January 13, 2025. Louisville, KY. – A welcome sign of spring this morning as the Kentucky Derby Festival introduced the 2025 Royal Court during an event at Dillard’s in Mall St. Matthews. Five young women have been selected to serve as Princesses for this year’s 70th Kentucky Derby Festival.

“Crowning new Kentucky Derby Festival royalty is our favorite way to start the new year and a sign that the Derby season is just around the corner,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO.
“This year and every year, we’re honored to have these accomplished young women represent the Festival and serve as our ambassadors.”

The Court will serve as official ambassadors of the Festival, as well as Louisville and the Commonwealth. The Program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity celebrating the state’s most civic-minded and academically achieving college students, and each woman receives a $2,000 scholarship ($1,000 from the Fillies, Inc., and $1,000 from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation).

The 2025 Royal Court was selected after attending final judging with 32 other finalist candidates. There were nearly 100 original applicants for the Royal Court Program, representing more than 15 colleges and universities from around Kentucky and Indiana and throughout the region. All of the applicants went through preliminary judging in November.

The Royal Court is coordinated by The Fillies, Inc., a volunteer group that works closely with the Festival. Fillies President Joanne Hurst joined Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO Matt Gibson, as well as 2025 Derby Festival Chair Al Cornish, in crowning the newly appointed court.

The members of the 2025 Court are:

Lilly Deljoo of Louisville, KY – Lilly, 24-years-old, is a second-year medical student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from UCLA, where she was named to the Dean’s Honors List, served as Secretary of a student-run clinic in Mexico, and was President of Persian Sorority – Sigma Pi Sigma Psi. Lilly volunteers with Rescues and Roses to support the Animal Care Society and Operation Smile, participating in global surgical programs in Peru and China. She also serves as a leader within the newly founded Kentucky Human Rights Collaborative.

Madeline (Maddie) Duff of Prestonsburg, KY – Maddie, 21-years-old, is a senior at the University of Kentucky (UK) studying Neuroscience and Appalachian studies. She is the first female from eastern Kentucky to be elected UK Student Body President and chairs the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Board of Student Presidents. A Lewis Honors College ambassador, Maddie has served as president of both ACTION (Appalachian Career Training in Oncology) and the Appalachian Health Initiative (AHI), organizations dedicated to improving healthcare access in Appalachia. She is also a member of Alpha Phi sorority, the Apollo Society, Phi Delta Epsilon, and Neurocats.

Elizabeth King of Georgetown, Kentucky – Elizabeth, 21-years-old, is a senior Presidential Scholar at the University of Kentucky pursuing dual degrees in Finance and Flute Performance. She is a Gatton College of Business Ambassador, UK Homecoming Queen, Principal Flutist for the UK Wind Symphony, and Preliminary Talent Winner at Miss Kentucky. As Miss Danville, Elizabeth partners with Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass to promote the service initiative she founded, Mind Your Money – Investing in Financial Literacy, bringing financial education to Kentucky’s classrooms.

Erica McPheeters of Louisville, KY – Erica, 21-years-old, is senior John Henry Scholar at Kentucky State University majoring in political science. She serves as Miss Kentucky State University, is a Vogt Scholar, and Whitney M. Young Scholar. Erica is also a Human Rights Campaign consultant student leader and presides over two campus organizations. She interned for the Fayette County Prosecutor’s Office and Princeton University’s Archive, Research, and Collaborative History Program. She also serves as a Volunteer Mentor for Franklin County Schools.

Hannah Rager of Bremen, KY – Hannah, 19-years-old, is a sophomore at the University of Louisville where she is pursuing a double major in marketing and sports administration with a certificate in sales. She is a Vogt Scholar, Honors Student, and has interned with the PGA of America. She is also very active on campus, serving as the Vice President of Kappa Delta Sorority, Vice President of Member Development of Order of Omega, and a returning staff member of raiseRED Dance Marathon.

Two alternates were also chosen – Chloe Ralston of Stanford, KY, a sophomore at Western Kentucky University, was chosen as the first alternate. Kendra Ford of Louisville, KY, a graduate student at the University of Louisville, was chosen as the second alternate. They will become Princesses if one of the other women is unable to serve.

One of the five Princesses will be crowned the Derby Festival Queen by a spin-of-the-wheel at the annual Fillies Derby Ball on Saturday, March 22 at the Omni Louisville Hotel.

Since 1959, the Royal Court Program has been overseen by members of The Fillies, Inc., a non-profit organization with 250 community volunteers who work closely with the Derby Festival. Candidates for the Princess Program must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and are selected by a panel of three out-of-state judges. Criteria for selection includes knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus and community involvement.

The first Derby Festival Princess was crowned in 1957, the second year of the Festival. Since then Derby Festival Queens and Courts have made an impression on their community. Previous Princesses include former Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins and the late Gail Gorski, the first female pilot ever hired by United Airlines, Miss Kentucky 2018 Katie Bouchard Wilkinson, Miss Kentucky 2022 Hannah Edelen, Miss Kentucky 2023 Mallory Hudson and a number of other community leaders.

About Kentucky Derby Festival
2025 marks the 70th year for the Kentucky Derby Festival, a month-long celebration packed with 70+ events leading up to the first Saturday in May. As an independent community organization, it’s supported by 4,000 volunteers, more than 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people every spring and has a local economic impact of more than $127 million. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.

About The Fillies, Inc.:
The Fillies, Inc. was established to help support the Kentucky Derby Festival. Their mission is to organize and produce the traditional Derby Ball and coordinate the “Princess Program.” Membership is limited to 250 ladies of our community.