Is it bad luck to wear green or carry $50 at the Kentucky Derby?
You’ll be swimming in a sea of bright colors during Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs, but there’s one color you might steer clear of when selecting your outfit. The only color typically frowned upon is green, but only for horse owners or trainers.
Why? Despite being the color of money, there’s a long-held superstition that wearing green supposedly brings bad luck on race day.
Also, many people who bet on the races think it’s bad luck to carry a $50 bill.
“I’ve always heard that bringing a $50 bill, or even touching one, having one around you, is bad luck, so you’ll never see a $50 bill here at Churchill Downs, at least not coming through the mutuel windows and especially from a lot of the gamblers,” said Kevin Kerstein, publicity manager at Churchill Downs.
Learn more about some of the biggest superstitions surrounding the Kentucky Derby in this “What’s What That” video.
Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby superstitions about wearing green and carrying $50 bills