Former Ambassador to Britain William Farish, right, shows the Churchill Downs track to Queen Elizabeth II, second from left, and Prince Philip, left, Saturday at the 133rd Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Ky. Farish's wife, Sarah, is second from right.

Louisville, Ky. ? For a few exciting moments, Queen Elizabeth II was just like every other racing fan Saturday at Churchill Downs – watching the horses running in the 133rd Kentucky Derby.

The queen, an avid horse enthusiast, got her first look Saturday at Churchill Downs, a racing icon best known for its twin spires and hospitality on Derby Day when mint juleps flow and fancy hats are in fashion.

The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, arrived a little more than two hours before the Derby, the first leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. They went immediately to a private suite where the queen had a finish-line vantage point on a balcony to watch Street Sense pull away with the win.

The British monarch, on a six-day trip to the United States, was among 156,635 fans on hand, the third-largest crowd in Derby history.

“She took extremely close interest in the horses,” but didn’t place any bets, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

Race fans said the queen’s presence added to the event’s glamour. For at least one day, they were on the same footing with royalty.

“She loves her horses, and this is the place to see beautiful horses,” said Mary Vandever, a retired truck driver from Torrance, Calif., who was attending her first Derby in the Churchill Downs infield.

“Queen Elizabeth is certainly the most prestigious guest we’ve entertained in the modern-day history of the Kentucky Derby,” track President Steve Sexton said.