Held annually on the first Saturday in May, the race is the first leg of the
Triple Crown. The Derby is known as "The Run for the Roses", as the winning horse is draped in a blanket of roses. Lasting approximately two minutes, the race has also been called "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" or "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports". It is preceded by the two-week-long
Kentucky Derby Festival.[4]
The race was first run in 1875. Unlike the other races of the Triple Crown, the
Preakness Stakes and the
Belmont Stakes, the Kentucky Derby, along with its sibling race, the
Kentucky Oaks, has been run annually since its first edition. They were twice rescheduled within the same year, the first time due to
World War II in
1945, and the second time due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in
2020.[5] Further, the Derby and the Oaks are the oldest continuously held major sporting events in the US, as well as the oldest thoroughbred stakes races held in the same location since their beginning.[6]
The Derby is the most-watched and
most-attended horse race in the United States. The
2024 Kentucky Derby marks the 150th running of the race.
History
In 1872, Col.
Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of
William Clark of the
Lewis and Clark expedition, traveled to England, visiting
Epsom in Surrey where
The Derby had been running annually since 1780.[7] From there, Clark went on to
Paris, France, where a group of racing enthusiasts had formed the
French Jockey Club in 1863. They had organized the
Grand Prix de Paris at
Longchamp, which at the time was the greatest race in France. Returning home to Kentucky, Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club to raise money for building quality racing facilities just outside the city. The track would soon become known as
Churchill Downs, named for John and Henry Churchill, who provided the land for the racetrack.[8] The naming went official in 1937.[9]
The Kentucky Derby was first run at 1+1⁄2 miles (12
furlongs; 2.4 km) the same distance as the
Epsom Derby, before changing lengths in 1896 to its current 1+1⁄4 miles (10 furlongs; 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 jockey
Oliver Lewis, a colt named
Aristides, who was trained by future
Hall of FamerAnsel Williamson, won the inaugural Derby. Later that year, Lewis rode Aristides to a second-place finish in the
Belmont Stakes.
Initially a successful venue, the track ran into financial difficulties due to a protracted,
gambling-relatedhorseman boycott removing it from the upper echelons of racing that would last until the Winn era (see below). In 1894 the New Louisville Jockey Club was incorporated with the new capitalization and improved facilities. Despite this, the business floundered until 1902, when a syndicate led by
Col. Matt Winn of Louisville acquired the facility. Under Winn, Churchill Downs prospered, and the Kentucky Derby then became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses in North America.
Thoroughbred owners began sending their successful Derby horses to compete in two other races. These two are the
Preakness Stakes at the
Pimlico Race Course, in
Baltimore, and the
Belmont Stakes in
Elmont, New York. The three races offered large purses, and in 1919
Sir Barton became the first horse to win all three races. However, the term
Triple Crown did not 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 went in use, the race (until that time ran in mid-May since inception) changed the date to the first Saturday in May. This change allows 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. Before 1931, eleven times the Preakness was run before the Derby. On May 12, 1917, and again on May 13, 1922, the Preakness and the Derby took place on the same day. On eleven occasions the Belmont Stakes was run before the Preakness Stakes, and in 2020, the Belmont was run first, then the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes last.
On May 16, 1925, the first live radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby aired on
WHAS as well as on
WGN in Chicago.[10] On May 7, 1949, the first television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, produced by
WAVE-TV, the NBC affiliate in Louisville. This coverage was aired live in the Louisville market and sent to NBC as a kinescope newsreel recording for national broadcast. On May 3, 1952, the first national television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, aired from then-
CBS affiliate
WHAS-TV.[11] In 1954, the purse exceeded US$100,000 for the first time. In 1968,
Dancer's Image became the first horse to win the race and then face disqualification. A
urine test revealed traces of
phenylbutazone (an
anti-inflammatory painkiller drug) inside Dancer's Image.
