A behind-the-scenes look at the famed Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than 150,000 spectators are expected to descend on famed Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, but the story of race day begins long before the crowds arrive.

For those behind the scenes, Derby Day on May 2 isn’t about fresh mint tank tops and flashy hats; It is the culmination of years of training, millions of investments, and the final hours of it all coming together.

Spectators willing to spend a pretty penny for an exclusive experience will be able to pay around $16,800 to sit at a table above the track. costs listed on website starting at $280,000 for private lawn suites.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these horses,” Stan Bowling, head tour guide at the Kentucky Derby Museum, told Fox News Digital. And some fans feel the same way.

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Only 3-year-old thoroughbreds are eligible to participate in the race, with training starting early and intensifying in the years leading up to the Kentucky Derby, affectionately called “the fastest two minutes in sports.”

“It takes a lot in those two minutes and it takes some change for all these owners, trainers and jockeys,” said Bowling, a Kentucky native who has competed in the race 28 times. “There are no changes to this track.”

While the racing is fast, the road to Churchill Downs is anything but. Along the way, horses earn points through qualifying races, while trainers manage every detail to ensure thoroughbreds peak at exactly the right moment.

Qualified horses arrive in early March to acclimate to the track and acclimate to life at Churchill Downs, which hosts approximately 750 races each year. But no other race at this track carries the same weight as the Kentucky Derby, the 12th of the 14-race sequence that determines the day’s events.

“Every morning from mid-March through the end of the year, the horses will train on the track from 5:30 to 10 a.m.,” Bowling said as he steered the golf cart under the famous track toward what is known as the backcountry.

He noted that by mid-March, approximately 1,400 horses had arrived at the stalls.

A winning horse is seen during an early morning practice session on the track at Churchill Downs. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Churchill Downs takes on a different identity here, beyond the stands and away from the shows. The back lot operates like a small, self-sufficient community, with 47 stables housing the horses and some 600 workers living and working on the property.

There is a chapel and even a small school on the grounds; part of a self-contained world that runs parallel to the show, just steps away.

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At the back it runs along rows of mostly ordinary stalls, punctuated by a few stalls named after famous horses and their jockeys.

“Would you like to guess how much it would cost to rent one of these stalls at the world’s most famous race track?” Bowling asked.

“$7.50.”

Approximately 1,400 horses fill the stables on the vast grounds of Churchill Downs. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

This modest fee is just a starting point; This is a small figure compared to the millions that can be spent on preparing a single horse throughout its training and care.

This level of investment is also reflected in the fan experience, where attending the Derby comes at a very high price.

“It’s an expensive ticket, I guarantee you that, but for most people coming to see the Kentucky Derby is a bucket list event,” Bowling said.

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Tickets range from about $160 for access to the 26-acre grassy field, where the race is watched on big screens, to about $800 for one of the cheapest seats in the stands.

For grandstand ticket holders, food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as admission to the races on Friday and Saturday, are included in the price.

“Of the 60,000 grandstand seats, those closer to the track and farther from the finish line are generally the cheapest,” he added.

At the higher end, prices are climbing rapidly.

A view of the Kentucky Derby grandstand at Churchill Downs, where seats can range from $1,000 to $16,000. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

“If you want to be at the Woodford Reserve Paddock Club for a very unique, elite experience, a six-person table with glass will cost you $16,800 per seat,” Churchill Downs’ Darren Rogers told Fox News Digital.

“We have a number of different levels of packages to suit the experience guests are looking for, especially out-of-towners and bucket-list visitors.”

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Meanwhile, tickets for a typical race day outside the Kentucky Derby can cost as little as $10.

But for many, it’s worth paying a high price for a fleeting moment; two minutes that convey years of work, millions of dollars and a lifetime of ambition.