The Kentucky Derby
Kentucky
Derby
Information
The Kentucky Derby - the world's greatest horse race.
Kentucky
Derby
Winners and Hats
The
Kentucky Derby has been held annually in Louisville, KY since 1875. It
is run on the first Saturday in May and is limited to thoroughbred horses
that are 3 years old. The race is currently run at a distance
of 1 1/4 miles and has been since 1895. Prior to that the Derby
was run at a distance of 1 1/2 miles. Colts and geldings who run
in the Derby carry a weight of 126 pounds, fillies carry 121 pounds.
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade 1 race, the highest level in the grading
system used to identify thoroughbred stakes races. The current
purse is in excess of 2 million dollars, with the winner receiving
over 1.4 million. The field is limited to a maximum of twenty
entrants, and graded-stakes earnings determine which horses will make
the race.
The Kentucky Derby is often called "The greatest two minutes in sports",
as the race is usually run in about that amount of time. The
fastest Kentucky Derby was run by Secretariat in
1973 in a time of 1:59 2/5 seconds. The race is also known as "The for the roses",
as the winner receives a blanket of roses that is presented in the
winners'
circle.
The Kentucky Derby usually draws a crowd of around 150,000 people
and is attended by celebrities and politicians. The traditions
surrounding the Derby are numerous - Mint
Juleps, Derby Hats, The Derby Festival
in Louisville, and the singing of "My Old Kentucky Home" as
the horses enter the track are but a few that Derby fans look forward
to each
year.
The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown - a series
of races for 3-year olds that includes The Kentucky Derby, Preakness,
and
Belmont. Winning the Kentucky Derby brings fame and fortune
to the horse and his owner and can launch the winning horse into a
successful
career as a thoroughbred stallion when he is done racing.
