LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The field for the Kentucky Derby Festival's Great Steamboat Race will look different this year. 

The Derby Festival said hometown favorite, the Belle of Louisville, was scratched due to a leak in an internal bulkhead seam that was found Tuesday during final inspections for the event. Organizers said because of the leak’s location, the Belle is not able to carry enough fuel to cruise for the race. The Mary M. Miller, the Belle’s sister vessel, will take her place against the Belle of Cincinnati.

“The Shepherd Insurance Great Steamboat Race is a Derby week tradition, and the race will go on!” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival president and CEO. “We’re going to miss seeing the Belle of Louisville cruising down the river, but we know her crew has shared all the winning strategies with the Mary M. Miller to reclaim the silver antlers for the city.”

Built in 1985 and named after Louisville native Mary Millicent Miller, the first licensed female steamboat captain in America, the Mary M. Miller is a diesel-powered, twin engine, 570 horsepower riverboat. Louisville Metro purchased the boat in 2017. 

“The Mary M. Miller may look small but she’s got a lot of horsepower,” said Krista Snider, Belle of Louisville Riverboats CEO. “If this was a horse race, I’d bet on the Mary.”

The 14-mile course on the Ohio River starts and finishes at the Clark Memorial Bridge. The winner will be presented with a set of 12-point Silver Antlers at the post-race ceremony.

While the Belle of Louisville might be out, organizers said the U.S. Coast Guard has approved hosting passengers onboard the boat for a dockside event. Belle ticket holders will be treated to a dockside celebration at the 4th Street Wharf with live entertainment and refreshments.

Six boats have competed and won the race in its 62 years: Delta Queen, Belle of Louisville, Julia Belle Swain, Natchez, Spirit of Jefferson and Belle of Cincinnati. The Spirit of Jefferson filled in for the Belle of Louisville in 1999 after a pinhole was discovered in the Belle's boiler system.

Boarding for the race will take place between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., the Derby Festival said. The two boats will depart for the shore at 5:45 for a 6 p.m. start, followed by an awards ceremony on the Belle of Louisville. 

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