Kentucky Derby Festival is kicking into high gear in LouisvilleKY

Here’s a roundup of the latest news from the Kentucky Derby Festival:

More information can also be found at kdf.org.

Task competition to determine winner of the 2017 Great Steamboat Race

Louisville, KY.   – The jousting has begun for the 2017 Great Steamboat Race set for Wednesday, May 3, on the Ohio River. Representatives of the Kentucky Derby Festival, the Belle of Louisville and the Belle of Cincinnati also participated in a Four Roses Bourbon tasting to determine which single-barrel bourbons would be served aboard each vessel during the race.

The Four Roses barrel coded HW 48-4J was selected as the bourbon to represent the Belle of Louisville and the Four Roses barrel coded HW 48-4K was selected to represent the Belle of Cincinnati.

Passengers on board both boats will again have the opportunity to sample the two bourbons and vote for their favorite. The boat with the winning bourbon will receive a mini bourbon barrel trophy and bragging rights for a year. Great Steamboat Race private selection bottles will be available exclusively for sale at your local Louisville Kroger Wine and Spirits Shop in late April.

“We’re happy to once again be a part of Kentucky Derby Festival’s Great Steamboat Race. It’s an event steeped in rich history, much like Four Roses,” said Brent Elliott, Four Roses Bourbon master distiller. “The Bourbons selected to be served during the race are from our OBSV recipe, which is our high rye mashbill. I’m looking forward to Steamboat Race guests tasting both and deciding their favorite in May.”

The task and scoring system that was implemented eight years ago to determine the winner of the Great Steamboat Race will return again this year. Instead of the event winner being determined by the first boat to cross the finish line at the Clark Memorial Bridge, the winner will be the vessel which accumulates the most points from performing a series of nine tasks assigned to each competitor throughout the day and during the race.  The task competition starts at 2 p.m. race day at the 4^th Street Wharf.

• Task No. 1: Knot Tying Contest (10 points for 1^st, 5 points for 2^nd)
• Task No. 2: Nautical Flag Word Puzzle (10 and 5 points)
• Task No. 3: Handy Line Toss (10 and 5 points)
• Task No. 4: Monkey fist Toss (10 and 5 points)
• Task No. 5: Paddle Wheel Assembly (10 and 5 points)
• Task No. 6: Calliope Competition (10 and 5 points)
• Task No. 7: Buoy Flag Retrieval (25 points for successful retrieval, 0 points for failure)
• Task No. 8: VIP Retrieval (25 points for successful retrieval, 0 points for failure)
• Task No. 9: Four Roses Bourbon Barrel Retrieval (25 points for successful retrieval, 0 points for failure)
• Task No. 10: Finish Line Order (29 points for 1^st vessel under the bridge, 15 points for 2^nd vessel)

The total potential points earned are 164. The vessel with the most points as determined by the judges will be declared the winner. Failure to perform a task will result in a “no score,” plus a 35-point penalty. The majority decision of the judges will be final. The winner will be presented with a set of 12-point Silver Antlers at the post-race ceremony.

Boarding for the Great Steamboat Race will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., with the boats departing the shore at 5:45 for a 6 p.m. start. Each boat will be assigned two judges, in addition to an overall event judge from the Derby Festival. The Awards Ceremony will take place immediately following the race at the Chow Wagon in Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront.

Limited Belle of Cincinnati tickets are still available: $60 Cruise Only; $95 Dinner, Four Roses Bourbon Tasting, and Cruise. For Belle of Cincinnati tickets call 800-261-8586 or visit BBRiverboats.com.

Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 369. Contributing Sponsor: Four Roses Bourbon. Supporting Sponsor: IDD Therapeutic Services, PLLC. Media Sponsor: Q103.1

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Derby Festival Foundation Art Contest Recognizes Local Students

Louisville, KY.  30 Kentuckiana students from grades K-12 were honored Tuesday night at DuPont Manual High School for their artistic achievement in the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation Student Art Contest Presented by The Fillies, Inc.

A panel of local artists selected the winners. Of the hundreds of entries, some of the most popular themes among the winning artwork this year were the Great Steamboat Race, U.S. Bank Great BalloonFest, the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade, and Thunder Over Louisville. Seven students from Norton Commons Elementary, under the direction of Sarah Maxwell Miller, and seven students from Rangeland Elementary, under the direction of Christa Hudson, had winning and/or honorable mention entries. Five of Alana Alford’s students at duPont Manual High School had winning and/or honorable mention entries. In addition, there were four winning and/or honorable mention entries from the Catholic school system.

The first-place winners in all divisions receive a 2017 framed Festival Poster by 2017 Official Poster Artist Ron Jasin, as well as a chance to appear in the 2017 Republic Bank Pegasus Parade.  All winners receive a medallion, certificate, T-shirt, and a Student Art Contest winner’s pin. Teachers of the winning students will also be invited to the ceremony and will receive special recognition.

The original artwork by area students will be on display at the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade Preview Party beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2.

The Festival has offered this opportunity for area students to showcase their creative skills since 1977.  The Foundation’s Student Art Contest is sponsored by Fillies, Inc. The Fillies, Inc. was founded in 1959 kicking off a tradition of volunteer service to the local community.  They join Contributing Sponsor Kentucky College of Art + Design at Spalding University and Media Sponsor ARTxFM.

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Basketball All-Stars to showcase skills Friday

Night of the Future Stars Event Moves to Indiana University Southeast

April 12, 2017. Louisville, KY.   – The Kentucky Derby Festival’s two-day basketball event tips off Friday night at 7 p.m. with the Horseshoe Foundation Night of the Future Stars. Hosted at a new location, the Indiana University Southeast Activities Building, admission will be free with a 2017 Pegasus Pin or a ticket to Saturday night’s Basketball Classic, at Freedom Hall.

Friday’s event is comparable to the NBA All-Star weekend, with players showcasing their special skills. Some of the nights most exciting moments have occurred during the Slam Dunk, 2-on-2 and 3-Point Shooting competitions. There will also be a one-hour autograph-signing session following the event, with a two-item limit for signing.

Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County is title sponsor of Friday’s event, joining Contributing Sponsors Papa John’s and SoIN. Supporting Sponsor is Dick’s Sporting Goods and Media Sponsors are B96.5 FM and SLAM Magazine.

The 44^th annual Basketball Classic presented by Papa John’s begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at Freedom Hall. This year’s game features several new recruits for the Cats, Cards and Hoosiers.

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE:  Basketball Classic Reserved Tickets $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets on sale at all TicketMaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000 or the Freedom Hall box office at (502) 367-5144 (Includes facility fee).

First held in 1973, the Derby Festival Basketball Classic is the oldest high school all-star game in the nation. The game has featured such players as Jamal Mashburn, Rex Chapman, Moses Malone, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Eric Bledsoe, Deron Williams and Nolan Smith, among many others.

The Basketball Classic is presented by Papa John’s, with Contributing Sponsor the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County and Supporting Sponsor Dick’s Sporting Goods. Media Sponsors include 99.7 DJX, B96.5 FM and SLAM Magazine. The event will be broadcast live on WDRB.