It's like the Super Bowl, but for fans wearing $5,000 hats and watching 20 horses try to not crash into each other.

With an open like that, I am already stressed out, and I don't even know what's happening.

You don't need to know what's happening, lady, and that's the magic of it all.

Welcome to Scott Sigler Slices.

I am Scott Sigler, a sci-fi horror and sports fiction author. And I am A. B. Sigler,

audiobook narrator and publisher at M.T. Set Entertainment, where we make cool things for cool people.

And this is a slice of the Kentucky Derby. The 2026 Derby is May 2nd, starting at 6.57 p.m. Eastern Time.

The main race will be broadcast on NBC in the United States if you're here.

And if you're a peacock subscriber anywhere in the world, the all-day coverage begins at 2.30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

In this episode, we're going to talk about horse health, what the race is and its history.

What is the social event and the aspects of that and why that matters? And most of all, what's the deal with the crazy hats? So let's get into it,

Mr. Sigler. Horse racing is kind of anachronistic. So I would like you to sell me on the Kentucky Derby.

I think I can sell you by simply doing this because I also have a hat.

This is my crazy Kentucky Derby hat.

It is a Detroit Lions Fez, a gift from Darrell and Genalea.

And then we have put some flourishes on it, because that is what you do

is put flourishes on these things. All right, let's talk about the Kentucky Derby. First of all,

the Kentucky Derby is one of the oldest sporting events in America. It's been running,

uninterrupted, since 1875.

That's over 150 years for you math challenge people.

The first time the race was run, Ulysses S. Grant was the president.

This year's Run for the Roses, which will explain why that name matters,

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