The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is the longest running, continuously held sporting event in the United States. It pre-dates every other major sporting championship from the US Open to the Superbowl. No other American sport can boast a history as long or rich as that of horseracing. The Kentucky Derby is an excellent example that, first run in 1875 under the leadership of founder Col. M. Lewis Clark. The name and the “big race” idea were both adapted from the famous Epsom Derby in England, where Col. Clark had spent time researching horses and racing. The first race, on May 17, 1875, was 1-1/2 miles. As many as 10,000 spectators watched Aristides, a three-year-old chestnut colt owned by H.P. McGrath, win the inaugural race.

The first quarter-century of the race’s history saw the development of infrastructure and foundations were laid for an enduring tradition. No records exist for the track’s name, Churchill Downs, before 1883, when the Louisville Commercial newspaper ran a Derby article referring to the track by that name. In 1894 the track changed hands and the new owners built a grandstand, topped by a pair of high spires, which debuted at the 1895 running of the Derby. This grandstand and its accompanying towers have been an enduring symbol of the track and the Kentucky Derby since that time. 1896 saw the length of the race shortened from 1-1/2 miles to 1-1/4 miles on the basis that 1-1/2 was too far for three year olds to be running that early in the spring. The 1890’s also saw the first presentation of roses to the victorious horse.

The turn of the twentieth century was a financially difficult time for Churchill Downs but The Derby was still being held every year. In 1902 a group of Louisville investors headed by a tailor named Matt Winn took over the track and led it to it’s first year of profitability in 1903. Wagering was converted from bookmaker betting to pari-mutuel betting in 1908 with $18,300 wagered on the Derby that year. The $2 pari-mutuel system was adapted at Churchill Downs in 1911, lowering the minimum bet from $5 and setting the standard that is still in use today. The years 1913, 14, and 15 saw three horses bring the Kentucky Derby into the spotlight it has held since. First, in 1913, Donerail became the biggest longshot to win, paying $184.90, $41.20, and $13.20. Then, Old Rosebud set a new track record of 2:03-2/5 in 1914, and, finally, Regret became the first filly to win The Derby in 1915. Sir Barton won the 1919 Derby and went on to win the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win all three events of the Triple Crown. The first awards presentation including a trophy occurred at the Golden Jubilee running won by Black Gold in 1924.

The Kentucky Derby earned the nickname “The Run for the Roses” in 1925 in a column written by New York sportswriter Bill Corum. (Corum would go on to be the president of Churchill Downs from 1950-1958.) 1925 also heard the first radio broadcast of the Derby from local Louisville station WHAS. The box starting mechanism was first used in the Derby in 1930, the year Gallant Fox won and went on to become the second Triple crown winner. International radio broadcasts of the event began in 1931, further expanding the reach and impact of American horse racing. Omaha in 1935 and War Admiral in 1937 both won the Kentucky Derby on their paths to Triple Crown glory. Another Triple Crown winner, Whirlaway, won in 1940. The Second World War limited the 1943 race to hometown Louisville fans only and over 65,000 turned out to see Count Fleet, a heavy favorite, win on his way to the second Triple Crown of the 40’s. The Derby almost lost it’s streak of consecutive years in 1945 due to US government orders banning horse racing but V-E day brought an end to the ban and the race was run on June 9. 1946 and 1948 saw Assault and Citation, respectively, win the Kentucky derby before going on to be the last Triple Crown Winners for 25 years. The 75th running of the Kentucky Derby in 1949 saw 16-1 shot Ponder win the first Derby to be televised (locally and very limited). Also in 1949, Matt Winn, the one-time tailor come racing mogul credited with making the Derby what it is now died. He witnessed all seventy-five Kentucky Derbies run during his lifetime, the first from his father’s grocery cart parked in the infield.

During the 1950’s and 60’s Churchill Downs track was massively expanded, right along with the Kentucky Derby’s expanding worldwide prominence. Nationwide network television coverage of the Derby first happened in 1952, hosted by the same local station, WHAS, that first broadcast the Derby on the radio. The first disqualification of a Kentucky Derby winner occurred in 1968 when the winning horse, Dancer’s Image, was declared ineligible following a post-race drug test. Runner up Forward Pass was then declared the winner. Any sore feelings left over from the drug scandal in 1968 were forgotten in 1973, when, at the 99th running of the Derby, Secretariat broke the 2:00 mark and set the current fastest time, 1:59-2/5, on his way to the first Triple Crown in 25 years. The following year’s 100th anniversary running hosted a record-breaking crowd of 168,628 who cheered on Cannonade, the 1975 winner.

Seattle Slew, in 1977, and Affirmed, in 1978, became the first back-to-back Triple Crown winners, kicking off significant expansions at the Churchill Downs that have been continuously ongoing in modern times. Although no Kentucky Derby winner has gone on to win the Triple Crown since 1978 the race continues to attract the very best three-year-old thoroughbreds in the world. The 125th running in 1999 was cheered by over 150,000 screaming fans.