| The classic American horse race, the Kentucky Derby | | | | only Derby winner to finish under two minutes. |
| is the oldest consecutively held Thoroughbred race in | | | | Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr who built Churchill Downs in |
| America. It is run annually on the first Saturday in May | | | | Louisville, wanted his track to have a race that would |
| at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Along with | | | | rival England's Epsom Derby. After visiting England to |
| the Preakness in mid-May, and Belmont in early June, it | | | | study both its tracks and its races, he established the |
| is the first jewel of the coveted Triple Crown of | | | | Kentucky Derby, which was first run on May 17, 1875. |
| Thoroughbred racing, which has been won by only | | | | However, the Derby was just another regional race |
| eleven horses since 1919. Triple Crown winners include | | | | until 1902, when Colonel Matt J. Winn took over the |
| memorable names such as Secretariat, Seattle Slew, | | | | track. Although he had seen every Derby since the |
| Whirlaway, and Affirmed. | | | | beginning, Winn know little about horse racing or running |
| The first Kentucky Derby was held May 17, 1875, | | | | tracks. But he was a very good promoter. |
| before a crowd of 10,000 from around the city, state | | | | After rising money to same Churchill Downs from |
| and surrounding areas. In that race, a field of 15 | | | | bankruptcy, Winn began making frequent trips to New |
| three-year-olds ran a 1.5 mile course which was won | | | | York, then the center of American racing to persuade |
| by H.P. McGrath's Aristides. Although the first Derby | | | | owners to enter their horses in the Kentucky Derby. |
| was held at 1.5 miles, the distance was changed to the | | | | His persistence paid off. By 1920, the Derby had |
| current 1.25 miles in 1896. The Derby field is limited to | | | | become the best-known race in the North America |
| three-year-olds; fillies carry 121 pounds and colts 126 | | | | and it was attracting the top three-year-olds from all |
| pounds. So far, only three fillies have won the Derby: | | | | over the country. |
| Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980, and Winning | | | | The first race in the Triple Crown, The Derby is run on |
| Colors in 1988. The Kentucky Derby has also | | | | the first Saturday in May. A whole week of festivities |
| produced countless statistics and bits of trivia over the | | | | know as The Kentucky Derby Festival is built around |
| course of its history. The largest field was during the | | | | the race which, like the Indianapolis 500, has become |
| 100th running in 1974 when 23 horses ran. The smallest | | | | as much a happening as a sporting event. It attracts |
| fields were in 1892 and 1905, with only three horses in | | | | crowds of well over 150,000 spectators and is |
| each race. | | | | watched on television by millions more, many of who |
| The fastest Derby was run by the legendary | | | | are otherwise not interested in Thoroughbred racing. |
| Secretariat, who covered the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 2/5, the | | | | |