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^{The Crown Jewels Hat Collection}

^{A One of a Kind Derby Hat Collection}
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MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS^®
Custom Millinery by Sally Faith Steinmann

The Kentucky Derby... the Preakness... the Belmont... Anyone who loves horses recognizes these names as the three jewels in the coveted Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing. Each year this familiar rite of spring begins anew on that first Saturday in May as throngs of hopeful fans make the annual pilgrimage to Churchill Downs hoping that maybe, just maybe, this will be the year they will witness a superhorse making history. Meanwhile for months leading up to the Derby, teams of owners and trainers, hot-walkers, jockeys and grooms from all across the country have been preparing and training their horses in an attempt to make their dreams for a Triple Crown winner come true. It is interesting to note that each of the races that make up the Triple Crown had their own beginnings at very separate times in history: the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY in 1867, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD in 1873, and finally the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY in 1875. But the idea of a Triple Crown evolved slowly. Charlie Hutton, legendary columnist for the Daily Racing Form, is generally acknowledged as the one who first coined the phrase, "Triple Crown." Still it wasn't until 1930 that New York Times writer Bryan Field officially used the term after Gallant Fox's victory in the Belmont. In 1950 the Thoroughbred Racing Association commissioned Cartier to create a special silver trophy to honor the winner of all three races. Yet the task of achieving victories in all three consecutive races is anything but simple. The races are only two and three weeks apart, and the final leg, the Belmont at 1 and 1/2 miles is the longest distance any of these equine athletes will ever run in their entire lives. In all, only 11 horses have ever claimed all three races in the Triple Crown beginning in 1919 with Sir Barton, then Gallant Fox, (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1846), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), and Affirmed (1978). Yet all of the horses who make it to the starting gates at Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont Park are champions. Each one has his or her own story, and every single one of these extraordinary athletes is deserving of our praise.

With this rich history in mind, MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS^® would like to announce the debut of The Crown Jewels Hat Collection featuring a truly stunning collection of one-of-a-kind Derby hats created to celebrate the magnificent Thoroughbred athletes who have participated in the Triple Crown races over the years. Three Triple Crown competitors were selected for the inaugural year of the collection, and each hat created in their honor is a Derby style chapeau fashioned with their color, conformation, racing silks and racing achievements in mind. While we have not named the hats after the Thoroughbreds they honor, we have given several clues in the titles, hat descriptions and pricing that might help you to determine the athlete they represent. See if you can guess!

Please keep in mind that each design from the Crown Jewels Collection will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Consequently be sure to email Sally soon for current pricing so that you can make one of these gorgeous Derby chapeaux your own. Perfect for any of the Triple Crown races, other racing events or even for a lovely garden party or tea!

And we'd love to hear what you think about the new Collection. We hope to make it as much a traditional rite of spring for MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS^® as the roses of Churchill Downs, the Black-eyed Susans of Pimlico, and the white carnations of Belmont!

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And now we invite you to visit the hat galleries of the very first The Crown Jewels Hat Collection. Your first clue is this: All three horses for this inaugural year of the Collection competed in all three legs of the Triple Crown; all three went on to become Hall of Famers, all three were U.S Champions for at least one year, and two of these outstanding athletes received Horse of the Year honors as well.

Enjoy!