They say the Kentucky Derby is \u201cthe most exciting two minutes in sports,\u201d but don\u2019t count out the excitement of the rest of Derby day.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s once again time for us to make our predictions for who will walk the Derby red carpet. The truth is, you never know who could show up. This list is all in good fun, mixed with a healthy dose of pop culture knowledge and a lot of guesswork.<\/p>\n
There are a few folks we know will be there, and who are likely to make a red carpet appearance. The celebrities picked to make the \u201cRiders Up\u201d call and sing the national anthem are typically spotted on the red carpet and around the racetrack. These names have yet to be announced, though past years have included Simone Biles and Martha Stewart.<\/p>\n
Plus, the annual Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala gives us a pretty good idea of who could make an appearance. Among those expected to attend this year are Patti LaBelle, Tanya Tucker, and Dannielynn and Larry Birkhead.<\/p>\n
Beyond that, your guess is as good as ours. Here\u2019s who we think could make an appearance on Saturday.<\/p>\n
TV & Film<\/h2>\n
Monica: I didn\u2019t watch \u201cLove Island,\u201d but I did watch the fourth season of \u201cThe Traitors,\u201d and now it seems like Rob Rausch is everywhere. He\u2019s from the South, and I think he\u2019s right in the center of the Venn diagram of \u201cinfluencers\u201d and \u201creality stars\u201d who typically attend the Derby.<\/p>\n
Caroline: I\u2019m only upset I didn\u2019t think of it first. And now that I am<\/i> thinking about it? I\u2019m positive Rausch will make an appearance.<\/p>\n Caroline: Picture this \u2014 \u201cHeated Rivalry,\u201d the HBO Max-hosted Canadian TV show which took over the hearts and minds of many over the holidays, meets the Kentucky Derby! Now, if it were a bit closer to the peak of popularity it hit back in the winter, I\u2019d say that the main stars, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, would pop out on the red carpet. However, due to that aforementioned popularity, those two are extraordinarily booked and busy. Good for them, I say! But the actors who portray the first season\u2019s other relationship, Arnaud and Graham-Kuntz? They may have a tad more time to fly to the Commonwealth this weekend.<\/p>\n Monica: I\u2019m seeing the vision. Stars from \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d have been everywhere in the past few months, so why not the Kentucky Derby?<\/p>\n Monica: Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is a Derby red carpet regular, but this year, he\u2019s got a special connection to the race. He\u2019s an owner of Brooklyn Blonde, who will run in the Oaks on Friday.<\/p>\n Caroline: We\u2019ll see what Flay has cooked up for his outfits, especially given this year\u2019s extra reason to show this weekend!<\/p>\n Monica: You might not recognize these names right off the cuff, but Andrew Walker and Odette Annable are the stars of the Hallmark movie \u201cKentucky Roses\u201d<\/a> that premieres the night of the Derby. The two are confirmed to be attending the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Derby Eve Gala on Friday night, and what better way to celebrate the movie premiere than a red carpet appearance? It\u2019s very much on brand, especially for a movie that was filmed at Churchill Downs and centers on the iconic racetrack.<\/p>\n Caroline: First, I personally cannot wait to watch this movie. Second of all, I think Monica is right on the money here. I\u2019m sure Churchill Downs is a stop on the promotional tour schedule. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing what they wear!<\/p>\n Monica: This is not so much a guess as a guarantee. There is no Derby red carpet without Jack Harlow. As someone named Monica, I\u2019d like to ask him about the inspiration behind his latest album, also named \u201cMonica.\u201d<\/p>\n Caroline: Lock it in! A sure bet.<\/p>\n Monica: Joey Fatone has been at the Derby each year I\u2019ve covered the red carpet (and for many years before that), and then I saw that fellow *NSYNC member Lance Bass is also expected to attend the Barnstable Brown Gala. And then, I saw that Backstreet Boys member Howie Dorough is also expected to attend. So I\u2019m going to throw it out there. I think both boy bands should attend. Be still, my \u201890s childhood heart.<\/p>\n Caroline: Where there\u2019s smoke, there\u2019s fire. And where there\u2019s a gathering of three \u201890s boy band members, there\u2019s a great possibility of more! These two groups have had plenty of reunion rumors over the years; I\u2019d personally love for the reunion to happen at Churchill Downs.<\/p>\n Monica: Luis Fonsi is most know for the global 2017 hit \u201cDespacito,\u201d and he\u2019s scheduled to make an appearance at the Barnstable Brown Gala. I\u2019d expect that also means he\u2019ll make an appearance on Saturday.<\/p>\n Caroline: I love that song!