Forward Pass won 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 15th aboard Fathom.[12]
The fastest time ever run in the Derby was in 1973 at 1:59.4 minutes, when
Secretariat broke the record set by
Northern Dancer in 1964. Also during that race, Secretariat did something unique in Triple Crown races: for each successive quarter run, his times were faster. Although the races do not record times for non-winners, in 1973 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 2001 by
Monarchos at 1:59.97, the first year the race used hundredths of seconds instead of fifths in timing.[13]
In 2005, the
purse distribution for the Derby changed, so that horses finishing fifth would henceforth receive a share of the purse; previously only the first four finishers did so.[14]
The Kentucky Derby began offering $3 million in purse money in 2019. Churchill Downs officials have cited the success of
historical race wagering terminals at their Derby City Gaming facility in Louisville as a factor behind the purse increase. The Derby first offered a $1 million purse in 1996; it was doubled to $2 million in 2005.[15]
In 2020, the Derby was postponed from May 2 to September 5 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.[16] This was the second time in history the race had been postponed, the other being in 1945. Churchill Downs used a new singular 20-stall starting gate for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, replacing the previous arrangement that used a standard 14-stall gate and an auxiliary six-stall gate.[17] The old setup contributed to congestion at the start of the race, especially in the gap between the two gates.[17]
In January 2024, the purse for the Kentucky Derby was increased to $5 million.[2]
Attendance
Millions of people from around the world bet at various live tracks and online sportsbooks.[18] In 2017, a crowd of 158,070 watched Always Dreaming win the Derby, making it the seventh biggest attendance in the history of the racetrack. The track reported a wagering total of $209.2 million from all the sources on all the races on the Kentucky Derby Day program. It was a 9 percent increase compared to the total of $192.6 million in 2016 and an increase of 8 percent over the previous record set in 2015 of $194.3 million.[19] TwinSpires, a platform for betting online and a partner of the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup, recorded $32.8 million in handle on the Churchill Down races for the Kentucky Derby Day program. This record was a 22 percent increase over the preceding year. On the Kentucky Derby race alone, the handle of TwinSpires was $20.1 million, which is a 22 percent rise compared to the prior year.[20]
The race often draws celebrities. HM
Queen Elizabeth II, on a visit to the United States, joined the racegoers at Churchill Downs in 2007.[21]
Sponsorship
The 2004 Kentucky Derby marked the first time that jockeys—as a result of a
court order—were allowed to wear corporate advertising
logos on their clothing.[22][23]
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."[24] In 2018
Woodford Reserve replaced Yum! Brands as the presenting sponsor.[1]
Traditions
In addition to the race itself, several traditions play a significant role in the Derby atmosphere. The
mint julep—an iced drink consisting of
bourbon,
mint, and
sugar syrup—is the traditional beverage of the race. The historic beverage comes served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup. However, most Churchill Downs patrons sip theirs from souvenir glasses (first offered in 1939 and available in revised form each year since) printed with all previous Derby winners.[25] Also,
burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables, is a popular Kentucky dish served at the Derby.[26]
The
infield—a spectator area inside the track—offers general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race, particularly before the
jumbotron installation in 2014.[27][28] 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 elegant outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats. Following the
Call to the Post played on bugle by Steve Buttleman, as the horses start to parade before the grandstands, the
University of Louisville Cardinal Marching Band plays
Stephen Foster's "
My Old Kentucky Home". This song is a tradition which began in 1921.[29] The event attracts spectators from a large area, flying in hundreds of private aircraft to
Louisville International Airport.[30]
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 originated in 1883 when New York City socialite E. Berry Wall presented roses to ladies at a post-Derby party. The Churchill Downs founder and president, Col. M. Lewis Clark, attended that event. This gesture is believed to have led Clark to the idea of making the rose the race's official flower. However, it was not until 1896 that any recorded account referred to draping roses on the Derby winner. The
Governor of Kentucky and the Chairman of
Churchill Downs Incorporated present the garland and the
Kentucky Derby Trophy to the winner. Pop vocalist
Dan Fogelberg composed the song "
Run for the Roses", released in time for the 1980 running of the race.[31]
Riders Up!
