Kentucky Derby Totally Explained

Everything about The Kentucky Derby totally explained

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter miles (2 km) at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57.2 kg) and fillies 121 pounds (54.9 kg). The race is known in the United States as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" for its approximate duration, and is also called "The Run for the Roses" for the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the US and typically draws around 155,000 fans.

History

Kentucky has been a major center of horse breeding and racing since the late 18th century. From the time the region was settled, the fields of the Bluegrass region were noted for producing superior race horses. In 1872, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition, traveled to England, visiting the Epsom Derby, a famous race that had been running annually since 1780. From there, Clark went on to Paris, France, where in 1863, a group of racing enthusiasts had formed the French Jockey Club and had organized the Grand Prix de Paris, which at the time was the greatest race in France.
   Returning home to Kentucky, Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club for the purpose of raising money to build quality racing facilities just outside of the city. The track would soon become known as Churchill Downs, named for Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.'s relatives, John and Henry Churchill, who had provided the land for the racetrack. Officially, the racetrack was incorporated as Churchill Downs in 1937.
   The Kentucky Derby was first run at 1.5 miles (2.4 km), the same distance as the Epsom Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris. In 1896, the distance was changed to its current 1.25 miles (2 km). On May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested the first Derby. Under African-American jockey Oliver Lewis, a colt named Aristides, who was trained by future Hall of Famer, Ansel Williamson, won the inaugural Derby. Later that year, Lewis rode Aristides to a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. Although the first race meet proved a success, the track ran into financial difficulties and in 1894 the New Louisville Jockey Club was incorporated with new capitalization and improved facilities. Despite this, the business floundered until 1902 when Col. Matt Winn of Louisville put together a syndicate of businessmen to acquire the facility. Under Winn, Churchill Downs prospered and the Kentucky Derby became the preeminent thoroughbred horse race in America.
   Between 1875 and 1902, African-American jockeys won 15 of the 28 runnings of the Kentucky Derby. On May 11, 1892, African-American jockey Alonzo "Lonnie" Clayton, age 15, became the youngest rider to win the Derby. The 1904 race was won by Elwood, the first Derby starter and winner owned by a woman, Laska Durnell. In 1915, Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby (of only three in the history of the race), and in 1917, the English bred colt "Omar Khayyam" became the first foreign-bred horse to win the race.
   Derby participants are limited to three-year-old horses. No horse since Apollo in 1882 has won the Derby without racing at age two.
   As part of gaining income, horse owners began sending their successful Derby horses to compete a few weeks later in the Preakness Stakes at the Pimlico Race Course, in Baltimore, Maryland, followed by the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York. The three races offered the largest purse and in 1919 Sir Barton became the first horse to win all three races. However, the term Triple Crown didn't come into use for another eleven years. In 1930, when Gallant Fox became the second horse to win all three races, sportswriter Charles Hatton brought the phrase into American usage. Fueled by the media, public interest in the possibility of a "superhorse" that could win the Triple Crown began in the weeks leading up to the Derby. Two years after the term was coined, the race, which had been run in mid-May since inception, was changed to the first Saturday in May to allow for a specific schedule for the Triple Crown races.
   On May 3, 1952, the first national television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place. In 1954, the purse exceeded $100,000 for the first time. In 1968 Dancer's Image became the first (and to this day the only) horse to win the race and then be disqualified after traces of phenylbutazone, an analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug, were found in the horse's urinalysis; unexpectedly, the regulations at Kentucky thoroughbred race tracks were changed some years later, allowing horses to run on phenylbutazone.
   The fastest time ever run in the Derby (at its present distance) was set in 1973 at 1 minute 59 2/5 seconds when Secretariat broke the record set by Northern Dancer in 1964. Not only has Secretariat's record time stood for 34 years and counting, but in the race itself, he did something unique in Triple Crown races: each successive quarter, his times were faster. The second sub-two minute time was recorded by Sham, two-fifths of a second behind Secretariat in the same race. Another sub-two minute finish, only the third, was set by in 2001 by Monarchos at 1:59.97.
   The 2004 Derby marked the first time that jockeys, as a result of a court order, were allowed to wear corporate advertising logos on their clothing.
   In 2005, the purse distribution for the Derby was changed, so that horses finishing fifth would henceforth receive a share of the purse; previously only the first four finishers did so.
   Norman Adams has been the designer of the Kentucky Derby Logo since 2002. On February 1, 2006, the Louisville-based fast-food company Yum! Brands, Inc. announced a corporate sponsorship deal to call the race "The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands."