<\/p>\n Caroline: Also expected to show at the Barnstable Brown Gala is Atlanta-born multihyphenate T.I., who has delivered some unforgettable memories over the years. If you\u2019re in town for the Barnstable Brown Gala, why not stay the weekend? Book a reservation at MeeshMeesh,<\/a> explore Louisville and enjoy the 152nd renewal of the Kentucky Derby.<\/p>\n Monica: If you\u2019re at the Barnstable Brown Gala, you\u2019re almost certain to walk the Derby day red carpet. See you there, T.I.<\/p>\n Caroline: The longtime Philadelphia Eagle-turned-ESPN-Swiss army knife seems to be on my television and\/or social media feed any time I look at a screen. While there are plenty of rumors swirling about his younger brother and said younger brother\u2019s fianc\u00e9e, I do believe it\u2019s far more likely that ESPN will send the future Hall of Famer to do content in Louisville this weekend; or that Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce has a brand deal in place to celebrate the Derby.<\/p>\n Monica: I think this is a high possibility. Jason and Kylie Kelce made a ton of content around the Winter Olympics<\/a> with NBC Sports, which also broadcasts the Derby. In fact, I\u2019ll take it one step further. As of Thursday morning, the person who will make the \u201cRiders Up\u201d call has not yet been announced, so I\u2019m going to guess that it\u2019s Jason Kelce making that call.<\/p>\n Caroline: It\u2019s been a while since the Bluegrass experienced a spring this<\/i> fired up for the upcoming Kentucky football season. Of course, Louisville is Cardinals territory, but everybody likes the Run for the Roses! New UK head coach Will Stein and his staff have not only reinvigorated the hopes of Big Blue Nation, but they\u2019ve also done their part to bring former players and alumni back to spend time around the team and show them what the program can be at its best. The Derby is a pretty good place to connect and reminisce about the college days.<\/p>\n Monica: Just like we can count on Jack Harlow to make an appearance, there are plenty of UK sports alumni who walk the red carpet every year. We can almost surely count on Will Stein and a handful of players to be there on Saturday.<\/p>\n Caroline: The NFL player-turned-actor and media personality has been everywhere and done a bit of everything. Next up, he\u2019s got a new YouTube series called \u201cCrews Control\u201d premiering May 5. The series will follow Crews as he explores the ins and outs of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, and was made by the same folks behind the mega-popular \u201cFormula 1: Drive to Survive\u201d Netflix series. If you\u2019re going to do some promotional work about the behind-the-scenes of a non-traditional sport, the Kentucky Derby feels like a great place to do it.<\/p>\n Monica: Terry Crews, I love your work in \u201cBrooklyn Nine-Nine\u201d and also weekend two of Coachella with Sabrina Carpenter!<\/p>\n Caroline: I\u2019ve been told by my loved ones (Monica included) that the Cincinnati native simply has too much going on to make a trip to Churchill Downs this weekend, but why not strike while the iron is hot? Seems as though everybody I know \u2014 EmHen fan or not \u2014 has seen the Netflix adaptation of \u201cPeople We Meet on Vacation\u201d released earlier this year. As we turn the page to the recently-cast \u201cBeach Read,\u201d Henry is having a real moment. I\u2019d love to see her there, even if only to talk shop about her bibliography.<\/p>\n Monica: OK, Emily Henry was not on my list but since Caroline is putting it out there in the universe, I will co-sign! I think I\u2019ve preached the gospel of her books to everyone I know. If she shows up, I would be thrilled (and a little star-struck) and would love to talk about potential casting ideas for my favorite of her books, \u201cBook Lovers.\u201d Emily, hear me out! Come to Derby!<\/p>\n Monica: In our predictions last year,<\/a> I said that I would keep guessing Taylor Swift until she showed up. And she wasn\u2019t there last year, so I\u2019m saying it again. There have been rumors swirling that Swift and her fianc\u00e9 Travis Kelce are part-owners of Derby horse The Puma. While I don\u2019t necessarily think that\u2019s true, or even understand where that rumor came from, we know that Travis attended the Derby two years ago and raved about it on his podcast<\/a>, then got into the horse-owning game with Swift Delivery. So while the chance of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce showing up isn\u2019t high, it\u2019s also not zero.<\/p>\n Caroline: Look, with what little information we have, there seems to be as good of a chance that I\u2019m<\/i> a part-owner of The Puma (I will not confirm or deny at this time). However, if we\u2019re going to manifest stars at the Derby, I\u2019m happy to hop on the Taylor Swift train.<\/p>\n Monica Kast<\/a><\/p>\n Lexington Herald-Leader<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Monica Kast covers higher education for the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com. Previously, she covered higher education in Tennessee for the Knoxville News Sentinel. She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky, and is a graduate of Western Kentucky University.<\/span>\n
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