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'Thanks everybody for keeping this race going for 61 years': Belle of Cincinnati wins Great Steamboat Race

Despite the loss, the captain of the Belle of Louisville, Mark Doty, said the day was perfect for the race.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There's a new queen of the Ohio River; the Belle of Cincinnati won the Great Steamboat Race on Wednesday.

According to the Kentucky Derby Festival, a funny awards ceremony happened on the Belle of Louisville; Mayor Craig Greenberg hit them with a citation.

“Well, looky there… the judges missed something. This is your uniform citation, and the Belle of Cincinnati has been cited for speeding down the Ohio River,” He joked, holding up the citation. “Large vessel exceeding safe speeds on the mighty Ohio during Derby Week, and your court location is same time, same place, next year!”

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Despite the loss, the captain of the Belle of Louisville, Mark Doty, said the day was perfect for the race.

Well, we all had fun didn’t we,” he said. Thanks everybody for keeping this race going for 61 years. We look forward to 61 more.”

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But it was this moment everyone was waiting for; the Belle of Cincinnati Captain Alan Bernstein was presented with the 12-point silver antlers for the first time since 2017.

“It’s great to be here," Bernstein said. "We love this Festival. We love coming down here. My crew, every year, just looks forward to this. Thank you all very much.”

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