Traditions

In addition to the race itself, a number of traditions play a large role in the Derby atmosphere. The Mint Julep, an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint and a sugar syrup is the traditional beverage of the race. The historic drink can be served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup but most Churchill Downs patrons sip theirs from a souvenir glass printed with all previous Derby winners. Also, burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork and vegetables, is a popular Kentucky dish served at the Derby.
The infield, a spectator area inside the track, offers general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race. Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party with abandon. By contrast, "Millionaire's Row" refers to the expensive box seats that attract the rich, the famous and the well-connected. Women appear in fine outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats. As the horses are paraded before the grandstands, the University of Louisville marching band plays Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home."
The Derby is frequently referred to as "The Run for the Roses," because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year. The tradition is as a result of New York socialite E. Berry Wall presenting roses to ladies at a post-Derby party in 1883 that was attended by Churchill Downs founder and president, Col. M. Lewis Clark. This gesture is believed to have eventually led Clark to the idea of making the rose the race's official flower. However, it wasn't until 1896 that any recorded account referred to roses being draped on the Derby winner. The Governor of Kentucky awards the garland and the trophy. Pop vocalist Dan Fogelberg composed a song by that title for the 1980 running of the race.

Winners of the Kentucky Derby

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2008	Big Brown	Kent Desormeaux	Rick Dutrow	IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.	2:01.82
2007	Street Sense	Calvin Borel	Carl Nafzger	James B. Tafel	2:02.17
2006	Barbaro	Edgar Prado	Michael R. Matz	Lael Stables	2:01.36
2005	Giacomo	Mike E. Smith	John Shirreffs	Jerry & Ann Moss	2:02.75
2004	Smarty Jones	Stewart Elliott	John Servis	Someday Farm	2:04.06
2003	Funny Cide	Jose Santos	Barclay Tagg	Sackatoga Stable	2:01.19
2002	War Emblem	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	Thoroughbred Corp.	2:01.13
2001	Monarchos	Jorge F. Chavez	John T. Ward, Jr.	John C. Oxley	1:59.97
2000	Fusaichi Pegasus	Kent Desormeaux	Neil Drysdale	Fusao Sekiguchi	2:01.00
1999	Charismatic	Chris Antley	D. Wayne Lukas	Bob & Beverly Lewis	2:03.20
1998	Real Quiet	Kent Desormeaux	Bob Baffert	Michael E. Pegram	2:02.20
1997	Silver Charm	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	Bob & Beverly Lewis	2:02.40
1996	Grindstone	Jerry Bailey	D. Wayne Lukas	Overbrook Farm	2:01.00
1995	Thunder Gulch	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas†	Michael Tabor	2:01.20
