Time Out from the Derby Trail to Talk about Collecting Derby Memories

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The Kentucky Derby Trail began on January 7, 2012, with the Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct and the Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita. Alpha and Out of Bounds won those two races and Alpha has managed to survive the rigors of the Derby Trail and will probably start in the Run to the Roses.
 
There have been 29 graded Derby prep races run in 2012. Countless blogs, articles, and Derby Top 10 lists have been written. With less than three weeks remaining until the 20 horses are loaded into the staring gate at Churchill Downs just about every topic has been covered, except for one.
 
Each year on the morning of the Kentucky Derby my son and I jump in the car and drive to Monmouth Park. Even though I could place my bets through NJBets or at the nearby Favorites OTB facility we still drive to the track because that is where I can buy the annual Kentucky Derby glass.
 
Enough speculation about which horses will have enough graded stakes earnings to make the field or about who will be the post time favorite. Just how many Kentucky Derby glasses do you own?  I have a multi-generational collection with glasses that I have purchased and others that I inherited from my wife’s grandfather.  Let’s take a time out from the Derby trail to talk about collecting Derby memories.
 
The very familiar shape of the Derby mint julep glass first appeared in 1948, and has retained the same size and shape since then. Each year the glass has a new design and the list of Derby winners is updated to include the previous year. (Get the Churchill Downs mint julep recipe.)
 
However, Kentucky Derby glasses originated in 1938, as water glasses that were put on the tables in the track dining rooms. People took those glasses home as souvenirs of their day at the Derby and so began this collectible craze. In the first 10 years, they were made of either aluminum to reduce the chance of broken glass at the track or from the plastic, bakelite, during World War II when metal was reserved for usage in the war. There was a void in 1946 and 1947, because there was no design on the glasses making them unidentifiable.
 
From 1938 to 1952, production of Derby glasses never got higher then 100,000.  As the souvenir glasses grew in popularity so did production. 250,000 were made in 1966, and then 400,000 in 1974. Today, approximately 700,000 are produced and now they are available at sites all around the country. Watch this {video} from the Kentucky Derby Museum about collecting Derby glasses.
 
A search at the online auction site Ebay showed 1,576 listings for “Kentucky Derby glasses” with asking prices of $14,999 for a 1940 model to a mere dollar or two for the more recent high production versions.  On Ebay, Derby glasses are more popular than the 1,253 items listed for “horse racing pins”, 1,163 “Secretariat” collectibles, 872 “horse racing programs”, or even 684 for “Zenyatta”.
 
The glasses are souvenirs of the great moments in Kentucky Derby history going back to 1948. The current style of Derby glasses began that year, which was also when Citation became the 8th Triple Crown winner.  On Ebay that glass has bids ranging from $61 to $325.
 
The 1953 version would be a great Derby glass to own.  That’s the year that Native Dancer was defeated by Dark Star for his only loss in 22 starts, marking what had to be the greatest upset in Derby history. 
 
The 1968 Derby was the most controversial Derby in history. That is the race when Peter Fuller’s Dancer's Image won the race after an amazing run from last place, but was found to have had traces of phenylbutazone in the post race testing. Calumet’s Forward Pass was declared the winner after Dancer’s Image was disqualified and placed last. Enjoy this {video} from the New Hampshire Chronicle about Fuller and Dancer’s Image.  The 1968 glass is offered up on Ebay for between $9.99 and $42.00. 
 
1974 marked the 100th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby. It was also the first glass that showed Secretariat’s Derby and Triple Crown victories. In that year there was an error in the Derby glass. A first batch of 450,000 glasses was made with the 1971 winner listed as Canonero. Another 450,000 corrected glasses were made that said Canonero II, which is of course is his official name. I have both glasses in my collection.
 
If you want the glass for Seattle Slew victory should you collect the 1977 glass for the year of his win or the 1978 glass which first lists Slew’s Derby win and Triple Crown designation?  Of course the 1978 glass brings you to Affirmed’s Derby win and his Triple Crown. A serious collector would certainly own both.
 
The 1988 glass, which marked the 114th Kentucky Derby is decorated with a horse that is wearing silks and blinkers with the famed blue and white diamonds of the Meadow Stable. That year Winning Colors won the race and Alysheba’s victory from the previous year is listed.
 
Collecting is so much fun because behind each souvenir glass there is a story and memories from the Kentucky Derby.  Do you own a souvenir of Barbaro, Sunday Silence, Riva Ridge, Spectacular Bid, or Charismatic’s great wins on the first Saturday in May? Which glasses do you own and what are the stories that go with your collection? 

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