Churchill Downs Racetrack Announces Official Race Day Menu Sporting Traditional Louisville Dishes

Mar 30, 2022 Darren Rogers, Churchill Downs Communications

Churchill Downs Racetrack today announced the official menu of the 148th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. Additionally, for the first time, Churchill Downs is off to the races to give lucky fans the ultimate kit to indulge in Kentucky Derby flavors and enjoy race day favorites from home.

Each year, the official menu offers racetrack attendees traditional, yet modern, Kentucky flavors through a selection of carefully curated dishes, turning The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports® into a notable culinary moment. This year’s official menu will be served to more than 300,000 spectators across the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 6, and the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7.

“When creating this year’s official on-site menu, I felt inspiration from the historical flavors rooted in the culture of Derby Day,” said Chef Kenneth Hardiman. “Beyond the gates of the racetrack, I hope fans across the country can take these dishes to inspire their own at-home spreads.”

Coinciding with the menu, the all-new “Kentucky Derby At Your Door” sweepstakes is a nationwide catering giveaway, where fans can enter for a chance to win a catered Derby spread and entertaining essentials to throw an at-home celebration. Combining a selection of Southern staples inspired by Kentucky Derby classics with official branded glassware and accessories, this limited-time giveaway will allow three lucky winners to easily immerse in the culinary traditions of Kentucky Derby with friends and family.

Fans may enter the sweepstakes now through April 26, and winners will be chosen at random and notified by email.  To enter for a chance to win please visit www.kentuckyderby.com/derbyatyourdoor.

The Official Kentucky Derby 148 Menu

Lemon Green Bean Salad
Red onion, goat cheese, lemon herb vinaigrette 

Charred Broccoli Salad4
Cranberry, almond, apple cider vinaigrette

Kale Carrot Salad
Garbanzo beans, cucumber, tomato ginger dressing

Kentucky Bibb Salad
Pear, roasted walnut, basil buttermilk dressing

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
Spiced pecan

Pimento Cheese Creamed Spinach

Butternut Squash, Baby Kale & Farro Risotto

Seared Chicken Breast
Pancetta, Vidalia® Onion and fennel cream

Braised Short Rib
Vidalia® Onion demi-glace

Chef's Selection of Afternoon Snacks
 Pimento cheese, Benedictine, Flat Bread Crackers and Charcuterie Presentation  

Gourmet Dessert Display 

About Chef Kenneth Hardiman

Chef Hardiman has joined Churchill Downs as the Chef and Culinary Expert for the 148th Kentucky Derby. With more than a decade of experience creating award-winning establishments, Hardiman comes to Louisville from his previous role as Senior Executive Chef at Fiserv Forum for the Milwaukee Bucks’. In addition to having won several prestigious culinary awards, Hardiman is passionate about helping the lives of others. He is actively involved in Feeding America Wisconsin, a chairman and co-leader of the Levy-Compass Diversity & Inclusion Committee and in 2020 served as the March of Dimes Ambassador Chef.

About the Kentucky Derby

The $3 million Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Inaugurated in 1875, the legendary 1 1/4-mile race for three-year-olds is the longest continually-held major sporting event in North America and the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown series. Also known as, 'The Run for the Roses' and 'The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,' the Kentucky Derby is the most attended horserace in the nation. This year, the Kentucky Derby will take place on May 7, 2022. For more information, please visit www.KentuckyDerby.com.