1994	Go for Gin	Chris McCarron	Nick Zito	Condren & Cornacchia	2:03.60
1993	Sea Hero	Jerry Bailey	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stables	2:02.40
1992	Lil E. Tee	Pat Day	Lynn S. Whiting	W. Cal Partee	2:03.00
1991	Strike the Gold	Chris Antley	Nick Zito	BCC Stable	2:03.00
1990	Unbridled	Craig Perret	Carl Nafzger	Frances A. Genter	2:02.00
1989	Sunday Silence	Pat Valenzuela	Charlie Whittingham	H-G-W Partners	2:05.00
1988	Winning Colors	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	Eugene V. Klein	2:02.20
1987	Alysheba	Chris McCarron	Jack Van Berg	D. & P. Scharbauer	2:03.40
1986	Ferdinand	Bill Shoemaker	Charlie Whittingham	Elizabeth A. Keck	2:02.80
1985	Spend A Buck	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Cam Gambolati	Hunter Farm	2:00.20
1984	Swale	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Woody Stephens	Claiborne Farm	2:02.40
1983	Sunny's Halo	Ed Delahoussaye	David C. Cross, Jr.	D. J. Foster Stable	2:02.20
1982	Gato Del Sol	Ed Delahoussaye	Edwin J. Gregson	Hancock & Peters	2:02.40
1981	Pleasant Colony	Jorge Velasquez	John P. Campo	Buckland Farm	2:02.00
1980	Genuine Risk	Jacinto Vasquez	LeRoy Jolley	Diana Firestone	2:02.00
1979	Spectacular Bid	Ronnie Franklin	Bud Delp	Hawksworth Farm	2:02.40
1978	Affirmed †	Steve Cauthen	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	2:01.20
1977	Seattle Slew †	Jean Cruguet	William H. Turner, Jr.	Karen L. Taylor	2:02.20
1976	Bold Forbes	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Laz Barrera	E. Rodriguez Tizol	2:01.60
1975	Foolish Pleasure	Jacinto Vasquez	LeRoy Jolley	John L. Greer	2:02.00
1974	Cannonade	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Woody Stephens	John M. Olin	2:04.00
1973	Secretariat †	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stable	1:59.40
1972	Riva Ridge	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stud	2:01.80
1971	Canonero II	Gustavo Avila	Juan Arias	Edgar Caibett	2:03.20
1970	Dust Commander	Mike Manganello	Don Combs	Robert E. Lehmann	2:03.40
1969	Majestic Prince	Bill Hartack	Johnny Longden	Frank McMahon	2:01.80
1968^*	Forward Pass	Ismael Valenzuela	Henry Forrest	Calumet Farm	2:02.20
1967	Proud Clarion	Bobby Ussery	Loyd Gentry, Jr.	Darby Dan Farm	2:00.60
1966	Kauai King	Don Brumfield	Henry Forrest	Ford Stable	2:02.00
1965	Lucky Debonair	Bill Shoemaker	Frank Catrone	Ada L. Rice	2:01.20
1964	Northern Dancer	Bill Hartack	Horatio Luro	Windfields Farm	2:00.00
1963	Chateaugay	Braulio Baeza	James P. Conway	Darby Dan Farm	2:01.80
1962	Decidedly	Bill Hartack	Horatio Luro	El Peco Ranch	2:00.40
1961	Carry Back	Johnny Sellers	Jack A. Price	Katherine Price	2:04.00
1960	Venetian Way	Bill Hartack	Victor Sovinski	Sunny Blue Farm	2:02.40
1959	Tomy Lee	Bill Shoemaker	Frank Childs	Fred & Juliette Turner	2:02.20
1958	Tim Tam	Ismael Valenzuela	Jimmy Jones	Calumet Farm	2:05.00
1957	Iron Liege	Bill Hartack	Jimmy Jones	Calumet Farm	2:02.20
1956	Needles	David Erb	Hugh L. Fontaine	D & H Stable	2:03.40
1955	Swaps	Bill Shoemaker	Mesh Tenney	Rex C. Ellsworth	2:01.80
