Some Kentucky Derby/Oks Facts from the week end.

The Kentucky Derby is the longest running sports event in American history. Held the first Saturday in May, three-year-old thoroughbreds gather at Churchill Downs in Kentucky to compete over a blistering two minutes that ends with a blanket of roses draped over the winner.

Big hats and big bucks go together at this sport of kings. Last year, total betting at the Derby was $130.5 million.


And, it's bigger than ever now, especially for the opulent class. Take a look at Millionaires Row, the most exclusive area of the Churchill Downs (CHDN) racetrack.

This weekend, a table for eight in this section will set you back by about $50,000 -- the highest amount a table has fetched at the Derby.

How about a single seat with a great view? The highest priced seat is going for $9,300. The only other sporting event to top that was the Super Bowl, where the most expensive seat was $14,300.

People can also sip a mint julep that will cost $1,000. The drink -- high-end bourbon, rosewater, ice and mint -- will be served in an engraved silver "chalice." The money raised from mint juleps will go to a charity for neglected horses, which might help the drink go down extra smoothly.

Of course no one wants to be sitting at a table at Millionaires Row and sipping a mint julep without a hat.

"The demand is certainly the best I've seen in years," according to Suzanne Newman of Suzanne Couture Millinery, a custom hat maker in New York City.

This year, Newman has sold about 50 Derby hats for as much as $2,000 each, some of the highest prices she has seen.

With more than 150,000 attendees, the Derby is one of the top five most attended events in sports.

This year, some people are even hiring private security to keep the crowds at bay.

"A lot of people are requiring police escorts to get through the high celebrity traffic," says Dearen of DerbyBox.com. The cost: $1,000 a day.

In fact, there are 80,000 spectators in the track's infield. They have to bring their own chairs.

A ticket costs $60. No bathrooms here -- only Porta Potties.