Woodford Reserve honors Secretariat with $1,000 mint juleps for charity

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Woodford Reserve is honoring the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s historic win in the Kentucky Derby by offering $1,000 mint juleps benefiting charity.

A total of 150 cups from the Woodford Reserve $1,000 Mint Julep charity program will be available for purchase starting on April 13, according to a release.

Cups purchased will need to be picked up at Churchill Downs on Derby Day within the paddock.

Woodford Reserve said it is making 100 silver cups available for purchase for $1,000 and 50 gold cups priced at $3,500. Gold cups will have the buyer’s name engraved on the bottom, and buyers will also receive a handwritten autograph of Secretariat jockey Ron Turcotte.

The cups are handmade by Louisville-based jeweler From the Vault and feature a design with Secretariat’s blue and white checkered silks with sapphires, the release states.

“Secretariat is one of the most iconic thoroughbreds in horse racing history, and it’s an honor to celebrate his enduring legacy through our $1,000 Mint Julep program,” Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall said. “The money raised from this charity program will help ensure the impact of Secretariat is told for many years to come.”

Proceeds benefit the Secretariat Foundation to support thoroughbred and equine-related industries.

Woodford Reserve also provided a recipe for anyone to craft their own “Secretariat’s Mint Julep”:

• 2 oz. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• 1 oz. chestnut liqueur
• 1 sprig of mint, for garnish
• 1 stalk of Virginia bluebells, for garnish

Directions: Mix, then pour over a julep cup filled with crushed ice. Garnish with one sprig of mint and one stalk of Virginia bluebells.

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