1954	Determine	Raymond York	William Molter	Andrew J. Crevolin	2:03.00
1953	Dark Star	Hank Moreno	Eddie Hayward	Cain Hoy Stable	2:02.00
1952	Hill Gail	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	2:01.60
1951	Count Turf	Conn McCreary	Sol Rutchick	Jack J. Amiel	2:02.60
1950	Middleground	William Boland	Max Hirsch	King Ranch	2:01.60
1949	Ponder	Steve Brooks	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	2:04.20
1948	Citation †	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	2:05.40
1947	Jet Pilot	Eric Guerin	Tom Smith	Maine Chance Farm	2:06.80
1946	Assault †	Warren Mehrtens	Max Hirsch	King Ranch	2:06.60
1945	Hoop Jr	Eddie Arcaro	Ivan H. Parke	Fred W. Hooper	2:07.00
1944	Pensive	Conn McCreary	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	2:04.20
1943	Count Fleet †	Johnny Longden	G. Donald Cameron	Fannie Hertz	2:04.00
1942	Shut Out	Wayne Wright	John M. Gaver, Sr.	Greentree Stable	2:04.40
1941	Whirlaway †	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	2:01.40
1940	Gallahadion	Carroll Bierman	Roy Waldron	Milky Way Farm	2:05.00
1939	Johnstown	James Stout	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	2:03.40
1938	Lawrin	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Herbert M. Woolf	2:04.80
1937	War Admiral †	Charley Kurtsinger	George Conway	Glen Riddle Farm	2:03.20
1936	Bold Venture	Ira Hanford	Max Hirsch	Morton L. Schwartz	2:03.60
1935	Omaha †	Willie Saunders	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	2:05.00
1934	Cavalcade	Mack Garner	Bob Smith	Brookmeade Stable	2:04.00
1933	Brokers Tip	Don Meade	Herbert J. Thompson	Edward R. Bradley	2:06.80
1932	Burgoo King	Eugene James	Herbert J. Thompson	Edward R. Bradley	2:05.20
1931	Twenty Grand	Charley Kurtsinger	James G. Rowe, Jr.	Greentree Stable	2:01.80
1930	Gallant Fox †	Earl Sande	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	2:07.60
1929	Clyde Van Dusen	Linus McAtee	Clyde Van Dusen	H. P. Gardner	2:10.80
1928	Reigh Count	Chick Lang	Bert S. Michell	Fannie Hertz	2:10.40
1927	Whiskery	Linus McAtee	Fred Hopkins	Harry P. Whitney	2:06.00
1926	Bubbling Over	Albert Johnson	Herbert J. Thompson	Edward R. Bradley	2:03.80
1925	Flying Ebony	Earl Sande	William B. Duke	Clifford A. Cochran	2:07.60
1924	Black Gold	John D. Mooney	Hanley Webb	Rosa M. Hoots	2:05.20
1923	Zev	Earl Sande	David J. Leary	Rancocas Stable	2:05.40
1922	Morvich	Albert Johnson	Fred Burlew	Benjamin Block	2:04.60
1921	Behave Yourself	Charles Thompson	Herbert J. Thompson	Edward R. Bradley	2:04.20
1920	Paul Jones	Ted Rice	Billy Garth	Ral Parr	2:09.00
1919	Sir Barton †	Johnny Loftus	H. Guy Bedwell	J. K. L. Ross	2:09.80
1918	Exterminator	William Knapp	Henry McDaniel	Willis Sharpe Kilmer	2:10.80
1917	Omar Khayyam	Charles Borel	Charles T. Patterson	Billings & Johnson	2:04.60
1916	George Smith	Johnny Loftus	Hollie Hughes	John Sanford	2:04.00
1915	Regret	Joe Notter	James G. Rowe, Sr.	Harry P. Whitney	2:05.40
1914	Old Rosebud	John McCabe	Frank D. Weir	H. C. Applegate	2:03.40