"Riders Up!" is the traditional command from the Paddock Judge for jockeys to mount their horses in advance of the upcoming race. Since 2012, the grand marshal recites this phrase.
In the weeks preceding the race, numerous activities took place for the
Kentucky Derby Festival.
Thunder Over Louisville—an airshow and fireworks display—generally begins the festivities in earnest two weeks before the Derby.
Records
Horse records
Secretariat set the record for speed in 1973 with a time of 1:59.4. During its first two decades when the Derby was run at 1+1⁄2 miles, the record was 2:34.5, set by
Spokane in 1889.
The largest margin of victory is 8 lengths, a feat tied by four different horses:
Old Rosebud in 1914,
Johnstown in 1939,
Whirlaway in 1941, and
Assault in 1946.
The highest odds of a winning horse were 91 to 1 for
Donerail in 1913. The second-highest odds occurred in 2022, when
Rich Strike went off at 80 to 1 and won the race.
Three horses have won the Kentucky Derby without competing as a two-year-old:
Apollo (1882),
Justify (2018), and
Mage (2023).[32]
* Partnered with other entities in an ownership group for one or more winning horses.
"Oaks/Derby Double"
Jockeys, trainers, and owners competing in the Kentucky Derby often will compete in the
Kentucky Oaks, a race for fillies held the day before the Derby. Winning both these races in the same year is referred to as an "Oaks/Derby Double;" 7 jockeys, 3 trainers, and 4 owners have accomplished this feat:
Winners of the Kentucky Derby can be connected to each other due to the practice of
arranging horse breeding based on their previous success. All of the horses can be traced back to the three foundational sires, with
Godolphin Arabian the ancestor of 7 winners,
Byerley Turk the ancestor of 11 winners, and
Darley Arabian is the ancestor of 130 winners, including all winners since 1938.
Darley Arabian line
The
Darley Arabian (1700c) sire line (all branched through the
Eclipse (1764) line)[36] produced 131 Derby winners (123 colts, 5 geldings, 3 fillies), including all winners from 1938 to present.[37] The main branches of this sire line are:
The
King Fergus (1775) branch (all branched through the
Voltigeur (1847) line), produced 14 winners. His sire line continued primarily through his son
Vedette (1854) with 12 winners, due to his sons
Speculum (1865) with 6 winners (nearly exclusively through
Sundridge (1898) with 5 winners, most recently
Count Turf in
1951) and
Galopin (1872) with 6 winners (exclusively through
St. Simon (1881), most recently
Go For Gin in
1994).[38][39][40]
The
Potoooooooo (1773) branch[41] produced 117 winners (all branched through the
Waxy (1790) line), including all winners from 1995 to present. The primary branch of this sire line is through
Whalebone (1807), which has produced 112 winners. In turn, the primary branch continues through
Sir Hercules (1826), which has produced 90 winners (including all winners since 2006), and then the
Birdcatcher (1833) branch[42] which produced 78 winners. From Birdcatcher, the branch of
The Baron (1842) has produced 68 winners, of which 66 winners trace to
Stockwell (1849).[43] Stockwell's son
Doncaster (1870) sired
Bend Or (1877), whose sire line accounts for 64 winners.[44] The main branch of the Bend Or sire line continued through his son
Bona Vista (1889) with 55 winners, exclusively through the
Phalaris (1913) line, which has dominated in the last several decades (including all winners from 2006 to present) through the following sons:[45][46]
The
Sickle (1924) branch, which has produced all winners from 2022 to present (24 winners all branched through the
Native Dancer (1950) line, nearly exclusively through
Raise a Native (1961) with 23 winners, continued primarily through
Mr Prospector (1970) with 16 winners (including all winners since 2022) through 8 different sons:
Fusaichi Pegasus, winner of the
2000 Kentucky Derby, and 7 other sons through their progeny (most recently
Mage in
2023, with his son
Fappiano (1977) accounting for 6 winners (most recently
Always Dreaming in
2017)).
