air areas. Sometimes puffing on a cigar. And drinking mint juleps.
— James Bruggers
A family affair
The Baller-Reid family came down from Chicago to visit Amelia Reid, a University of Louisville student and Cardinal Marching Band member who is playing her flute during the Kentucky Derby.
Her parents and sisters, Loreen and Heather Baller, arrived at 12:30 p.m., with the women decked out in their big hats and nice dresses. They also brought blankets and ponchos but didn’t need them, as the sun came and stayed out after the morning.
“That was surprising,” Heather Baller said. “We couldn’t have made better timing.”
Heather said she’s never been into horse betting but got advice and is picking Irish War Cry, McCraken and Patch.
“A few of my co-workers sent me with some cash to make bets for them,” she said.
— Justin Sayers
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Never too early for a julep
It’s never too early for a mint julep – on Derby Day.
Especially if Derby Day is also your bachelor’s party.
Scott Warren, the bachelor-about-to-be-husband, from Greensboro, North Carolina, was wearing a plaid suit with matching plaid bow tie, sipping his firsts julep at about 10:20 a.m., before heading into the infield with his buddyJustin Kaat.
How many juleps does he plan to have?
“As many as I can, until my wallet runs out,” he said.
At $14 a pop, that could be a short day of drinking— or a really expensive outing.
Kaat, who was dressed similarly, said they were ready for infielddespite the steady rain Saturday morning.
“It’s going to be a mess,” he said, with youthful glee.
Why the Derby for a bachelor’s party?
“Why not,” a smiling Warren said, as the two headed out in the drizzle and toward the tunnel for the infield.
— James Bruggers