By DPA
Washington : Britain's Queen Elizabeth II realized a lifelong dream by watching the most important annual US horse race, the 133rd Kentucky Derby, with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.
The royal couple are on a six-day tour of the US and are due to meet Monday in Washington with US President George W Bush, who will host a state dinner. She has already addressed the Virginia State Assembly and visited the historic Jamestown settlement in honour of the 400th anniversary of the former British colony.
Elizabeth and Philip Saturday were among 156,635 spectators, the third-largest crowd in the history of the race at the famed Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Kentucky.
They watched the pre-race favourite, 9-to-2-shot Street Sense come from far behind to take the lead in the home stretch and win by two lengths.
The queen, 81, who has been passionate about horses since childhood, followed the race from a private box.
The Kentucky Derby is famous for ladies from traditional high-society attending in outrageous headwear. Elizabeth played along, wearing a flamboyant pink hat.