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When you think of horse racing, the Kentucky Derby is probably the first thing that comes to mind. With a history that spans back more than 130 years, the Kentucky Derby is truly a staple of the American culture and arguably the most prestigious horse race on the planet.
The Kentucky Derby is held in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville has a metro population of over 1.2 million people. While it’s mostly known for being the home of the Kentucky Derby, it also is the birthplace of boxer Muhammad Ali and writer Hunter S. Thompson. Inventor Thomas Edison even spent part of his life as a Louisville resident.
Held the first Saturday in the month of May, the Kentucky Derby in 2008 will be on May 3rd. However, the city of Louisville hold a two-week Kentucky Derby celebration called the Kentucky Derby Festival. This festival begins 14 days before the Kentucky Derby and includes events such as the Great Balloon Race, the Thunder Over Louisville, the Pegasus Parade, the Great Steamboat Race and the Derby Marathon. The Kentucky Derby began in 1956 and has become an important part of the celebration surrounding the Kentucky Derby.
The Kentucky Derby takes place at Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs was opened in 1875 and was the home of the original Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated, holds races throughout most of the year. Obviously though, the Kentucky Derby is the facility’s biggest attraction.
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Churchill Downs spans nearly 150 acres in Louisville. While seating capacity is about 50,000, the Kentucky Derby draws crowds of around 150,000 due to selling standing-room only tickets. In recent years, Churchill Downs underwent a renovation that cost more than $120 million. After the renovation was complete, many experts now regard Churchill Downs as the most luxurious facility of its kind.
The horses in the Kentucky Derby are thoroughbred horses that are three-years-old. The male horses (colts and geldings) carry 126 pounds, while the female horses (fillies) carry 121 pounds. The race spans one and one-fourth miles and lasts approximately two minutes.
There are many different nicknames for the Kentucky Derby. The most common nicknames are “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” and “The Run for the Roses”. “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” nickname comes from the fact that the Kentucky Derby usually last around two minutes. “The Run for the Roses” is in reference to the blanket of roses that is given to the winning horse.
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A lot of people simply know the Kentucky Derby as the first race of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The other two races are held in Baltimore, Maryland and Elmont, New York. The race that is in Baltimore is called the Preakness Stakes, while the race in Elmont is called the Belmont Stakes. The Preakness Stakes is held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes is held five weeks after the Kentucky Derby. All three of the races in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing are run by three-year-old thoroughbred horses.
In history, 11 horses have won all three races of the Triple Crown. However, no horse has won all three races since 1978, when Affirmed did it. The most famous horse to accomplish this feat was Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown in 1973. A number of horses have been relatively close over the last 30 years but none have been able to win all three of the races to take home the Triple Crown.
It’s no mistake that the state of Kentucky is home to one of the world’s largest horse races. The state of Kentucky has a long history of being a hub of horse racing in the United States. In addition to horse racing, horse breeding has long been popular in Kentucky. The Bluegrass section of the state has particularly become famous for its horse breeding.
On May 17th, 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was held in front of nearly 12,000 fans. A horse named Aristides beat 12 other horses to take become the first winner of the Kentucky Derby. The jockey Oliver Lewis rode the horse to victory, while the horse was trained by Ansel Williamson. Both Lewis and Williamson were African-Americans who remembered to this day as pioneers for all people who hope to reach the Kentucky Derby’s big stage.
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In the early years of the Kentucky Derby, African-American jockeys dominated the sport. More than a half of the first 28 races were won by African-American jockeys. In 1982, Lonnie Claxton, who was African-American, became the youngest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby at 15. In 1915, a filly won the Kentucky Derby for the first time. In 1917, the first foreign-born horse won the Kentucky Derby. The first time the Kentucky Derby was seen on television was 1952. In the forthcoming years, the prize for winning the Kentucky Derby grew substantially. By the mid-1950’s, the prize grew to be over $100,000.
Not only is Secretariat the most famous horse to win all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, he did so in spectacular fashion at the Kentucky Derby. In the 130 years of the event, Secretariat’s speed in the 1973 Kentucky Derby has never been matched.
The Kentucky Derby has many customs, traditions and superstitions associated with it. The official drink of the Kentucky Derby is a Mint Julep. Burgoo is the food most associated with the Kentucky Derby. Burgoo is a stew that mostly made of beef and vegetables.
Not only do people shoe up at the Kentucky Derby to watch the race, but it has also become a social scene over the years. If you are a prominent person in the local community, you are expected to show up at the Kentucky Derby. The fashion for women who attend the Kentucky Derby is a glitzy dress topped by an oversized stylish hat.
Perhaps the most famous custom associated with the Kentucky Derby is the presentation of a blanket of roses to the winning horse. More than 500 roses are used to create the blanket of roses. After the race is over, a lot of people don’t consider it officially over until the blanket of roses is placed upon the winning horse.
In 2007, the winner of the Kentucky Derby was Street Sense. After winning the Kentucky Derby, Street Sense went on to finish second at the Preakness Stakes. When Street Sense retired later in 2007, he had lifetime earners of nearly $5 million.
Arguably, the most famous recent winner of the Kentucky Derby was Barbaro in 2006. Barbaro was undefeated going into the Kentucky Derby and dominated the field to win “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”. However, tragedy would soon strike Barbaro. Early on during the Preakness Stakes, Barbaro suffered a gruesome injury that left one of his legs broken in nearly two dozen places. After undergoing a number of surgeries to try to save his life, Barbaro eventually was euthanized due to complications from his injury.
If you want to watch the 2008 Kentucky Derby, you can watch it on NBC on May 3rd. If you want additional coverage of the Kentucky Derby, you can find it on ESPN on your television or on the internet at KentuckyDerby.com, the official website of the Kentucky Derby.
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