Sonoita celebrates Derby

SONOITA—Each year, the first Saturday in May bridges the 1,749-mile gap between Churchill Downs and the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.

As the anticipation began to build prior to the “most exciting two minutes in sports,” the enthusiasm mixed with the strong aroma of hundreds of mint juleps could have convinced even the most experienced horse-racing enthusiast that Sonoita had indeed morphed into Louisville, Ky.

The folks in charge of the 93rd Annual Sonoita Horse Races didn’t paint the green desert grass blue, but instead elected to give the Kentucky Derby a bit of an Arizona flavor.

“People just like getting out of the city for a bit and enjoying a fun day under the sun,” said fairgrounds manager Tina LeTarte.

Live racing kicked off at 10:30 a.m., and roughly 3,500 people filtered in and out of the fairgrounds throughout the day.

While most people attentively flipped through their official racing programs and evaluated which horses would make for the wisest Derby bets, others elected to focus their efforts on the live racing.

“It’s not like the Derby here, and we don’t want it to be,” said Sierra Vista resident Ed Dean.

A former Naval officer and devoted horse racing fan, Dean attented his first live race in 1948. He has spent the past 50 years diligently following the craft and developing an appreciation for the spectator aspect of the small-town horse show.

“They do such a wonderful job here,” Dean said. “There is a really friendly atmosphere.”

However, the Kentucky Derby simulcast continues to be Sonoita’s big-ticket draw.

The tradition, which began well before LeTarte joined the fairgrounds staff, used to be the only licensed spot in Southern Arizona to offically put down a Derby bet.

Last Year, Turf Paradise elected to open up the betting to Tucson patrons. LeTarte says this decision, coupled with the escalating fuel costs, has caused the spectator aspect to dwindle.

Despite these road blocks, Saturday’s festivites brought in thousands of excited participants.

Tucson residents Jean Mundy, Bobbie Russell and Jean Popovich ventured south to visit the winery just outside Sonoita, but couldn’t help traveling just a few more miles down highway 83 to see what all the fuss was about.

“This was our first trip to the Sonoita races, and we’re just having the time of our lives,” Mundy said.

As Popovich detailed her trifecta wager — Big Brown to win, Cowboy Cal to place, Colonel John to show — Russell took her first-ever sip of mint julep. It is, as they say, an acquired taste.

“Not enough mint, too much julep,” Russell said.

The live racing took a brief break just after 3 p.m. local time in order to allow everyone to direct full attention toward Churchill Downs.

Each television drew a crowd at least 60 deep. Once the horses burst from their starting gates, those with enough fortitude to place a wager tightly clasped their tickets, hoping that the information printed on the front would result in a big cash payout.

Once the race was over, the crowds around the televisions slowly dispersed, and the Sonoita faithful went back to enjoying yet another beautiful Southern Arizona day.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747