Kentucky Derby

The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I thoroughbred stakes race for three-year-old racehorses, ran annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It is one and a quarter miles (2 km), during which colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kilograms) and fillies carry 121 (55 kilograms). In the United States, the race is nicknamed "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports", because of its approximate length; and "The Run for the Roses," because the winner receives a blanket of roses. It is the first leg in the U.S. Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, and the Belmont Stakes three weeks after that. To win the Triple Crown, a horse must win all three of these races, a difficult challenge which only eleven horses have ever accomplished. The race has been run every year since 1875. 

History

In 1882, Col Merriweather Lewis Clark, Jr., grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition, traveled to England , visiting the Derby, a famous race that had been running anually from 1870. 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 Longchamps, which at that 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 the city. The track would soon become known as Churchill Downs, named for John and Henry Churchill, who had provided the land for the track. Officially, the racetrack was incorporated as Churchill Downs in 1937. 

The Kentucky Derby was first run at 1-1/2 miles (2.4 kilometers), the same distance as the Epsom Derby. In 1896, the distance was changed to its current 1-1/4 miles (2 kilometers). On May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of fifteen three-year-old horses contested the rainbow for the first Derby. Under 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 capitilization and imporoved facilities. Despite this, the business flounded 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 then became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred racehorses in North 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. 

Thoroughbred 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 to win all three races, sportwriter Charles Hatton brought the phrase into 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. Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has been the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes. Prior to 1931, the Preakness was run eleven times before the Derby. On May 12, 1917, and again on May 13, 1922, the Preakness and the Derby were run on the same day. On eleven occasions, the Belmont Stakes was run before the Preakness Stakes. 

On May 16, 1925, the first live radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby was originated by WHAS and was also carried by WGN in Chicago. On May 3, 1952, the first national television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, aired from then-CBS affiliate WHAS-TV. 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 be disqualified after traces of phenylbutazone, an analgesic and anti-inflammitory drug, were found in the horses urinalysis; Forward Pass won a after a protracted legal battle by the owners of Dancer's Image (which they lost). Forward Pass thus became the eighth winner for Calumet Farm. Unexpectedly, the regulations at Kentucky thoroughbred race tracks were changed some years later, allowing horses to run on phenylbutazone. In 1970, Diane Crump became the first female jockey to ride in the Derby, finishing fifteenth aboard Fathom.

The fastest time ever run in the Derby (at its present distance) was set in 1973 at 1:59 2/5, when Secretariat broke the record set by Northern Dancer in 1964. Not only has Secretariat's world record never been broken, he did something unique for Triple Crown races: he ran each quarter faster than the one before it. Though times for non-winners were not recorded, Sham finished second two and a half lengths behind Secretariat in the same race. Using the thoroughbred racing convention of one length equaling one-fifth of a second to calculate Sham's time, he also finished in under two minutes. Another sub-two-minute finish, only the third, was set in 2008 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 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."

In 2007, HM Queen Elizabeth II, on a visit to the United States, joined the racegoers at Churchill Downs.

In 2010, Calvin Borel set a new record, being the first jockey to win three of four consecutive Kentucky Derbys.

Records

Most wins by a jockey

• 5 - Eddie Arcaro (1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952)
• 5 - Bill Hartack (1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969)

Most wins by a trainer

• 6 - Ben A. Jones (1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952)

Most wins by an owner

• 8 - Calumet Farm (1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1968)

Stakes Record

• 1:59.40 - Secretariat (1973)

Margin of Victory

• 8 lengths - Assault (1946)
• 8 lengths - Whirlaway (1941)

Longest Shot to win the Derby 

• 91 to 1 - Donerail

Winners

An * designates a Triple Crown winner.

A ** designates a filly.

