Last Updated on May 13, 2016 by Aaron Hinchliffe

Dubbed the most exciting two minutes in sports, theKentucky Derby kicks off the high season for horse-racing fans around the country. There’s the Derby this Saturday, thePreakness Stakes on May 21 and the Belmont Stakes on June 11. Could we have a Triple Crown winner two years in a row?

That will make for good Derby party conversation, and you’ll find lots of toppers and mint juleps around town at a bevy of such bashes.

Coppersmith (40 W. Third St., Boston; 617-658-3452; coppersmithboston.com): Wear your favorite outre hat Saturday, and the folks at this Southie resto will treat you to a free appetizer. Watch the world’s top thoroughbreds atChurchill Downs on a 12-foot projection screen and sip traditional mint juleps. Chef Jason Heard will also be serving up house-smoked BBQ favorites.

Source: Boston Herald