Despite rainy weather, Kentucky Derby is the ‘best party in the world’
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2025 Kentucky Derby coverage
Click below to view more coverage from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com at the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
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When you think of jockey silks at the Kentucky Derby, you usually picture them on a rider, atop a horse. But this year, you could find them on a group of friends wandering the infield.
The trio dressed up in old, authentic jockey silks to bring up spirits in this year’s soggy infield.
“It’s all about making people smile and having a good time. It’s raining today, but that doesn’t matter to us. We’ve got helmets, we’ve got silks, we’ve got boots: Let’s make people smile, and let’s have a good day,” said Curtis Paplik.
This year marks Paplik’s eighth Derby, and his friend Michael Freeze’s eleventh. They also brought along first-timer John James, whose friends referred to him as a “Derby virgin.”
Freeze said the silks came from renowned jockey Anthony Black, who has more than 5,200 career race wins. Black walks his dog in Freeze’s neighborhood, and they met through a mutual neighbor.
Freeze called Black “an old school jockey.”
While the friends all wore real jockey silks on top, their pants were a little less authentic.
“These are women’s capris from Walmart — six bucks,” Freeze said.
Freeze and Paplik placed calculated bets — Freeze on Flying Mohawk, and Paplik on Bob Baffert’s horse, Citizen Bull. But James said he was going to put money on No. 7, since that’s the number on his silk.
Even through the rainy, muggy weather, the three men smiled and laughed, taking pictures with people who approached them.
“We’re at the best party in the world right now,” Freeze said.
This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 5:53 PM.