'A long-time tradition.' Thurby brings record crowd to Churchill Downs on Derby Week

Diarita Baker just wanted to be a ray of sunshine.

Thursday marked her first Thurby without her husband, who died in January. And Baker — wearing a bright yellow jacket and pants, with a sequined cowboy hat — wanted to bring a little joy to the track in his memory.

"It's pretty tough. But at the same time, I know he's OK. He's waiting for me," said Baker, who's attended Thurby for the past 35 years.

For many at Thurby (the Thursday before the Kentucky Derby), the day of races was all about spending time with family and friends. And there were a lot of them. The 2023 crowd set a record, with 54,848 in attendance at Thurby, up 14.6% from last year, according to Churchill Downs.

What's traditionally been a day dedicated to local crowds has slowly drawn more out-of-town audiences. But no matter where they hailed from, most guests used the day to have fun with people they love.

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"It's my day for the girls, to hang out with the girls, be with the girls," said Maria Baumgartner, who's attended Thurby for 15 years. "I find with Thurby, you can still have all the pomp and circumstance, but it's just a more relaxed environment. ... What I hope to get out of it is just a fun day and friendship. That's really what it's about for me."

New at Churchill Downs this year is an expanded paddock and plaza area, with more food vendors, pop-up bars and a performance stage, as well as additional grandstand seating around the first turn.

Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs, said the $200 million construction project, which is set to be complete for the Kentucky Derby in 2024, was important to improve guests' experiences at the track. And he's excited to see how people react.

"Really, for me, it’s just talking with people, looking at people’s expressions, giving them an experience that they can get nowhere else in the world," he said. "So that’s really my joy, seeing people have a fabulous time here, and that makes me feel good and warms my heart."

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While Kentucky Derby is the day to go all out, Thurby's guests didn't disappoint when it came to donning their best dresses, hats and attire.

Robbin McDermott, a retired teacher from Greensburg, ordered five dresses to find the right one for her first time at the races.

Living in Kentucky, she's always wanted to take part in Derby Week. And now that she's no longer in the classroom, she finally got to take the chance.

"I just wanted to watch everybody, people watch and see everybody's hats and everything," McDermott said.

Long waits caused frustrations early in the day, with lines of people stretching from several club entrances through the paddock area. The lines mostly cleared by 1:30 p.m., before most of the day's races took place.

Kevin Henshaw, who has attended the Derby for decades, said the lines were the worst he's seen "by far."

"Getting in is a joke, this is a joke, this whole thing's a joke," he said while standing at the back of a line to the Homestretch Club.

Jason Gruner, wearing a bright green blazer patterned with galloping horses, started coming to Thurby four years ago and said he plans to keep returning "as long as there's not crazy lines like this."

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Heather Wuertz, in Baumgartner's group, said she was surprised how many people were already at Churchill Downs when gates opened for the day. But nothing will stop her from returning year after year.

"It will be a long-time tradition," she said.

Reporters Matt Glowicki and Connor Giffin contributed to the report. Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at bloosemore@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What happend at Thurby 2023 at Churchill Downs