Probably the most famous
horse race in the
United States and
"America's oldest, continuously held major sporting event"
1. The Derby was first run in 1875
and was originally 1 1/2 miles long, but the length was shortened in 1896 to 1 1/4 miles. The Derby is also
the first step in horse racing's
Triple Crown, followed by the
Preakness Stakes and the
Belmont Stakes.
Run on the first Saturday of May at
Churchill Downs in
Louisville, Kentucky, the race is
over a dirt track and only open to three-year-old horses. Historically, most of the entries have been
colts, although the occasional
filly runs and, rarely, wins. An alternate race for fillies only, the
Kentucky Oaks, is run the day before the Derby. Colts carry 126 pounds; fillies carry 121 pounds. The record time of 1:59 2/5 was set by Secretariat in 1973.
Spectators at the Kentucky Derby often dress formally and extravagantly. Mint juleps are the traditional drink. Since the 1920's the song "My Old Kentucky Home" has been played during the post parade. The winning horse is draped with a blanket of roses in the Winner's Circle, giving the race its other name: "The Run for the Roses".
Winners of the Kentucky Derby:
1. Churchill Downs website http://www.churchilldowns.com