Kentucky Derby Factoid: The owner of the Kentucky Derby doesn’t just get $1,425,000. They also get that nice blanket of roses. The tradition of draping a blanket of roses dates back to 1883. A New York socialite named E. Berry Wall gave roses to all the ladies at a post-Derby party that year, and Derby founder Meriwether Lewis Clark decided to make the rose the official flower of the Kentucky Derby. By 1896, therefore, roses were being draped across the winning horses, and eventually the race itself started to be known as “The Run for the Roses.” Today the rose blanket contains precisely 564 roses. So, considering that a dozen roses goes for about $50, that, $2,350 worth of flowers adorning those horses’ necks. The Kroger Company has been the official florist of the Kentucky Derby since 1987. After taking over the duties from the Kingsley Walker florist, Kroger began constructing the prestigious garland in one of its local stores for the public to view on Derby Eve. The preservation of the garland and crowds of spectators watching its construction are a testament to the prestige and mystique of the garland of roses.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:34:28 +0000
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