Sierra Leone, with jockey Tyler Gaffalione, (2), Forever Young, with jockey Ryusei Sakai, and Mystik, with jockey Dan Brian Hernandez Jr., cross finish line at Churchill Downs during the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
The “Kentucky Derby” has a rich history dating back to 1875, when it was first organized by Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.
After visiting the prestigious Derby at Epsom in England and the Grand Prix de Paris in France, Clark returned to Kentucky to establish what would become one of the most iconic horse races in the world.
He founded the Louisville Jockey Club to raise funds for building a racetrack just outside the city, now famously known as “Churchill Downs.” Named after John and Henry Churchill, the landowners who provided the property, the track officially took on the name in 1937.
The first Kentucky Derby, held on May 17, 1875, saw a field of 15 horses competing in front of 10,000 spectators. Jockey Oliver Lewis, a Black rider, guided the horse Aristides to victory in the inaugural race. Initially, the race spanned 1 1/2 miles, the same distance as the Epsom Derby, but in 1896, the distance was shortened to its current 1 1/4 miles.
The “Kentucky Derby” quickly grew in popularity, despite financial troubles that plagued Churchill Downs in its early years. In 1902, Col. Matt Winn’s syndicate revitalized the racetrack, cementing its place as the premier stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbreds in North America.
The Birth of the Triple Crown
The Kentucky Derby is the first jewel in the prestigious “Triple Crown” of horse racing, a title given to horses that also win the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
The Triple Crown concept gained momentum in 1930 when Gallant Fox became the second horse to win all three races, and sportswriter Charles Hatton popularized the term. In 1919, Sir Barton was the first to achieve the feat. Since 1931, the schedule has been fixed, with the Kentucky Derby held on the first Saturday in May, followed by the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Record-Setting Moments and Major Milestones
Over the years, the Kentucky Derby has seen many historical moments. In 1973, Secretariat set the fastest time ever recorded in the race at 1:59.4 minutes, a record that still stands today.
Monarchos also completed the race in under two minutes in 2001. In addition to record times, jockey Diane Crump made headlines in 1970 as the first female jockey to compete in the race, finishing 15th aboard Fathom.
Broadcasting history also played a role in the Derby’s growth. The first radio broadcast of the race occurred in 1925, and by 1952, the Derby was televised nationally for the first time. As the race evolved, so did the purse. By 2019, it had grown to $3 million, and in 2024, it increased to $5 million.
Despite its long history, the Derby has only been postponed twice: once in 1945 due to World War II, and in 2020, when the race was moved to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 edition also introduced a new 20-stall starting gate, reducing congestion at the start of the race.
