How Does the Kentucky Derby's New Logo Stack Up Against Recent Versions?

We're just shy of eight months away from that season when Louisville becomes a mash-up of a Kid Rock concert and a "Great Gatsby" cosplay party—but you can't really escape the Kentucky Derby in this town no matter the date.So Churchill Downs has revealed the new logos for the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.Here they are:

The firm SME designed the logos, as it has for the past six years. They were trying to pay "homage to both the traditions and pedigree of these iconic brands," Churchill Downs said in a news release.SME chief creative officer Edward O'Hara describes it like this: “The 140th runnings of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Longines Kentucky Oaks present a return to the traditions that make these events such a treasured part of our national pastimes. Classic retaining shapes and flowing banners of red and pink pay homage to the timeless and almost patriotic nature of these beloved races.”Absent for the first time in recent years is a horse.Here's a look at recent Kentucky Derby logos. Because, why not?2013

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