‘Riders up!’ Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes will be a big deal at Kentucky Derby this weekend

What a week for Patrick Mahomes.

It began in the glamorous glare of paparazzi cameras when the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, made their debut on the famous red carpet of the Met Gala in New York City on Monday.

“Patrick, Patrick,” photographers shouted as the couple made their entrance. He wore a custom Hugo Boss suit, and later the label released an Instagram story showing Mahomes posing like a professional supermodel, moody lighting, smoldering looks and all.

Now the two-time Super Bowl MVP finishes out the week by taking part in the “fastest two minutes in sports” — the Kentucky Derby.

This could be another memorable style moment for the Mahomeses. The Derby’s Saturday afternoon red carpet is famous for its traditional dress code of hats — bold, bodacious and big. It’s a perfect fashion showcase for Mahomes, who favors custom suits. He’s not afraid to wear a bold pattern, which the Derby carpet almost demands.

It’s not known yet whether his wife will be with him or whether Mahomes will have time to pose for photos before he takes care of some important business on live TV.

But here’s what we know so far about Mahomes at the Derby, and how he has a chance to put his own stamp on the event.

Friday

Mahomes was invited to attend what Condé Nast has called one of the “Ten Best Parties in the World,” the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Derby Eve Gala in Louisville.

The fundraiser hosted by Louisville native Patricia Barnstable-Brown, her son and her twin sister, is considered the most exclusive of all the Kentucky Derby parties. The party has raised more than $17 million to fight diabetes, according to organizers.

“Talk about star power! Patrica Barnstable-Brown has pulled together another breathtaking celebrity guest list for her annual bucket-list Derby Eve party held the night before the Kentucky Derby,” Kirby Adams at the Louisville Courier Journal writes.

“Our advice? You’ll want to pull on your shades before glancing over the who’s-who of the world of sports, music, television, film and dignitaries coming to this party.”

The first name on that VIP guest list: Patrick Mahomes. (A Super Bowl win will do that.)

Also expected to attend: actors Chris Pine (“Star Trek”), Justin Hartley (“This Is Us”) and Ian Bohen (“Yellowstone”), actor/comedian Bill Bellamy, singer Smokey Robinson, former Bon Jovi lead guitarist Richie Sambora, country star Travis Tritt, rapper Jack Harlow, Boyz II Men and Bret Baier from Fox News. Most of the musicians are also expected to perform.

Mahomes’ teammate, tight end Blake Bell, has also been invited. So have new Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning.

And that doesn’t include a “surprise guest” the hostess has promised.

The party will put Mahomes back in front of the cameras. Fans crowd around the red carpet entrance to the party at the Barnstable-Brown mansion and call out to guests as they arrive in limos, Adams writes.

“With lawn chairs and blankets, streetside spectators are part of the tradition on Derby Eve outside Barnstable-Brown’s yellow mansion, which is perched on a grassy hillside illuminated by thousands of twinkling white lights,” he writes.

Saturday

Saturday brings the main reason Mahomes is in Kentucky for the weekend. He has been given the honor to command the jockeys to mount their horses right before the race. The call is famous.

“’Riders Up!’ is the traditional command from the Paddock Judge for jockeys to mount their horses in advance of the upcoming race,” says the Kentucky Derby website.

“But since 2012, Churchill Downs has reserved that special honor for a dignitary or celebrity attendee when it comes to the Kentucky Derby.”

In the past the honor has gone to rapper and Louisville native Jack Harlow, University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, NBA great Julius Irving, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Peyton and former boxer and TV personality Laila Ali.

It typically takes place across from the first stall in the Saddling Paddock.

“After the command, jockeys receive a leg up on their mounts and immediately turn right to the Paddock Runway, which leads to the racetrack,” the Derby site says.

The moment is broadcast live on NBC. It is scripted, but the callers tend to put their own spin on it, which shouldn’t be a problem for Mahomes, who can work up a crowd with the best of them.

Plus, he’s got that voice — distinctive and Muppet-like, which Mahomes embraced long ago as “it’s me, it’s who I am.”

A few of these “Riders Up!” imoments have been unforgettable.

Actor Jeff Bridges made NBC commentators laugh in 2017 when he delivered a call filled with gusto.

In 2019, WWE superstar Titus O’Neill delivered one with so much flair — and a kick — that one commentator called it “best of all time” while another worried. “I hope the horses weren’t startled.”

The command is typically given about 19 minutes before the start of the race. Post time is 5:57 p.m. Central time.