The
Pharos (1920) branch (27 winners all branched through the
Nearco (1935) line, through his sons
Royal Charger (1942),
Nearctic (1954), and
Nasrullah (1940)). The Royal Charger branch produced 5 winners (most recently
Barbaro in
2006), the Nearctic branch produced 8 winners, exclusively through his son
Northern Dancer (1961) with his win in the
1964 Kentucky Derby, and direct male progeny of 7 winners (most recently
Mandaloun in
2021), while the Nasrullah branch produced 14 winners (most recently
Nyquist in
2016) primarily due to his son
Bold Ruler (1954) with 10 winners (most recently
California Chrome in
2014).
Special notes:
The Waxy (1790) branch produced two main lines: the primary branch of Whalebone (1807), and the secondary branch of
Whisker (1812) which produced 5 winners (exclusively through the
King Tom (1851) line), most recently
1909 Kentucky Derby winner
Wintergreen.[47]
An offshoot of the Whalebone (1807) branch, the
Camel (1822) branch (18 winners exclusively through the
Touchstone (1831) line), produced
2005 Kentucky Derby winner
Giacomo through his grandson
Orlando's (1841) branch.[48][49] Since then, each winner of the Kentucky Derby has gone through Whalebone's more frequent sire line branch of Sir Herecules (1826). The Orlando branch (6 winners exclusively through the
Himyar (1875) line) is the less common of the two branches derived through Camel. Orlando's brother
Newminster (1848) produced 12 winners (primarily through the
Hyperion (1930) line with 8 winners), most recently
Chateaugay in
1963.[50]
The Sir Hercules (1826) branch produced two main lines: the primary branch of Birdcatcher (1833), and the secondary branch of
Faugh-a-Ballagh (1841) which produced 12 winners (exclusively through the
Leamington (1853) line), most recently
1908 Kentucky Derby winner
Stone Street.[51]
The Birdcatcher (1833) branch produced two main lines: the primary branch of The Baron (1842), and the secondary branch of
Oxford (1857) which produced 10 winners (primarily through the
Swynford (1907) line with 8 winners), most recently
1965 Kentucky Derby winner
Lucky Debonair.[52]
The Bend Or (1877) branch produced two main lines: the primary branch of Bona Vista (1889), and the secondary branch of
Ormonde (1883) which produced 8 winners (exclusively through the
Teddy (1913) line), most recently
1957 Kentucky Derby winner
Iron Liege.[53]
Byerley Turk line
The
Byerley Turk (1680c) sire line[54][55][56] produced 11 winners (8 colts, 3 geldings). The main branches of this sire (all branched through the
Herod (1758) line) are:
the
Godolphin Arabian (1724c) sire line[68] produced 7 winners (6 colts, 1 gelding).[37] The main branches of this sire (all branched through the
West Australian (1850) line) are:
the
Solon (1861) branch produced 3 winners, including:
^"What is the Derby Festival®? – Our Story". Kentucky Derby Festival. Retrieved January 31, 2024. The Festival blasts off each year with the Opening Ceremonies – Thunder Over Louisville, one of the nation's largest annual fireworks extravaganzas! The ensuing two weeks of excitement and entertainment promise something for everyone.
^Ward, Arch (April 30, 1936).
"Talking It Over". Chicago Tribune.
Archived from the original on July 25, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2012.(subscription required)
^Fred, Smith (May 1, 1961).
"Bluegrass, Bourbon and Burgoo". Sports Illustrated – Vault.
Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
David Domine, Insiders' Guide to Louisville. Guilford, Connecticut: Globe-Pequot Press, 2010.
James C. Nicholson, The Kentucky Derby: How the Run for the Roses Became America's Premier Sporting Event. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2012.