1913	Donerail	Roscoe Goose	Thomas P. Hayes	Thomas P. Hayes	2:04.80
1912	Worth	Carroll H. Shilling	Frank M. Taylor	H. C. Hallenbeck	2:09.40
1911	Meridian	George Archibald	Albert Ewing	R. F. Carman	2:05.00
1910	Donau	Fred Herbert	George Ham	William Gerst	2:06.40
1909	Wintergreen	Vincent Powers	Charles Mack	Jerome B. Respess	2:08.20
1908	Stone Street	Arthur Pickens	J. W. Hall	C. E. & J. W. Hamilton	2:15.20
1907	Pink Star	Andy Minder	W. H. Fizer	J. Hal Woodford	2:12.60
1906	Sir Huon	Roscoe Troxler	Pete Coyne	Bashford Manor Stable	2:08.80
1905	Agile	Jack Martin	Robert Tucker	Sam S. Brown	2:10.75
1904	Elwood	Shorty Prior	Charles E. Durnell	Mrs. C. E. Durnell	2:08.50
1903	Judge Himes	Hal Booker	John P. Mayberry	Charles R. Ellison	2:09.00
1902	Alan-a-Dale	Jimmy Winkfield	Tom C. McDowell	Tom C. McDowell	2:08.75
1901	His Eminence	Jimmy Winkfield	Frank B. Van Meter	Frank B. Van Meter	2:07.75
1900	Lieut. Gibson	Jimmy Boland	Charles Hughes	Charles H. Smith	2:06.25
1899	Manuel	Fred Taral	Robert J. Walden	A. H. & D. H. Morris	2:12.00
1898	Plaudit	Willie Simms	John E. Madden	John E. Madden	2:09.00
1897	Typhoon II	Buttons Garner	J. C. Cahn	J. C. Cahn	2:12.50
1896	Ben Brush	Willie Simms	Hardy Campbell	Mike F. Dwyer	2:07.75
1895	Halma	Soup Perkins	Byron McClelland	Byron McClelland	2:37.50
1894	Chant	Frank Goodale	H. Eugene Leigh	Leigh & Rose	2:41.00
1893	Lookout	Eddie Kunze	William McDaniel	Cushing & Orth	2:39.25
1892	Azra	Lonnie Clayton	John Morris	Bashford Manor Stable	2:41.50
1891	Kingman	Isaac Murphy	Dud Allen	Jacobin Stable	2:52.25
1890	Riley	Isaac Murphy	Edward Corrigan	Edward Corrigan	2:45.00
1889	Spokane	Thomas Kiley	John Rodegap	Noah Armstrong	2:34.50
1888	Macbeth II	George Covington	John Campbell	Chicago Stable	2:38.00
1887	Montrose	Isaac Lewis	John McGinty	Labold Brothers	2:39.25
1886	Ben Ali	Paul Duffy	Jim Murphy	J. B. A. Haggin	2:36.50
1885	Joe Cotton	Babe Henderson	Alex Perry	J. T. Williams	2:37.25
1884	Buchanan	Isaac Murphy	William Bird	William Cottrill	2:40.25
1883	Leonatus	Billy Donohue	Raleigh Colston	Chinn & Morgan	2:43.00
1882	Apollo	Babe Hurd	Green B. Morris	Morris & Patton	2:40.00
1881	Hindoo	Jim McLaughlin	James G. Rowe, Sr.	Dwyer Bros. Stable	2:40.00
1880	Fonso	George Lewis	Tice Hutsell	J. Snell Shawhan	2:37.50
1879	Lord Murphy	Charlie Shauer	George Rice	Darden & Co	2:37.00
1878	Day Star	Jimmy Carter	Lee Paul	T. J. Nichols	2:37.25
1877	Baden-Baden	Billy Walker	Edward D. Brown	Daniel Swigert	2:38.00
1876	Vagrant	Bobby Swim	James Williams	William Astor, Jr.	2:38.25
1875	Aristides	Oliver Lewis	Ansel Williamson	Hal P. McGrath	2:37.75

A † designates a Triple Crown Winner. ^*In 1968, Dancer's Image, ridden by Bobby Ussery, trained by Lou Cavalaris, Jr., and owned by Peter Fuller, finished first, but was disqualified after a post-race urine sample revealed traces of a banned drug in the horse. The drug in question - phenylbutazone - is now legal for use on racehorses in many states, including Kentucky. ==

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