America’s most famous horse race may be celebrating a milestone this year, but the hats are the real stars of the show.

This year’s Kentucky Derby has already began packing the stands with well-dressed onlookers ready for the day’s races. As is tradition at Churchill Downs, folks sport their finest (or most outlandish) hats to impress the crowd and the folks at home watching on television or looking at photos.

Fashion has been nearly as important as the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs since the beginning. Now, 150 years later, some argue the two are equal.

The hats at the Kentucky Derby are usually exceptional, but nothing quite stands out in a crowd like a horse-inspired hat — or a straight-up horse on your head. In honor of that, here are 15 outrageous horse-themed hats from the Kentucky Derby in recent years.

In a photo finish, Mystik Dan won the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, on Saturday in Louisville. Mystik Dan, at 18-1 odds, edged Sierra Leone at the finish line.

Mystik Dan won the 2024 Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs. But it took several minutes for spectators to know the result as the 150th running of the race went to a photo finish. Sierra Leone took second with Forever Young third.

The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby is Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the race.

Mystik Dan owner Lance Gasaway reflects on his group's huge win at the 150th Kentucky Derby, explaining what the win at Churchill Downs means to him.

In an interview ahead of the Kentucky Derby, Louisville Congressman Morgan McGarvey said the race's use of 'My Old Kentucky Home' should be examined