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time	Grade
2013 2012	Orb I'll Have Another	Joel Rosario Mario Gutierrez	Claude McGaughey III Doug O'Neil	Stuart S. Janney III & Phipps Stable J. Paul Reddam	2:02.89 2:01.83	I I
2011	Animal Kingdom	John Velazquez	H. Graham Motion	Team Valor	2:02.04	I
2010	Super Saver	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher	WinStar Farm	2:04.45	I
2009	Mine That Bird	Calvin Borel	Bennie L. Woolley, Jr.	Double Eagle Ranch et al.	2:02.66	I
2008	Big Brown	Kent Desormeaux	Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.	IEAH Stables/P. Pompa	2:01.82	I
2007	Street Sense	Calvin Borel	Carl Nafzger	James B. Tafel	2:02.17	I
2006	Barbaro	Edgar Prado	Michael R. Matz	Lael Stables	2:01.36	I
2005	Giacomo	Mike E. Smith	John Shirreffs	Jerry and Ann Moss	2:02.75	I
2004	Smarty Jones	Stewart Elliot	John Servis	Someday Farm	2:04.06	I
2003	Funny Cide	Jose Santos	Barclay Tagg	Sackatoga Stable	2:01.19	I
2002	War Emblem	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	Thoroughbred Corp.	2:01.13	I
2001	Monarchos	Jorge F. Chavez	John T. Ward, Jr.	John C. Oxley	1:59.97	I
2000	Fusaichi Pegasus	Kent Desormeaux	Neil Drysdale	Fusao Sekiguchi	2:01.00	I
1999	Charismatic	Chris Antley	D. Wayne Lukas	Bob and Beverly Lewis	2:03.20	I
1998	Real Quiet	Kent Desormeaux	Bob Baffert	Michael E. Pegram	2:02.20	I
1997	Silver Charm	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	Bob and Beverly Lewis	2:02.40	I
1996	Grindstone	Jerry Bailey	D. Wayne Lukas	Overbrook Farm	2:01.00	I
1995	Thunder Gulch	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	Michael Tabor	2:01.20	I
1994	Go for Gin	Chris McCarron	Nick Zito	Condren and Cornacchia	2:03.60	I
1993	Sea Hero	Jerry Bailey	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stables	2:02.40	I
1992	Lil E. Tee	Pat Day	Lynn S. Whiting	W. Cal Partee	2:03.00	I
1991	Strike the Gold	Chris Antley	Nick Zito	BCC Stable	2:03.00	I
1990	Unbridled	Craig Perret	Carl Nafzger	Frances A. Genter	2:02.00	I
1989	Sunday Silence	Pat Valenzuela	Charlie Whittingham	H-G-W Partners	2:05.00	I
1988	Winning Colors**	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	Eugene V. Klein	2:02.20	I
1987	Alysheba	Chris McCarron	Jack Van Berg	D. & P. Scharbauer	2:03.40	I
1986	Ferdinand	Bill Shoemaker	Charlie Whittingham	Elizabeth A. Keck	2:02.80	I
1985	Spend A Buck	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Cam Gambolati	Dennis Diaz	2:00.20	I
1984	Swale	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Woody Stephens	Claiborne Farm	2:02.40	I
1983	Sunny's Halo	Eddie Delahoussaye	David C. Cross, Jr.	D. J. Foster Stable	2:02.20	I
1982	Gato Del Sol	Eddie Delahoussaye	Edwin J. Gregson	Hancock & Peters	2:02.40	I
1981	Pleasant Colony	Jorge Velasquez	John P. Campo	Buckland Farm	2:02.00	I
1980	Genuine Risk**	Jacinto Vasquez	LeRoy Jolley	Diana M. Firestone	2:02.00	I
1979	Spectacular Bid	Ronnie Franklin	Bud Delp	Hawksworth Farm	2:02.40	I
1978	Affirmed*	Steve Cauthen	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	2:01.20	I
1977	Seattle Slew*	Jean Cruguet	William H. Turner, Jr.	Karen L. Taylor	2:02.20	I
1976	Bold Forbes	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Laz Barrera	E. Rodriguez	2:01.60	I
1975	Foolish Pleasure	Jacinto Vasquez	LeRoy Jolley	John L. Greer	2:02.00	I
1974	Cannonade	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Woody Stephens	John M. Olin	2:04.00	I
1973	Secretariat*	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stable	1:59.40	I
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 M. 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	Winfields 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 J. Sovinski	Sunny Blue Farm	2:02.40
1959	Tomy Lee	Bill Shoemaker	Frank E. Childs	Fred and Juliette Turner	2:02.20
1958	Tim Tam	Ismael Valenzuela	Jimmy Jones	Calumet Farm	2:05.00
1957	Iron Leige	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. Rark	Fred W. Hooper	2:07.00
1944	Pensive	Conn McCreary	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	2:04.20
1943	Count Fleet*	Johnny Longden	Don Cameron	Fannie Hertz	2:04.00
1942	Shut Out	Wayne D. 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	Herbert 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	Gifford A. Cochran	2:07.60
1924	Black Gold	J. 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	Billly 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	Hamilton 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	Henry C. Hallenbeck	2:09.40
1911	Meridian	George Archibald	Albert Ewing	Richard F. Carman	2:05.00
1910	Donau	Frederick 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 Coyn	Bashford Manor Stable	2:08.80
1905	Agile	Jack Martin	Robert Tucker	Samuel 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	Thomas C. McDowell	Thomas 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, Jr.	Mike F. Dwyer	2:07.75
1895	Halma	Soup Perkins	Bryon McClelland	Bryon McClelland	2:37.50
1894	Chant	Frank Goodale	H. Eugene Leigh	Leigh & Rose	2:41.00
1893	Lookout	Eddie Kunze	William McDaniel	Crushing & Orth	2:39.25
1892	Azra	Alonzo Clayton	John H. 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	Erskine Henderson	Abe Perry	James T. Williams	2:37.50
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, Jr.	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 1875	Vagrant Aristides	Bobby Swim Oliver Lewis	James Williams Ansel Williamson	William Aster, Jr. Hal P. McGrath	2:38.25 2:37.75