Early Saturday morning on the Capitol grounds, first lady Glenna Fletcher promised she didn't have Queen Elizabeth II hidden away somewhere in Frankfort.
"No, but that would be pretty cool," she said, smiling. "We do hope to get to see her today."
Gov. Ernie Fletcher, looking casual at the Governor's Derby Breakfast in a maize sport coat and no tie, said perhaps the queen "will surprise us" and show up at the breakfast.
He was joking, but said the queen had actually been invited to the breakfast.
"It's nice we will have her to add to the pageantry of the 133rd Kentucky Derby," the governor said. "We're supposed to meet her about 3:30 p.m. (at Churchill Downs). We also invited her to present the (Derby) trophy. But I think for security reasons, that won't happen."
After leaving the breakfast tent, Frankfort's Shaun Murphy, a native of England, said he was hoping the queen "would drop in" for country ham and sausage on her way to the Derby. "I keep looking for a helicopter. That's probably the way she would drop in and out again.
"There is still time (at 9:15 a.m.). The race isn't until after 6. I never got to see her in England. So maybe I will get to see her in America."
Murphy was wearing a light tan suit, light blue shirt and a "Union Jack" bowtie " a combination of the English, Irish and Welsh flags. He hasn't missed a Derby Breakfast since moving to Frankfort four and a half years ago.
Danny Emmil, food service director for Kentucky Parks, estimated that 10,000 people ate breakfast in the big tent that seats 1,600 people. The serving time was 7 to 11 a.m.
Emmil said he thought the crowd was down a little, probably due to an overcast sky in the early morning.
"We didn't get that steady stream of people like last year when the weather was absolutely beautiful," he said.
Carlos Pugh, commander of VFW Post 4075 in Frankfort, said it was his 10th breakfast, "and it's the shortest line I've seen at 8 a.m."
Shelbyville's Joan LeCompte, wearing a hat adorned with "all Kentucky Derby pins except 1973, 1974 and 1975," said she and her husband, Morgan, arrived at the breakfast tent at 5:30 a.m. "and nine people were in front of us. We always get here early. This is a great place to socialize."
State park employees from across Kentucky come to Frankfort to work the breakfast.
"The cooking starts at midnight and it's like a marathon," Emmil said, at 11:15 a.m. "We don't stop until it's over. We're going to keep one serving line open until we're getting almost nobody. Our goal is to put out hot, fresh food the entire time."
He said he didn't feel exhausted even though he had been up since 7 a.m. Friday.
The food crew prepared: 2,080 pounds of country ham, 13,000 biscuits, 20,000 eggs, 1,200 pounds of sausage, 12,000 servings of cheese grits, 60 bushels of apples, 15,000 cups of coffee and 10,000 juice drinks.
Lexington's Marvin Taylor, a retired state trooper, and his wife, Eddie, attended their first Derby Breakfast.
"It was great," he said. "The country ham was delicious. And people were friendly. I was very impressed."
They were headed to Keeneland after the breakfast.
Six-foot-one Caryn Kovatch, wearing a Mrs. Derby City sash over her black suit, was attending her first Governor's Derby Breakfast.
"It's wonderful, just seeing the amount of people coming out and supporting this," she said. "I've lived in a lot of different states " Connecticut, Maryland, California, New York and Kentucky has the most friendly people. And I've become friendlier since I moved to Louisville two years ago."
A former Syracuse University basketball player, she's now an account manager for Aerotek, a national recruiting company. She was going to Churchill Downs after breakfast.
So was former Gov. Paul Patton. He said he's attended the Governor's Breakfast since Julian Carroll was governor, and is now enjoying life as a former governor.
"I'm perfectly content," he said. "Four years was not enough, but eight years is."
The breakfast is a nice tradition, Patton said.
"It's the only way a lot of people have to be associated with the Derby," he said. "It's a great hometown event for Frankfort and Franklin County. But then you have people from all over the state attend. I enjoy watching the people and talking to people. It's just an absolutely great day for Kentucky."