Country singing star LeAnn Rimes has been selected to perform The National Anthem at the 135th Kentucky Derby next month.

The two-time Grammy winner will be the first national recording artist to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the historic Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville as part of the Derby Day ceremonies.

LeAnn’s performance will “begin a 21st-century Derby tradition,” Churchill Downs Senior Vice President Kevin Flanery said in a press statement on Thursday.

The 2009 Run for the Roses will be held May 2.