LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The Mary M. Miller has won the 62nd annual annual Shepherd Insurance Great Steamboat Race, claiming the Silver Antlers.
The Great Steamboat Race set sail Wednesday evening with the annual river rivalry starting at 6 p.m.
The Belle of Louisville dropped out of the Great Steamboat Race on Tuesday after the Kentucky Derby Festival said a leak was found during an inspection. The leak prevents the Belle from being able to carry enough fuel for the race.
The Belle’s sister vessel, Mary M. Miller, will take her place Wednesday, April 30, in the annual showdown against the Belle of Cincinnati. The boat is named after Mary Millicent Miller, who was born in Louisville and became the first licensed female steamboat captain in the U.S.
“The Shepherd Insurance Great Steamboat Race is a Derby week tradition, and the race will go on!” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “We’re going to miss seeing the Belle of Louisville cruising down the river, but we know her crew has shared all the winning strategies with the Mary M. Miller to reclaim the silver antlers for the city.”
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“The Mary M. Miller may look small but she’s got a lot of horsepower,” said Krista Snider, Chief Executive Officer for Belle of Louisville Riverboats. “If this was a horse race, I’d bet on the Mary.”
The Mary M. Miller and Belle of Cincinnati raced the 14-mile course on the Ohio River, which starts and finishes at the Clark Memorial Bridge. The winner will be presented with the set of 12-point Silver Antlers at the post-race ceremony.
Six other boats have competed and won the race: Delta Queen, Belle of Louisville, Julia Belle Swain, Natchez, Spirit of Jefferson and Belle of Cincinnati. The Spirit of Jefferson filled in for the Belle of Louisville for the 1999 race after a pinhole was discovered in the Belle’s boiler system, KDF said.
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