John Sutton Jr has spent the first Saturday of May the same way since he was 8 years old - on the sidelines of the Kentucky Derby . To commemorate his dedication to horse racing , Churchill Downs - the track that hosts the race every year - is inviting the 84-year-old man to attend his 76th-straight Kentucky Derby as their special guest on May 2 . This week , Sutton invited a reporter from WAVE 3 into the Louisville home he shares with his wife of 61 years Doris , where she spoke about his very first Derby and showed off his impressive collection of racing memorabilia . Scroll down for video . Dedicated : Churchill Downs is inviting John Sutton Jr , 84 , to attend the Kentucky Derby as their special guest on May 2 , since he has attended every race for the past 76 years . Winner , winner : Sutton was just 8 years old in 1940 when his father brought him to his first race , and the two bet against the favorite on a horse called Gallahadion , which ended up winning the race . Among the masses : Above , a view of the crowds at Churchill Downs on the day of the 1940 race . Sutton says he was just 8 years old in 1940 when his blacksmith father brought him to his first Kentucky Derby . 'Once the race started , we would crash the gates , so to speak to get on the rail or wherever we could get , ' Sutton recalled . That year , Sutton and his father decided to bet on the horse Gallahadion , instead of the favorite , Bimelech . And to their delight , Gallahadion pulled through to an unexpected victory that helped cement Sutton 's love for the sport . Living history : Sutton has collected a program from every Kentucky Derby he has attended and keeps them in a binder at home . Above , some of the early years . Through the years : The Derby programs got more and more colorful over the years . Keepsakes : In addition to programs , Sutton has Kentucky Derby glasses stretching back more than seven decades . Autographs : Sutton got jockeys to sign several of his programs , which he proudly displays in frames at home . Entry : Above , some of the tickets Sutton has collected from the Kentucky Derby since 1940 . An eye for champions : Sutton won $ 600 dollars in 19567 , when he bet on the winning horse Proud Clarion . Proud Clarion and jockey Bobby Ussery pictured above after placing first at Churchill Downs . Every year since then , Sutton has attended the Kentucky Derby and has collected each year 's program since then , which he keeps in a binder at home . He also has kept a collection of his tickets , Derby glasses from the more than seven decades he has attended the race as well as pins and and other programs signed by jockeys . In his early years attending the Derby , Sutton says the day involved a bit of hard work going around to each betting window to buy tickets for his parents , and picking them up snacks for the main event on the way back . But he continues to come back year after year , placing his bets by averaging the past performances of the horses competing . That method won him one of his biggest prizes in 1967 , when the then 35-year-old Sutton placed his money on winning horse Proud Clarion and got $ 600 in return . 'There 's nothing like having a winning ticket , ' he said , 'You just all of a sudden get smarter you know . ' Getting ready for the race : Sutton ( left ) pictured above with his wife of 61 years , Doris ( right )
John Sutton Jr was the past 76 in 1940 , when his blacksmith father took him to his first Kentucky Derby . The 84-year-old Louisville native has n't missed a race since , and has amassed an impressive collection of memorabilia over just 8 years old races . Churchill Downs , the racing grounds that hosts the competition , has invited Sutton to watch the event for free as a special guest on May 2 .