newbie? Here's

How To Sound Like A True Insider

The Kentucky Derby has 149 years of history and tradition around it.

If this is your first Derby or it's been awhile since you've enjoyed the pageantry of it all, it's important to play the part.

The trick is knowing how to talk, even if Churchill Downs isn't exactly your home away from home.

So let's review, shall we? Here are the top things to know to sound like a true Churchill Downs insider.

Complain about tourists clogging the streets with no place to park

Derby attendees crowd the infield at Churchill Downs.

Every year on Kentucky Derby Day, Louisville welcomes so many people to the track that Churchill Downs becomes the third largest city in Kentucky for a single day, dubbed "Derbyville."

That's a lot of tourists and it is our right to complain about them.

If you really want to sound like an insider, bemoan how every year it's more and more difficult to get around the city or get a table at a restaurant. Then lean in and conspiratorially whisper about how you've got a friend nearby who lets you park in their driveway or how you took a pedicab to Churchill Downs to avoid the mess on the streets.

Reminisce about Secretariat and Citation's famous Kentucky Derby runs

If you don't know these two venerable horses and key information about their races, you don't know the Kentucky Derby.

Not knowing these two icons is the equivalent of not knowing who Babe Ruth is in terms of baseball.

Secretariat, the 99th Derby winner, who won in 1973, was the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. Secretariat's time of 1:59 2/5 remains the record for the Kentucky Derby and for Churchill Downs to this day. Come on, a Disney movie was made about this horse.

Citation is also arguably one of the best racehorses in history. In 1948, he became the eighth Triple Crown winner and has a modern-era record of 16 straight victories.

Make sure to drop both these horses' names liberally in conversations at Churchill Downs. And don't make the mistake of dropping the names of Seabiscuit or Man o' War — neither of those legendary horses ever ran in the Kentucky Derby (although Man o' War's son War Admiral did run — and win — the Kentucky Derby in 1937 and later the Triple Crown).

Consider eschewing the mint julep and opt for an alternate

Cocktail

Yes, the mint julep is synonymous with the Kentucky Derby. No one will judge you if you have one — or a few. But some locals tend to skip these sugary drinks at Churchill Downs and opt instead for other refreshments.

Consider using a Hunter S. Thompson reference and ordering a double Old Fitz on ice.

Or pick some other bourbon cocktail. A few years ago, Churchill Downs introduced the Woodford Spire, made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, lemonade, cranberry juice and a lemon twist for garnish. Not only is this cock- tail slightly less sugary-sweet than the julep, but just knowing it exists will score you points with the locals.

Comment on the Churchill Downs track conditions

The weather can affect the dirt track at Churchill Downs. Show off your knowledge of racing by simply looking outside. If it's warm and sunny out, talk about how fast the track is; if it's wet out, talk about how sloppy the track is and how that will help the front-runners.

Take it one step further and talk about how a sloppy track will bode well for mudders, which could change the entire

outcome of a race.

Be on poop patrol in the Paddock before the Kentucky Derby races

This is almost certainly a horseracing superstition, but many bettors swear that the horse that, ahem, relieves himself right before the race will be the winner. Makes sense, right? That horse is a little lighter and a lot more comfortable right before the race. So when you're hanging out in the Paddock trying to catch a glimpse of the Kentucky Derby thoroughbreds, pay close attention to what the horses leave behind.

At a loss? Repeat this phrase: "I don't know if he can get the distance."

The Kentucky Derby race is a 1 1/4 mile race, longer than any prep race leading up to the Kentucky Derby. So these horses are generally untested for this length of racing, meaning this key phrase could work for any of these horses and make you sound like you really know what you're talking about.

If the people around you have gotten into an in-depth discussion about the merits of different horses and you're feeling out of your depth, toss out this key phrase. Repeat it as often as necessary and smile while sipping your Woodford Spire.

Patrick Ryan

This awards season, donkeys appear in three Oscar-nominated films. Best picture nominees "The Banshees of Inisherin" and "Triangle of Sadness" both feature beleaguered burros in memorable scenes, while best international film contender "Eo" follows an affable donkey on his travels.

Why can't filmmakers get enough of these adorable equines? Put simply, "their whole appearance is friendly, comical and ultimately sympathetic," says "Triangle" director Ruben Östlund. "To me, the donkey is the court jester of the animal kingdom."

Here's your guide to the braykout stars of this year's Oscarnominated movies:

Jenny the Donkey stars in 'The Banshees of Inisherin'

In "Banshees," an Irish tragicomedy vying for nine Oscars, a sweet little donkey named Jenny gets caught in the crosshairs of a rift between former best friends Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson). Pádraic, Jenny's owner, turns to his fourlegged companion for comfort: taking long walks together through the countryside and letting her sleep in his house.

The diminutive donkey makes a big impression – so much so that Farrell thanked his animal co-star, also named Jenny, in his best actor Golden Globes speech last month. Martin McDonagh, who wrote and directed the movie, says she was part of the story from its inception.

"Part of it is as silly and simple as I like cute animals on screen, and I always hope nothing bad happens to them," McDonagh says. But also, donkeys "represent innocence. By the end, we almost start seeing (the story) through their eyes: how they observe the violence and craziness of this conflict between the two men."

