As I have stated before, I am not a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, but I do understand what the Kentucky Derby means. It is the biggest racing event of the year. This year will be no different. It may even be possibly bigger because of a special guest, sa stated in the article below. The British are coming, the British are coming.
Security increased for monarch
The most famous guest at this year's Kentucky Derby will make her stay in Louisville a short one.
Queen Elizabeth II of England is expected to arrive at Louisville International Airport on Saturday afternoon and head to Churchill Downs, then return to the airport hours later for her departure.
Rande Swann, an airport spokeswoman, predicted there would be minimal impact on other air travelers, largely because most race fans arrive earlier in the week and won't leave town until Sunday.
She declined to provide the queen's precise arrival and departure schedule.
"There are special precautions being taken, but we are not permitted to discuss what those are," Swann said, adding that there won't be any public access at the airport for the visit.
Police have said they will close interstate highways near the airport and the track briefly at her arrival and departure.
The queen visited Kentucky four times between 1984 and 1991, spending most of her time with former British ambassador Will Farish at Lane's End Farm in Woodford County.
Farish has declined to comment on whether the queen will again visit Lane's End, but Julie Koenig Loignon, a spokeswoman for Churchill Downs, said Monday that the queen and her entourage will be using tickets provided by Farish to attend Saturday's race.
Koenig Loignon said the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, will watch the 133rd Run for the Roses from a dining room in the clubhouse. From the infield, the royal couple will be to the left of the Twin Spires, on either the fourth, fifth or sixth floors.
"She'll have a very good view," Koenig Loignon said. "Close to the finish line."
According to the Web site for the British Monarchy, the queen and her husband will arrive in the United States on Thursday to attend a series of events in Virginia marking the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown.
After their visit to Kentucky, they have a state dinner planned for Monday in Washington.
Penny Russell-Smith, a spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace, said in a telephone interview from London that the queen does not have travel plans in Kentucky outside the Derby.
She said more details about the schedule could be available Thursday.
Randy Fiveash, Kentucky's Commissioner of Tourism, said a royal appearance at the Derby will give this year's race more media exposure, especially in Great Britain.
Fiveash also serves on the board that is organizing the World Equestrian Games in Lexington in 2010. He said Prince Philip came up with the idea for the games, and event organizers are hoping to present him with an update on their plans.
The queen came close to Louisville during her 1986 trip when she had lunch at Hermitage Farm in Oldham County and inspected the farm's yearlings.
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