Derby Day: Chance of Off Track; Pack the Parka

 With a 60% chance of rain in Louisville today, patrons going to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) would be well advised to pack a parka. But leave the umbrella at home because that is one of the items banned from being brought into Churchill Downs.

The National Weather Service is for a high if 75 degrees and chance of showers throughout the day.

What effect the precipitation has on the track remains to be seen. Track superintendent Butch Lehr told the Courier-Journal that the track could dry out and be fast as long as the rain stopped before racing begins.

To ward off t he effects of overnight rains, track maintenance personnel used equipment to “seal” the track, essentially packing the top surface so water rolls off rather than penetrating the dirt.