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