The gentle creature is a mirror of sorts for Pádraic, whose blissful, easygoing nature is destroyed by the end of the film when –major spoiler alert! – Jenny dies. "It's the death of Pádraic's innocence. Jenny represents that," Farrell says. "(He's) lost too much at that point. The heart is closed off from then on."

Six donkeys play 'Eo' in the Oscar-nominated Polish film

"Eo" traces the sometimes treacherous journey of a soulful, melancholy mammal. After his circus is shut down by animal rights activists, Eo sets off wandering through Italy and Poland, meeting the very best and worst of humankind along the way. Inspired by Robert Bresson's 1966 donkey drama "Au Hasard Balthazar," the movie aims to change people's attitudes about meat consumption and animals –reminding moviegoers that they're not just objects but living creatures.

"The opinion about donkeys is that they are stubborn and stupid," director Jerzy Skolimowski says. "Stubborn? Yes. Stupid? Not at all. They are very clever, very sensitive, and if one finds the way to collaborate with them in a friendly manner, then they are willing to do whatever one wants them to do."

Eo is portrayed by six different donkeys, although one particular burro, Tako, has roughly 60% of the screen time. The key to "acting" with donkeys is to always be shooting and observing them, Skolimowski says, trying to capture moments that can later be edited together to "express a certain feeling." Food also comes in handy to help coax out performances.

On the set, "carrots were ubiquitous," says Ewa Piaskowska, Skolimowski's wife and the film's co-writer. "But there was one Italian donkey, Marietta, who wasn't a big fan of carrots at all. She liked cornetti, which is a croissant, so she was actually fed croissants. We tried giving her carrots and she'd be like, 'What is this?' "

'Triangle of Sadness' has a squeamishly silly donkey scene

In "Triangle," a class satire up for three Oscars, a group of hapless tycoons are left to fend for themselves on a deserted island after their luxury cruise is attacked by pirates. In a comically uncomfortable three-minute sequence, tech billionaire Jorma (Henrik Dorsin) is forced to kill a donkey with a rock in order to feed his fellow castaways, who all look on in horror.

"It takes great effort and is quite traumatizing to kill another living creature, especially if it’s the size of a donkey," Östlund says. "The first version of the scene was probably seven minutes long, but in test screenings, the audience was terrified and I had to cut it down."

The film's donkey was created using a combination of computer-generated imagery and a puppet, which was maneuvered by two puppet masters hiding in bushes. The agonizing moment was inspired by an episode of Bear Grylls' reality series "The Island," where contestants struggled with their fear of killing an alligator.

In this movie, "it felt more interesting to me if the group was faced with a more domesticated animal," Östlund says. "Something about donkeys felt exactly right.”

Contributing: Brian Truitt

Dirty Horse Shoes? The newly renovated Kentucky Derby Museum Store has gift ideas for you

While the Kentucky Derby Museum gift shop has all the usual T-shirts, keychains and ballcaps, it is also a gold mine for oneof-a-kind gifts that you can’t find anywhere else. Or at least all under one roof.

On Saturday February 4, the gift store celebrated a grand reopening after a monthlong renovation and the first 50 shoppers received a free 149th Kentucky Derby glass.

"We have so many unique items in the store that it's not only museum visitors who shop here," said Kristina Gerard, director of retail operations. "We have a lot of shoppers throughout the year who live right here in Louisville and come to buy gifts, pick up items for Derby themed parties or items for themselves."

The store has seen significant growth over the last couple of years. Sales are up nearly 17% from 2021 to 2022 with 48% of the merchandise now coming from Kentucky vendors, Jerad said.

"I find a lot of wonderful products by visiting art shows and craft fairs around the state; I also keep an eye out for interesting items when I am shopping in local shops and boutiques in the Louisville area," Gerard said.

The well-dressed horse racing fan can find a large variety of hats, for both men and women in the shop. Plus equine jewelry, men's neckwear, home décor, party supplies and even locally made horse themed games.

The gift shop also carries a solid offering of local bourbons, bourbon balls and other Kentucky made food items, along with more usual items like brightly colored drink koozies decorated with numbers from the starting gate.

"One customer bought one of every number for a Derby party and used the koozies for a party game," Gerard said. "We had the mother of a bride buy Derby glasses for guests to drink from at the wedding reception."

According to Jerad, when it comes to Derby glasses, customers purchase specific glasses for one of three reasons: "They buy it to commemorate the year they attended the Kentucky Derby or because it's the year they were born or the year that Secretariat won the Derby," she said.

For those who prefer to shop from home, 70% of the Kentucky Derby Museum gift store's inventory is available on the website. That includes one of the most popular items in the gift store —The Dirty Horse Shoe.

"It's an actual horse shoe with dirt from the Churchill Downs racetrack embedded in the grooves," Gerard said." It costs $8 and is one of those items that is super unusual and easy to throw into a suitcase to take home as a memento."

The Kentucky Derby Museum Store is located just inside the front door of the

Kentucky Derby Museum, 704 Central Ave. The store is open during regular museum hours and museum admission is not required to visit the store. The Kentucky Derby Museum is open Monday - Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.