Derby History

Kentucky has been a major center of horse breeding and racing since the late 1700’s due to the Ordivician fields of the Bluegrass Region, which contains higher than average amounts of calcium and thus produced seperior race horses.

In 1872, Col. M. Lewis Clark traveled to England, visiting the Epsom Derby, a famous race that had been running annually since 1780. From there, Clark went on to Paris, France, where in 1863 a group of racing enthusiasts had formed the French Jockey Club and had organized the Grand Prix de Paris, which eventually became the famous Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Returning home to Kentucky, Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club for the purpose of raising money to build quality racing facilities jost outside of the city. The track would soon become known as Churchill Downs, named for Clark’s relatives, John and Henry Churchill, who had provided the land for the racetrack. Officially, the racetrack was incorporated as Churchill Downs in 1937.

The Kentucky Derby we first run at 1-1/2 mi, the same distance as the Epsom Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris. In 1896, the distance was changed to its current 1-1/4 mi.

On May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contesed the first Derby. Under African-American jockey Oliver Lewis , a colt named Artistides, who was trained by future Hall of Famer, Ansel Williamson, won the inaugural Derby. Later that year, Lewis rode Aristides to a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes.

Although the first race proved a success, the track ran into financial difficulties and in 1894 the New Louisville Jockey Club was incorporated with new captitolization and improved facilities. Despite this, the business floundered until 1902, when Col. Matt Winn of Louisville put together a syndicate of businessmen to acquire the facility.

On May 3, 1952, the first national television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place. In 1954, the purse exceeded $100,000 for the first time.

In 1968, Dancers Image became the first—and to this day the only horse—to win the race and then be disqualified after traces of phenylbuzatzone was found in the horse’s urinalysis.

The fastest time ever run in the Derby (at its present distance) is 1 minute 59 2/5 seconds, by Secretariat in 1973.

The 2004 Derby marked the first time that jockeys, as a result of a court order, were allowed to wear corporate advertising logos on their clothing.

In 2005, the purse distribution for the Derby was changed so that horses finishing 5th would henceforth receive a share of the purse. Previously only the first 4 finishers did so.

On February 1, 2006, the Louisville-based fast-food company Yum! Brands, Inc. announced a corporate sponsorship deal to officially name the race “The Kentucky Derby, presented by Yum! Brands.”