These women were selected to serve as the 2004 Royal Court, they are:

Mary Beth Elliott of Paducah is a senior majoring in Integrated Strategic Communication at the University of Kentucky. She is a College of Communication and Information Studies Ambassador (2002-04) and was UK’s Homecoming Queen in 2002. Mary Beth is the daughter of John and Cathy Elliott of Paducah.     Maria Maldonado of Lexington is a senior majoring in Political Science at the University of Kentucky. She is a Senator-at-Large and Secretary of Campus Advocacy for UK’s Student Government Association. She’s also on UK’s Freshman Representative Council. Maria is the daughter of Ramon and Diana Maldonado of Lexington.     Anar Mashruwala of Louisville is a senior majoring in Biology at the University of Louisville. She’s been President of the Pan Hellenic Council (2003) and President of the Rho Lambda Honor Society (2002-03). She was UofL’s Homecoming Queen in 2002. Anar is the daughter of Atul and Rekha Mashruwala of Louisville.		Rebecca Rayman of Louisville is a senior majoring in Chemistry/Business at the University of Louisville. She is a drum major for the UL Marching Band. She was named Most Valuable Player in the Pep Band in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Rebecca is the daughter of Debra and Mitchell Rayman, Junior, of Louisville.     Terri Seay of Louisville is a junior majoring in Elementary Education at the University of Kentucky. She is a William C. Park Scholar and a College of Education Ambassador. She’s also a Kentucky Education Association Student Program Delegate. Terri is the daughter of Marshall and JoAnn Seay of Louisville.

These five young women were selected from a group of 28 Derby Festival Princess finalists. Those 28 were chosen from the original group of 114 applicants from 19 schools in Kentucky and Indiana. The five Princesses each receive two $500 scholarships from The Fillies, Inc. and the Derby Festival Foundation for her reign.

The Derby Festival Princesses act as ambassadors for the Derby Festival and the city as they represent the community at a variety of functions, including an appearance on NBC's Today Show. They will attend nearly every official Derby Festival event beginning with the Poster Premiere in January to their appearance in the Pegasus Parade. In addition, they will attend the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and make visits to schools to discuss the importance of volunteerism.

The Fillies, Inc. is a service organization of 250 women. The membership volunteers their time and talents all year to work on projects that support the Derby Festival. In addition to coordinating the Queen and Court program and the Derby Ball, they build a Pegasus Parade float and publish the Festival's Official Program.

A Queen will be selected from the group of five Princesses by a long-held Derby Festival tradition. At the annual Fillies' Ball on Friday, April 16, 2004, Fillies President Carol Goodin will spin a wheel to determine the 2004 Derby Festival Queen.

The first Derby Festival Princess was crowned in 1957, the second year of the Festival. Previous Princesses have included former Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins and Gail Gorski, the first female pilot ever hired by United Airlines.

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